Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to announce plans for mandatory digital ID cards for all working adults, a move expected to spark a significant debate over civil liberties. The proposal, dubbed the 'Brit card', will be outlined on Friday at a conference focusing on progressive solutions to UK challenges, including immigration concerns.
The plans, which would require new legislation, have already drawn opposition from privacy campaigners. However, Downing Street believes the measure is necessary to ensure the right to work in the UK and tackle illegal migration, arguing that public opinion has shifted since similar proposals under Tony Blair were abandoned in the 2000s.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is a supporter of the initiative, having previously stated her long-term personal political view in favour of ID cards. Starmer has indicated that digital IDs could help make Britain less attractive to illegal migrants, echoing claims from France that the lack of official cards acts as a 'pull factor'.
The technology is expected to be built on the government's existing 'One Login' infrastructure, which already provides access to around 50 government services. The proposal, initially explored in a Labour Together paper, suggests a free, secure digital ID stored on a smartphone via a gov.uk Wallet app, rebranded as the Brit Card app. This would be verifiable by employers, immigration authorities, banks, and landlords.
In his speech, Starmer is also expected to criticise the far right for injecting 'poisonous' discourse into national life, while acknowledging the need for controlled borders. He will argue that it is not compassionate left-wing politics to rely on labour that exploits foreign workers and undercuts fair wages, and that every nation needs control over its borders.
