Starmer to announce plans for digital ID scheme

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce plans for a compulsory UK-wide digital ID scheme in a speech on Friday.

The prime minister believes it would help crack down on illegal working and modernise the state, according to senior figures in government.

The practicalities of the scheme will be subject to a consultation, which will also look at how to make it work for those without a smartphone or passport.

The previous Labour government's attempt to introduce ID cards was ultimately blocked by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.

But earlier this month, Sir Keir said in an interview he thought the debate had "moved on" since then.

"We all carry a lot more digital ID now than we did 20 years ago, and I think that psychologically, it plays a different part," he added.

Reports have suggested the government plans to use a new scheme to check people's right to live and work in the UK.

These checks are currently based on physical documents, although routes to complete the checks online for some people have existed since 2022.

The government last year rejected a digital ID proposal suggested by former Labour Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair.

But in recent weeks ministers have warmed to the idea, as they have come under increasing pressure to tackle illegal migration.

Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden has also talked about the scheme's potential to improve access to government services.

He recently visited Estonia, where digital identity can be used to access services such as medical records, voting and banking.

Employers already have to check that prospective candidates have the right to work in the UK.

Since 2022, they have been able to carry out checks on passport-holding British and Irish citizens by using digital verification services that have been certified by the government.

A Home Office online scheme also exists to verify the status of some non-British or Irish citizens, whose immigration status is held electronically.

It is understood officials have been looking at whether requiring a digital ID could provide a more consistent approach to verifying identity.

They are also thought to be exploring whether the scheme could reduce the use of fake documents, and make it easier to target enforcement activity.