UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday announced plans to introduce a nationwide digital ID system aimed at reducing illegal migration. But the proposal is already facing strong resistance in a country that has long opposed identity cards.
The new digital ID will be stored on people’s phones. The government said people will not be required to carry it everywhere or show it on demand.
However, it will be compulsory for anyone who wants to prove their right to work in the UK.
“You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have a digital ID,” Starmer said in his speech.
He added, “It’s as simple as that. Decent and fair-minded people want us to deal with the challenges they see around them.”
The government hopes to roll out the digital ID before the current parliament ends in 2029. Officials said the system would also make it easier to apply for driving licenses, childcare, welfare benefits, and access tax records.
The announcement comes just before the Labour Party’s annual conference, where Starmer is under heavy pressure, especially over immigration policies.
“Digital ID is a huge opportunity for the UK. It will also give ordinary citizens countless benefits,” Starmer said.
“We are working hard to deliver a fairer Britain for people who want real change, not division,” he added.
The UK has a long history of resisting ID cards. The country has no central registry of citizens, and people usually identify themselves with passports, driving licenses, or utility bills.
In 2011, a Conservative-led government scrapped a plan introduced under Tony Blair that would have created voluntary ID cards and a citizen database.
Opposition parties quickly criticized Starmer’s plan. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch wrote on X that her party would oppose any effort to “impose mandatory ID cards on law-abiding citizens.”
She added, “We will not back any system that is forced on British people or takes away the rights of those who choose not to use it.”
The Liberal Democrats also rejected the idea, saying they cannot support a system where people must hand over private data just to live their daily lives.
Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party — tipped by polls to win the next election — also opposed it, saying: “I see no benefit to government-controlled digital ID other than monitoring what we do, what we spend, and where we go.”
A petition against digital ID cards had already gathered over 825,000 signatures by Friday. But polls suggest that a majority of the public supports the idea.
The government said it would hold a public consultation later this year to gather opinions on how the service should be delivered.
It also promised alternatives for people without smartphones.
“The consultation will reach out to groups less familiar with digital tools, such as older people and the homeless, and learn from other countries that have done this successfully,” the government said
