Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has performed a significant U-turn, scrapping plans to make digital identity cards compulsory for proving the right to work in the United Kingdom.
From Mandatory to Optional: A Major Policy Shift
The controversial proposal for mandatory digital ID cards has been officially abandoned following considerable public and political backlash. Instead, the government will introduce an optional digital ID system in 2029. Workers will retain the choice to use traditional documents, such as passports or biometric residence permits, to verify their identity and right to work.
A senior Government source explained the reversal to The Times, stating that the compulsory element had become a major obstacle. "The compulsory element was stopping conversation about what digital IDs could be used for generally," the source revealed.
Addressing Fears of Exclusion and Backlash
The decision is a direct response to concerns that a mandatory scheme could disproportionately affect vulnerable or less digitally-literate citizens. The government source provided a stark example of the potential pitfalls they sought to avoid.
"We do not want to risk there being cases of some 65-year-old in a rural area being barred from working because he hasn't installed the ID," the source said. They added that "stepping back from mandatory-use cases will deflate one of the main points of contention" surrounding the entire digital ID project.
What Happens Next for Digital ID in the UK?
This policy reversal represents a strategic retreat aimed at salvaging the broader concept of digital identity in the UK. By removing the compulsory aspect for employment checks, ministers hope to foster a more constructive debate on the wider applications of secure digital identification.
The focus will now shift to developing a voluntary, user-centric system by the planned 2029 launch. The government's challenge will be to demonstrate the utility and security of digital ID cards sufficiently to encourage widespread voluntary adoption, without the force of law.
This development marks a notable climbdown for Sir Keir Starmer's administration on a policy that had sparked intense debate over privacy, state power, and digital inclusion.
