In a surprising U-turn, the British government has abandoned its controversial plan to introduce mandatory digital ID for workers in the UK. The proposal, which was intended to crack down on illegal employment, has faced widespread opposition from both the public and political parties.
The original plan would have required all workers to sign up to a new digital ID system in order to prove their right to work in the UK. However, the government has now opted to instead move existing paper-based checks fully online by 2029, using documents such as biometric passports.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Labour’s response to the policy, branding it as “clueless” and showing “no sense of direction whatsoever.” However, Business Secretary Peter Kyle acknowledged the need for better justification and explanation of new measures.
The reversal is the latest in a series of policy U-turns made by the government in recent weeks, including on inheritance tax for farmland and business rates for pubs. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended the changes, accusing the Conservatives of “crashing the economy” during their time in office.
Polling data shows that public support for digital ID collapsed after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement, falling from just over half the population being supportive in June to less than a third just after his speech. Nearly three million people have signed a parliamentary petition opposing the introduction of digital ID.
Some Labour MPs had already been wary of defending the government’s controversial policies to their constituents, fearing they would inevitably be reversed. One furious Labour MP described the latest U-turn as “an absolute car crash.”
The government maintains that it is “committed to mandatory digital right to work checks,” arguing that the current paper-based system is open to fraud and abuse. However, the details of how the new digital ID system will work are yet to be finalised.
The abandoned plan has been met with relief from civil liberties groups and opposition parties, with the Liberal Democrats calling for the “billions of pounds earmarked for their mandatory digital ID scheme” to be spent on the NHS and frontline policing instead.
As the government navigates the fallout from this policy reversal, it will need to carefully consider the public’s concerns and find a way to implement any new digital ID system in a manner that balances security and convenience with individual privacy and liberty.