Published: September 26, 2025 at 11:51 am
The government has not yet made the case for why this method will be more effective than other current methods, especially regarding the right to work which already requires provision of ID in the form of passports, utility bills etc. Is the argument simply that a digital ID will be harder to forge?
Similar things do exist in the EU already, with 15 countries having some form of rule regarding ID cards. The existence of these cards has not eliminated fraudulent access to public services or illegal immigration. Examples include Greece (where a national ID card is compulsory from 12 years old) and Bulgaria (where you can be fined for not carrying an ID card).
The PM’s announcement today was in front of his equivalents from Australia and Canada – neither of which have digital IDs of the kind Starmer is suggesting.
A significant part of whether UK citizens feel able to trust the government will in fact hinge on how effectively the government can be held to account if things go wrong with the use of digital data, such as for example being fined for breaches of data protection law arising from unlawful use of digital ID cards.
However, a significant fly in the ointment is that the UK’s state appointed data protection authority (the Information Commissioner’s Office) has become increasingly weak, lenient and disinclined to punish wrongdoing, especially by public bodies. This could result in a situation where the government is not effectively held to account for use – or misuse – of personal data arising from digital ID cards.