Nigel Farage has branded Sir Keir Starmer’s plan for mandatory digital ID cards “un-British,” warning the scheme will do little to stop illegal immigration while giving the state sweeping new powers over citizens.
The Prime Minister announced Labour’s proposal on Friday, pledging that all adults would be required to hold a digital ID by the end of this Parliament. The cards, stored on smartphones, would serve as proof of identity and residency status, including name, date of birth, nationality, and immigration status.
Starmer argued the move was essential to ensure fairness in the immigration system:
“You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It’s as simple as that.”
But critics across the political spectrum have lined up against the plan. Civil liberties groups warn it amounts to state surveillance, with a petition against the proposal gathering more than 1.7 million signatures—one of the largest in a decade. A Daily Mail poll found only one in four people support the measure.
Farage, leader of Reform UK, compared the scheme to failed ID systems in Europe:
“This will become a means of controlling the population, tracking where we go and what we spend. Why would anyone trust the government with vast data banks about our lives?”
He also argued that such measures have failed to curb illegal migration elsewhere, noting that existing digital checks already exist for migrants’ right to work.
Opposition has also come from across Westminster. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed the plan as a “gimmick that will do nothing to stop the boats,” while the Liberal Democrats vowed to fight it “tooth and nail.” Shadow pensions secretary Helen Whately warned it would not prevent exploitation in the “grey economy,” where workers are paid cash-in-hand.
Despite the criticism, Labour ministers insist digital IDs are key to tackling illegal work and could serve as a foundation for broader reforms. Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Prime Minister, called the project “the bedrock of the modern state” that could pave the way for “exciting public service reform.”
Meanwhile, the Tony Blair Institute urged the government to go further, arguing IDs should become a “gateway” for citizens to access wider state services.
With opposition mounting, the petition will now be considered for a parliamentary debate after surpassing the 100,000-signature threshold.
