Overview

• The prime minister is due to outline support today for a “Brit card,” with IDs used to verify entitlement to live and work and likely shown when starting jobs or renting homes.
• IDs would be stored on a phone app and checked against a central database, which the government says will curb illegal working linked to small‑boat crossings.
• Keir Starmer called digital ID “an enormous opportunity” and signalled availability for citizens and legal residents by the end of this Parliament, subject to parliamentary approval.
• Civil‑liberties groups and opposition figures warned of privacy, security and digital exclusion risks, with Big Brother Watch’s petition topping 100,000 signatures.
• The initiative builds on the GOV.UK Wallet programme and pilots, and a Labour‑aligned think tank has put setup costs in the £140m–£400m range.