Keir Starmer to Announce Digital ID Card UK

Sir Keir Starmer is likely to announce plans for a mandatory digital ID scheme in a speech on Friday. The UK Prime Minister believes it will help crack down on illegal working and modify the state, as per some senior government officials.

The feasibility of the digital ID card scheme will be assessed through a consultation, which will include exploring how it can be made accessible to those without a passport or smartphone.

The earlier Labour government’s initiative to introduce ID cards was finally restricted by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition. However, earlier this month, the president said in an interview that he thought the altercation had moved on since then.

He added, “We all carry a lot more digital ID now than we did 20 years ago”. He further stated that he thinks it plays a different part. As per reports, the government plans to implement a new scheme to check people’s right to live and work in the UK. Individuals ‘ IDs will be checked against a central database.

Currently, these checks are conducted based on physical documents, although some individuals have been able to verify documents online since 2022. In recent weeks, ministers have spoken with rising enthusiasm regarding the idea of a digital ID card as they have come under huge pressure to tackle illegal migration. 

Pat McFadden, Cabinet Office Minister, has shown concern about the scheme’s potential to improve access to government services. Recently, he visited Estonia, where digital ID cards are used to access various services such as voting, banking, and more.

It is expected that the new scheme would reduce the desirability of working in the UK illegally. It comes amid calls from the French President Emmanuel Macron for the United Kingdom to lessen pull factors for migrants to make the crossing to the UK.

Sir Keir Starmer is due to speak at the Global Progress Action Summit in London on Friday. The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, will be present at Friday’s event.

The UK has only mandatory ID cards during wartime, and the last tranche was scrapped in 1952. 

The Conservative Leader, Kemi Badenoch, said in a post on X that this announcement is a desperate gimmick that will do nothing to stop the boats. Further, she added that there are arguments for and against the digital ID card scheme; however, ordering its use would be a very significant step that requires a proper national debate. 

Reform Leader Nigel Farage said that he was firmly opposed in a post on X. 

Michelle O’Neill said in a social media post that the digital ID card proposal was an attack on the rights of Irish citizens in the North of Ireland.

Employers already have to check that the anticipated candidates have the right to work in the UK. Since 2022, they have been able to check on Passport-holding British and Irish citizens through digital verification services, certified by the government.