Labour drops compulsory element of digital ID plan

Sir Keir Starmer has reportedly scrapped plans for a compulsory digital identity scheme for workers following opposition to the idea from across the political divide.

- JANE DALTON

The prime minister last year said Labour would introduce a digital ID system that would be voluntary in most cases but mandatory for right-to-work checks.

But the plans were thrown into confusion on Tuesday night after The Times reported ministers were rowing back on the compulsory element, allowing other digital documents to be used for right-to-work check.

It brings to at least nine - and by some counts as many as 13 – the number of U-turns Labour has performed since the 2024 general election.

Civil-rights groups as well as Reform UK and the Conservatives had slated the idea of an obligatory ID scheme, which the government announced only four months ago to crack down on illegal migration.

In September, the prime minister announced the introduction of the “Brit card” to make it harder for people without the right to work to find employment.