Starmer to announce digital ID scheme at party conference
19/09/2025 | Financial Times
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is pressing ahead with plans for a digital ID scheme, with a potential announcement as early as his party conference. The initiative is being pursued to help reduce illegal migration, despite a previous failed attempt to introduce compulsory ID cards under a past Labour government.
One model being considered would provide a digital ID to everyone with a legal right to be in the UK, including citizens and those with legal immigration status. These IDs would likely be used for right-to-work and right-to-rent checks to deter illegal working.
Ministers, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, have publicly supported the policy, with Mahmood stating that such a system could "help with illegal working enforcement" and "deal with the pull factors" that attract migrants.
However, some sceptics within the government have questioned what benefit a new digital ID would have over the existing e-visa system. Concerns have also been raised that the scheme could lead to health workers being required to check the immigration status of patients. Polling suggests a majority of the public are in favour of the plan.
In related news, Rebecca Vincent, Interim Director at BBW, wrote an article for Computer Weekly outlining how the move risks turning the UK into "Checkpoint Britain".
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