LABOUR SCRAPS DIGITAL ID IN THE UK

Freedom Talk Radio UK

Jan 14, 2026•2 min

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Episode description

LABOUR Government drops plans for mandatory digital ID to work in UK
Kate Whannel,Political reporterand
Henry Zeffman,chief political correspondent

Getty Images

The government has dropped plans requiring workers to sign up to its digital ID scheme in order to prove their right to work in the UK.By 2029, right to work checks will be done digitally – for example by using biometric passports – but registering with the new digital ID programme will be optional.This marks a shift from last year when the government first announced the policy and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told an audience: "You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It's as simple as that."Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said "Good riddance. It was a terrible policy anyway."

Chris Mason: The climbdowns stack up for Starmer with digital ID U-turn

She said the move by Labour represented "another U-turn".The change of policy is the latest in a series of U-turns the government has made since it came to power – including climbdowns on welfare reforms, reducing winter fuel payments and inheritance tax for farmers.When the government first announced the policy plan, it argued that mandatory digital ID for workers would make it easier to clamp down on immigrants working illegally.The scheme, it is understood, will now deal less narrowly with immigration and the government will instead place more emphasis on the argument that digital ID can be a useful tool for the public when accessing public services.Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the government was still "absolutely committed" to mandatory digital right to work checks, including through biometric passports, and said digitising the system would help crack down on illegal working."The digital ID could be one way in which you prove your eligibility to work through a digital right to work check," she said."At the moment we've got a paper-based system - there's no proper records kept."It makes it very difficult then to target enforcement action sensibly against businesses that are employing illegal workers."Former home secretary Lord David Blunkett, who supported ID cards when he was in government, told the same programme the government had not explained why the policy mattered or how it would work, so it was "not surprising" to see another U-turn."The original statement was not followed by a narrative or supportive statements or any kind of strategic plan which involved other ministers and those who are committed to this actually making the case," he said."As a consequence, those who are opposed to the scheme, for all kinds of nefarious and very different reasons, some of them inexplicable, were able to mobilise public opinion and to get the online opposition to it up and running."Polling showed that public support for digital ID collapsed after Sir Keir's announcement, falling from just over half the population being supportive in June to less than a third of the population just after his speech.Nearly three million people have signed a parliamentary petition opposing the introduction of digital IDs.There has also been nervousness among some Labour MPs over the compulsory aspect of the original proposal.Whatever they think of the change to this specific policy, Labour MPs are growing increasingly frustrated with the government's U-turns.Some had already been wary of defending controversial government policies to their constituents because they feared that the policy would inevitably be reversed.One furious Labour MP told the BBC last night that the latest U-turn was "an absolute car crash", adding: "The boys at No 10 jumped into it with no thought, marched the PLP up the hill only to bottle it, take all the pain and no credit."

The Liberal Democrats said the policy was "doomed to failure" from the start and called for "the billions of pounds earmarked for their mandatory digital ID scheme" to be spent "on the NHS and frontline policing instead".The party's Cabinet Office spokesperson, Lisa Smart, said: "No 10 must be bulk ordering motion sickness tablets at this rate to cope with all their U-turns."Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said in a post on X: "This is a victory for individual liberty against a ghastly, authoritarian government. Reform UK would scrap it altogether."Green Party leader Zack Polanski welcomed the news on X, saying: "The government have U-turned on ID cards. Good."A government spokesperson said: "We are committed to mandatory digital right to work checks."Currently right to work checks include a hodge podge of paper-based systems with no record of checks ever taking place. This is open to fraud and abuse."Digital ID will make everyday life easier for people, ensuring public services are more personal, joined-up, and effective, while also remaining inclusive."
Employers already have to check if someone they want to hire has the right to work in the UK.Since 2022, employers have been able to do checks on passport-holding British and Irish citizens using digital verification services certified by the government.There is also a Home Office online scheme which verifies the status of some non-British or Irish citizens, whose immigration status is held electronically.The details of how digital ID will work have yet to be set out but it is expected to be based on two government-built systems: Gov.uk One Login and Gov.uk Wallet.Currently more than 12 million people have signed up to One Login, which can be used for services such as applying for a veteran card, cancelling a lost passport or managing a lasting power of attorney.Gov.uk Wallet has not yet been launched but would allow people to store their digital ID on their smartphones.The digital ID would include name, date of birth, nationality and residence status and a photo.

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Transcript

Speaker 1

00:03

Yeah, hello, it's a very well welcome. It's andy, it's early January. I've had a few days off and I hope you're all doing very well. There a new year, got rid of the snow, and yeah, how about this today? Then Starmer the farmer Granny Armor. Government drops plans for mandatory digital ID to work in UK. So the government has dropped plans required workers to sign up for this digital idea scheme in order to prove their weight to

00:44

work by and went to work. Checks will be done digitally, for example by using passports, but registrant will be optional. It's dead of mandatory. This marks a shift from last year when the government announce a policy and Prime Minister Starmer told in all audience you will not be able to work in the UK if you do not have did your ID. It's as similars that Conservative leader Kenedy Badnock said, good riddance. It was a terrible policy anyway.

01:11

Chris Mason, the climb downs stack up for Stammer with digital ID U turn. She said the move by Labor represented another U turn. The change of policy is in the latest in the series of U turns the government has made since it came to power, including climbed downs on welfare reforms. We just winter field payments and inheritance taxes. So okay, there's no no more mandatory ID. But I guess we're being id in different ways anyway, aren't we. So I don't think that would be difficult to keep

01:52

snooping on us. The benefit system now can go into your bank account. You can see where you've been, where you're going to, what you spend, if you spent it reasonably. Yeah, that's terrible. Let's know what you think to this, did you idea gone? The people in the background there were waving the flags because are happy. It's a UTAHN and the people power. It's in our DNA to win. The people of the UK are strong. Okay, then take care. We'll talk against saying make share, comment and subscribe.

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