Government's new digital ID cards: A deterrent or an intrusive gimmick?

The Government has announced plans to introduce a digital ID system across the UK, with the Prime Minister saying it will help make the country's borders more secure.

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The IDs will not have to be carried around every day but will be compulsory for anyone wanting to work in the UK.

The Government says the scheme will be rolled out before next general election, which by law must be held no later than August 2029.

This week, its most senior law officer says the IDs will "probably" hold much less personal data than online cookies.

Lord Richard Hermer said he had "bitterly opposed" the concept when Sir Tony Blair sought to introduce a similar system, but that technology had fundamentally changed notions of privacy since the early 2000s.

Speaking at a fringe event organised by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Amnesty International at Labour's annual conference in Liverpool, the Attorney General suggested the information held on such IDs would be limited.

It comes amid concerns about the scope of the proposed scheme after Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said the system would form "the bedrock of the modern state" if rolled out successfully.