Overview

• Keir Starmer met Nandan Nilekani in Mumbai to learn from India’s Aadhaar rollout, with No 10 stressing the UK will design a public-sector system tailored to British circumstances.
• The government confirms digital ID will be mandatory only for employment checks, not for everyone in the UK, and it will not be required to access services such as licences or benefits.
• Public support has slumped, with polling showing backing falling to about 14% and a petition topping roughly 2.8 million signatures, as opposition parties and rights groups raise privacy and exclusion concerns.
• Reports highlight HMRC interest in potential tax-compliance uses, with a Tony Blair Institute estimate suggesting around £600 million a year could be raised, though no fiscal policy change has been announced.
• Procurement and design remain unsettled, with Palantir saying it will not bid, and the government preparing consultation and primary legislation before rollout.