Prime minister Keir Starmer has set out plans to introduce smartphone-based digital ID cards in a bid to crack down on illegal working – and make it easier for everyone else to prove who they are.
Announcing the move on Friday, the PM said the new digital ID would be “mandatory” for right-to-work checks by the end of the current parliament in 2029.
Starmer’s proposals, which are due to be the subject of a public consultation launching in the coming weeks, arrive 15 years after the ID scheme introduced by Tony Blair was scrapped by the coalition government.
Starmer said the scheme would be available to all legal UK residents and would make it simpler to apply for driving licenses and services like childcare and welfare. He added that it would also allow for easier access to tax records.
However the PM framed the policy plans as a direct measure to combat illicit migration and illegal working.
“I know working people are worried about the level of illegal migration into this country,” he said.
“A secure border and controlled migration are reasonable demands, and this government is listening and delivering.
“Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure. And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly – rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.
“We are doing the hard graft to deliver a fairer Britain for those who want to see change, not division. That is at the heart of our Plan for Change, which is focused on delivering for those who want to see their communities thrive again.”
No.10 said that under the current proposals, no-one would be required to carry digital ID or to produce it for inspection – although it would be “mandatory as a means of proving your right to work”.
At a time when the government is coming under increasing pressure to stop small boat crossings organised by criminal gangs, No.10 said digital ID would send a “clear message” that people who come to the UK illegally will not be able to work.
No.10 said digital ID would be “designed with best-in-class security at its core” and that digital credentials would be stored directly on people’s own devices, as is the case with contactless payment cards or the NHS App.
It added that digital ID would include an individual’s name, date of birth, details of their nationality or residency status, and a photo as the basis for biometric security.
No.10 said the upcoming consultation would consider whether including additional information, like addresses, would be helpful.
It will also engage with groups who are less likely to be digtially connected, such as the homeless and older people.