KEIR Starmer has defended plans for a new digital ID held on people’s phones as an “enormous opportunity” for the UK amid a fierce backlash.
Digital ID will become mandatory as a means of proving the right to work under the plans, but people will not be required to carry or be asked to produce it.
It will be available to UK citizens and legal residents by the end of this parliament.
The Prime Minister said: “I know working people are worried about the level of illegal migration into this country. 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.”
The UK Government said the proposed IDs will support efforts to reduce illegal immigration by curbing the ability of those who come to the UK illegally to earn money.
Starmer said Labour has previously shied away from addressing concerns over immigration said it is now “essential” to tackle “every aspect of the problem of illegal immigration” in an article for The Telegraph.
The Prime Minister argued that it is possible to be concerned about immigration while rejecting Reform UK’s “toxic” approach.
“There is no doubt that for years left-wing parties, including my own, did shy away from people’s concerns around illegal immigration,” he wrote.
The plans envisage ID cards being stored on devices in the same way contactless payment cards or the NHS App are.
The digital ID would be the authoritative proof of identity and residency status in the UK and include name, date of birth, and a photo as well as information on nationality and residency status.
How the scheme will work for those who do not use smartphones will be addressed as part of the consultation process.
Those who do not want to carry a digital ID card or do not operate digitally could be given a physical card instead, according to The Telegraph.
Mandatory ID cards have previously only existed during wartime.
The plans have been met with opposition, however, including from the Scottish Government and John Swinney.
“I am opposed to mandatory digital ID - people should be able to go about their daily lives without such infringements,” the First Minister said.
Amid reports it may be called a “BritCard”, Swinney added that Starmer “seems to be attempting to force every Scot to declare ourselves British”.
He added: “I am a Scot.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch also dismissed the plans as a “gimmick that will do nothing to stop the boats”.
The Liberal Democrats said they would not support mandatory digital ID where people are “forced to turn over their private data just to go about their daily lives”.
Meanwhile, Tony Blair’s think tank said the cards could act as a “gateway to government services”.
The former prime minister made moves to establish a voluntary ID card system during his time in office in the early 2000s and has since repeated his call for their introduction.
