Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to introduce mandatory digital ID cards, saying the system will help verify the right to work in Britain and modernise access to public services.
The scheme, branded the “Brit Card”, would be issued to all UK citizens and legal residents. It will be available on smartphones, with non-digital alternatives promised for those without access. By the end of this parliament, employers will be required to use the system to check new hires, and the government has indicated the ID could later be used by landlords, banks and public services such as welfare and housing.
Starmer (pictured) said the move was an “enormous opportunity” to make life simpler for citizens and harder for people working illegally. Ministers argue it will reduce bureaucracy, cut fraud and help border enforcement.
But the announcement has drawn criticism from political opponents and campaigners. Civil liberties groups, including Big Brother Watch and Liberty, said the scheme risks creating a surveillance state and could expose millions of people to data breaches. The Runnymede Trust warned it could deepen inequalities by disproportionately affecting ethnic minority communities.
Supporters, including the Tony Blair Institute, argue digital ID is a necessary modernisation. They say it could help tackle illegal working, clamp down on rogue landlords and speed up access to services.
Under the likely plans, the technology is expected to be built on the government’s One Login infrastructure, which already allows citizens to access about 50 government services.
The government is expected to consult on the details before introducing legislation next year. Officials face pressure to show how data will be safeguarded, how vulnerable groups will be supported, and how the system will integrate with existing digital platforms such as One Login.
The Brit Card proposal marks the most ambitious attempt at an ID scheme since Labour’s abandoned plans in the mid-2000s.
