Overview

• Financial Times reporting indicates the prime minister is preparing a digital ID initiative linked to overhauls of asylum and immigration policy.
• A government spokesperson said the UK is committed to using technology to make access to services easier and will consider serious digital ID proposals.
• One option under review would provide digital IDs to everyone legally entitled to live in the UK, including citizens and people with legal immigration status.
• The IDs are being explored for right‑to‑work checks and rental agreements, though ministers could narrow the scope or revisit the approach.
• Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has voiced personal support for ID cards, as ministers face pressure over illegal working and record small‑boat arrivals.