Overview

• Keir Starmer reaffirmed that a digital ID will be required to take a job in the UK, framing it as essential to curb illegal working and deter migrants without permission to work.
• Officials say the credential will be app-based within the GOV.UK ecosystem, with alternatives promised for people without smartphones, and no requirement to carry it day to day.
• Ministers are targeting availability before the next general election and a full rollout by 2029, with a public consultation to shape safeguards and access options.
• Opposition has escalated with more than two million petition signatures, local protests including anti‑ID graffiti in Hove, and criticism from parties including the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Reform UK.
• Some Labour and regional MPs voiced privacy, cost and exclusion concerns, while others argued the system could simplify checks and reduce fraud; civil liberties groups warned of surveillance and data‑security risks.