By Beverly Kern
Starmer announces digital ID card
The UK government is moving ahead with a plan to introduce a mandatory digital ID system to verify people’s right to work. Under the proposal, every adult would have a digital credential stored on their smartphone (or a physical option if needed), containing personal data such as name, date of birth, nationality or residence status, and a photo. While citizens would not be required to carry it routinely, employers would need to check it when hiring. The rollout is slated to begin by the end of this Parliament, before 2029.
Proponents argue that the digital ID will help curb illegal employment and make identity checks across public services smoother and more secure. The government has also emphasized inclusion, stating that a physical alternative will be available for those without smartphones, and that the scheme will include outreach support for digitally excluded groups.
However, the proposal has met strong scrutiny. Cybersecurity experts warn that centralising sensitive personal data could create a “hacking target,” while civil liberties groups say the plan risks extending state surveillance and undermining privacy. In Northern Ireland, political leaders including Sinn Féin have warned that the scheme may infringe upon the protections of the Good Friday Agreement by effectively imposing a single identity system across jurisdictions.
Some technical and procedural questions remain open, including how to protect those without smartphones, how data sharing will be managed, and how the system will align with existing identity verification frameworks. There are also signals that the government will build on the existing identity service provider frameworks already used for Right to Work and Right to Rent checks.
The digital ID plan — sometimes referred to as the “BritCard” — is still subject to legislation, consultation, and parliamentary approval. Its success will depend not only on technological delivery but also on how well it balances efficiency, security, and citizens’ rights.
Left-leaning outlets frame the plan as intrusive government overreach, warning of a “checkpoint society” and potential harm to vulnerable groups, including migrants and the trans community. Their language—“furious backlash,” “forced,” and “Brit Card”—underscores fears of exclusion and state control.
Right-leaning media, while sharing privacy concerns, focus on government overreach of a different kind. Describing the policy as “Orwellian” or a “gimmick,” they often direct criticism personally at Keir Starmer, casting the scheme as politically motivated or emblematic of bureaucratic excess.
Unless otherwise linked, headlines are front pages on 25/09/2025.
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