Keir Starmer claims digital ID cards will stop illegal immigration but they have provoked a huge roar of opposition
Keir Starmer visits a school in Liverpool, where Labour is holding its conference (Image: Getty)
A petition demanding Sir Keir Starmer scrap plans for digital ID cards has now been signed by more than 2.1 million people. It passed the two million milestone just days after the Prime Minister announced on Friday that the Government would introduce a new ID system by 2029 that would be mandatory for people working in the UK.
The latest setback for the Prime Minister came as Labour holds its annual conference in Liverpool. The Government says that the planned system, with the digital “cards” available through a mobile phone app, will help stop illegal immigration by making it harder for people to work in the UK without the legal right to do so. But critics say its a huge increase in state control over British citizens – and won’t do anything to stop small boats crossing the Channel.
The petition called on the Government to commit to not introducing digital ID cards, saying: “We think this would be a step towards mass surveillance and digital control, and that no one should be forced to register with a state-controlled ID system.”
It had 2.1 million signatures with more people signing all the time. Petitions on the UK Government websute which receive more than 100,00 signatures will be considered for a debate, although in this case there are certain to be debates on the ID card plan anyway.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has criticised the proposal, calling it “an anti-British card”.
Writing in the Express, he said: “The Labour Government’s plan to impose digital ID cards on all adults will do nothing to combat illegal immigration. But it will give the state more power to control the British people.”
Ministers had previously said the ID would only be needed as proof someone has the right to work in the UK as part of a bid to cut illegal immigration.
But Darren Jones, who is spearheading the policy as chief secretary to the Prime Minister, suggested digital ID could have much wider uses in future.
He told the Global Progress Action summit in London: “If we get this digital ID system working and the public being with us, that will be the bedrock of the modern state and will allow for really quite exciting public service reform in the future.”
Earlier, Sir Keir had told the same conference that digital ID would help convince voters the immigration system was “fair”, saying: “Decent, pragmatic, fair-minded people, they want us to tackle the issues that they see around them.”
People will not be required to carry the ID, which will be held on smartphones, or asked to produce it.
