Overview

• Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed that no one will be able to work in the UK without a digital ID, targeting rollout before the end of the current Parliament.
• The credential will be stored on smartphones and designed to prove right to work, with a government consultation later this year on safeguards and non-digital alternatives.
• Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said officials are exploring uses in the welfare system to check eligibility and tackle benefit fraud.
• Public resistance remains high, with a petition surpassing two million signatures and critics warning about privacy risks, exclusion of non-digital users, and limited impact on cash-in-hand employment.
• Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer argued the IDs would likely contain less personal data than typical online cookies, reflecting a shift in the government’s privacy stance since earlier ID card debates.