Andy Burnham will scrap Sir Keir Starmer’s controversial digital ID programme when he enters Downing Street, redirecting resources toward what his team calls “people’s everyday priorities.” The move kills off a policy that had ignited intense opposition and disappoints former prime minister Sir Tony Blair, whose institute championed digital identity verification.
Reset of Priorities
A spokesperson for Burnham said: “One of the first things this Government will do is put its focus where people need it right now: creating breathing space and delivering change they can feel in their everyday lives. That means all the time and resource that was going to be spent on a national ID scheme will go instead to where it’s most needed, such as helping with the cost of living.”
The decision is part of a broader reset, with a new focus on “improving everyday life and strengthening local economies over expensive national Government schemes,” according to Burnham’s team.
Continued Crackdown on Illegal Working
Despite scrapping the digital ID plan, the government will maintain its crackdown on illegal working. Right to work checks will remain mandatory for all employers. These checks will be extended to cover the gig economy and zero-hours workers in construction, food delivery, beauty, courier services, and warehousing through the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
Burnham’s team insists the government is determined to “bring power back to communities, instead of hoarding it in Whitehall.” They added: “We will work every day to lift this country back up to where it belongs - with growth in every postcode, and hope in every heart.”
