In a shift from its initial plans, the UK government has indicated that workers will not be required to use a specific digital ID card to prove their right to work. Instead, the chancellor has stated that employees can utilize alternative forms of digital verification, such as e-visas or e-passports, to demonstrate their legal status.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves expressed the government’s openness to various digital ID options, stating, “We’re pretty relaxed about what form that takes.” This move comes amid criticism of the government’s U-turn on its earlier proposal for mandatory digital ID cards.
While officials have insisted this is not a full U-turn but rather a refinement before a detailed consultation, the decision has been viewed as the latest in a series of policy changes, including on business rates and inheritance tax for farmers.
Lord Blunkett, the former Labour Home Secretary, criticized the move to water down the digital ID policy, arguing that a lack of strategic planning allowed opponents to undermine the initiative. “The original announcement was not followed by a narrative or supportive statement or any kind of strategic plan which involves other ministers or those who are committed to it actually making the case,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Reeves, however, maintained that the government’s focus is on addressing the problem of illegal working, stating, “The key thing is where you’re trying to go. Our government, this government, our focus is on growing the economy and improving living standards for working people.”
When the digital ID proposal was first announced, it was billed as a voluntary system, with the exception of mandatory use for proving the legal right to work. The prime minister had described it as “an enormous opportunity for the UK,” suggesting it would make it “tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure.”
Under the revised plans, members of the public will still be required to verify their ID digitally, but this could involve existing documents such as passports. The government’s hope is that this approach will crack down on illegal working while avoiding the controversy of an effectively compulsory ID system.
