Overview

• Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a national digital identity intended to reduce irregular migration and tackle illegal employment.
• The ID would be issued to citizens and residents, stored on mobile phones, and used to prove status for jobs, benefits and other state services.
• British media report the app, dubbed the 'Brit Card,' would roll out in stages and integrate with the government's One Login system.
• The Home Office says the system is not for general ID checks, while privacy group Big Brother Watch warns of a pathway to expanded state surveillance.
• Opponents including Reform UK and the Conservatives criticize the plan as ineffective or controlling, and detailed legislation and a timetable have not yet been published, with a bill reportedly possible this autumn.