Andy Burnham is expected to scrap Keir Starmer’s plans for digital ID cards in a “reset of priorities” when he enters Downing Street on Monday. The new Labour leader plans to redirect the resources earmarked for the scheme towards tackling the cost of living, his team indicated on Saturday.
Petition and public backlash
The Guardian understands the proposals are being outlined in an attempt to distance the incoming prime minister from unpopular choices made by his predecessor. A petition opposing the introduction of digital ID cards when it was announced last year attracted about 3m signatures.
“One of the first things this government will do is put its focus where people need it right now: creating breathing space and delivering change they can feel in their everyday lives,” Burnham’s spokesperson said. “That means all the time and resource that was going to be spent on a national ID scheme will go instead to where it’s most needed, such as helping with the cost of living.”
Cost and budget uncertainty
However, it is unclear how much money the decision to scrap the controversial project will save as Starmer’s government did not set out a clear budget for the initiative. The Office for Budget Responsibility suggested it could cost about £1.8bn, but its estimate was rejected by officials.
Starmer first announced plans for a digital ID scheme last September, as part of plans to combat illegal working. It was planned to be rolled out by 2029. He said the proposed “Brit card” would be compulsory for those who needed to prove they were allowed to work in the UK amid growing fears about illegal immigration. The cards were to detail the holder’s residency status, name, date of birth and nationality, alongside their photograph.
Historical context and criticism
Tony Blair’s government passed legislation designed to facilitate the introduction of ID cards in 2006, to the anger of many privacy campaigners. His plans never came into force and were ultimately scrapped by the coalition government in 2011. The Tony Blair Institute, set up by the former prime minister, welcomed Starmer’s proposals, but the plans attracted widespread backlash from opposition politicians and civil rights groups.
The Conservative MP David Davis said: “No system is immune to failure, and we have seen time and again governments and tech giants fail to protect people’s personal data.” The Liberal Democrats added that the party could not get behind “a mandatory digital ID where people are forced to turn over their private data just to go about their daily lives”. Jim Killock, from the Open Rights Group, said Labour was “at risk of creating a digital surveillance infrastructure”.
Government rollback and Burnham’s stance
In the face of this criticism, the government rolled back plans for ID cards earlier this year, clarifying that they would be voluntary. In May, Karen Bradley, the Conservative chair of the home affairs select committee, said the announcement had been “a fiasco” that “made little sense” to the public. Sources close to Burnham said that, despite the decision, he remained committed to the previous government’s “crackdown” on illegal working, which led to almost 9,000 arrests last year.
Right-to-work checks are expected to remain mandatory for all employers, with new legislation extending verification to the gig economy. The Lib Dem cabinet office spokesperson, Lisa Smart, said: “People will be hugely relieved to know they are no longer set to be forced to hand over their data just to go about their daily lives.”
Impact on technology policy
The decision to ditch the scheme entirely is likely to cause further disquiet among technology experts, who are already angry at proposals to abolish the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as part of a wider Whitehall shake-up. Burnham has asked officials to draw up plans that would see much of the department absorbed into a more powerful business department.
