Prime Minister Keir Starmer is confronting a significant backlash from his own Labour MPs today following yet another major policy reversal, this time on mandatory digital identity cards.
A Humiliating Climbdown on a Flagship Policy
The government has humiliatingly abandoned its core plan to force all workers to use a digital ID for right-to-work checks. Sir Keir had spent months championing the scheme as a vital tool to combat illegal immigration, arguing last year that people "will not be able to work in the United Kingdom" without one.
However, the policy proved deeply unpopular, with public support plummeting from 53% in June to just 31% by October. The growing alarm over its reception has forced a dramatic retreat, marking the 13th significant U-turn by the government in just 18 months, despite Sir Keir commanding one of the largest Commons majorities in history.
Open Rebellion and Ridicule from the Backbenches
The decision has sparked open ridicule and anger among Labour backbenchers, further fuelling doubts about the Prime Minister's leadership and political direction. The digital ID scheme will now be entirely voluntary when introduced in 2029, with workers permitted to use other documents for digital verification.
Labour MP Karl Turner, leading a separate revolt on jury trial curbs, stated a U-turn on that issue was now 'inevitable'. He warned colleagues, "Labour MPs must think very carefully before defending policy decisions publicly. This stuff leaves us looking really stupid."
Other MPs were scathing. Emma Lewell-Buck openly celebrated the climbdown, while former Home Secretary Lord Blunkett criticised ministers for failing to "enunciate why this policy mattered".
Political Fallout and Another Awkward PMQs
The reversal sets the stage for another difficult Prime Minister's Questions session for Sir Keir, who has reportedly been leaning on Attorney General Lord Hermer, a fellow human rights lawyer, to bolster his leadership case.
The political opposition seized on the chaos. Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake declared, "Labour's only consistent policy is retreat and it's the public that are paying the price for a government defined by reversal." The Liberal Democrats joked that Downing Street must be "bulk ordering motion sickness tablets" to cope with the constant changes in direction.
Government officials attempted to control the damage, arguing that details were always intended to be set after consultation. A spokesman insisted, "We are committed to mandatory digital right to work checks," highlighting the current "hodgepodge of paper-based systems" as open to fraud. The consultation is due to launch shortly.
