Saturday, September 27, 2025 - UK Prime Minister Keir
Starmer has unveiled plans to introduce a free nationwide digital
identification system, in what his government says is a major step towards
tackling illegal migration while modernising access to public services.
Announcing the initiative on Friday, September 26, ahead of
the Labour Party’s annual conference, Starmer said the new system will provide
every British citizen and legal resident with a digital ID that can be stored
on their phones. The government insists the scheme will simplify applications
for driving licences, childcare, welfare benefits, and tax services, while also
ensuring only those with a legal right to remain in the country are able to
work.
“This will stop those with no right to be here from being
able to find work, curbing their prospect of earning money, one of the key
‘pull factors’ for people who come to the UK illegally,” the government said in
a statement.
Officials stressed that there would be no requirement for
individuals to carry their ID or produce it in public, but that the system will
become mandatory for proving eligibility to work.
Starmer called the move “an enormous opportunity for the UK”
and framed it as part of his wider pledge to build “a fairer Britain for those
who want to see change, not division.” He added that alongside migration
enforcement, the scheme will “offer ordinary citizens countless benefits” by
reducing bureaucratic hurdles.
The proposal comes at a politically sensitive moment for
Labour. Starmer faces growing pressure on immigration policy, with Labour’s
annual conference set to begin and critics demanding clarity on how the
government intends to reduce arrivals while maintaining fairness and respect
for human rights.
Britain has historically resisted introducing national
identity cards. Unlike many European nations, it does not operate a central
civilian registry or require citizens to present ID in public. An earlier
attempt under Tony Blair’s Labour government to create voluntary identity cards
and a resident database was scrapped in 2011 by a Conservative-led
administration that opposed the scheme on civil liberties grounds.
That resistance was echoed again on Friday by Kemi Badenoch,
leader of the opposition Conservatives, who vowed her party would fight the
rollout. Writing on X, she said: “We will oppose any push by this organisation
or the government to impose mandatory ID cards on law-abiding citizens. We will
not support any system that is mandatory for British people or excludes those
of us who choose not to use it from any of the rights of our citizenship.”
The debate has sparked strong feelings across the country. A
petition opposing the introduction of ID cards had already gathered more than
575,000 signatures by early Friday. However, opinion polls suggest a majority
of the British public supports the concept of a digital ID, particularly if it
is free and designed to cut red tape.
Currently, Britons rely on passports, driving licences, and
utility bills as ad hoc forms of identification depending on the context.
Starmer’s government says a digital ID would replace this patchwork with a
single, secure system.
Acknowledging public unease, ministers have pledged that the
scheme will not exclude those without smartphones and that alternative formats
will be made available. A public consultation will launch later this year to
gather views on how the service should be delivered.
“The public consultation will engage with groups who aren’t
as experienced with the digital world, like the homeless and older people,
learning from other countries that have done this well,” the government
statement said.
Officials insist the system will not only strengthen Britain’s immigration enforcement but also help modernise government services, streamline interactions with citizens, and enhance trust in public institutions.
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