Starmer gears up for defining battle as PM on digital ID cards

SIR Keir Starmer has launched a double-barreled attack as he fights to save his plan to introduce digital identity cards in the face of intense public concern.

- By David Williamson

The Prime Minister declared the new technology is needed to tackle illegal immigration and claimed it will also improve the quality of life for ordinary Britons.

The scene is set for a defining battle of his premiership as he works to make the IDs mandatory for right-to-work checks before the next election.

Sir Keir sees digital IDs as a key tool to stop small-boat crossings but there are strong fears the tech could be used for surveillance.

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The Prime Minister, speaking as his trade mission to Mumbai drew to a close, said: “We have made a commitment to stop people arriving illegally in the United Kingdom. One of the issues is the ability people have to work illegally in our economy. We have to do something about. We can’t shirk that... I think the vast majority — if not everyone in the UK — wants it gripped and we need to therefore take measures necessary to grip it.”