People won’t be required to have a digital ID on their phones

The government’s new digital ID scheme won’t require people to carry their ‘card’ when out and about, a minister has confirmed.

Keir Starmer announced the measure this morning, touting it as a means to curb illegal migration by making possession of the ID mandatory in ‘right to work’ checks.

Critics have raised privacy concerns, with one popular Gov.uk petition branding the move ‘a step towards mass surveillance and digital control’.

A statement from Downing Street said the new ID will be ‘held on people’s phones’ in the same way as contactless payment cards or the NHS App.

But there will be ‘no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it’, suggesting holders will be able to download and delete the feature at will.

Speaking to the BBC Today Programme, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy clarified that the ID won’t be a card that people have to show whem moving around.

Asked what difference this will make, the minister said: ‘It’s a much more rigid system.’

She compared it to the National Insurance number, which also shows someone’s right to work in the UK but is not attached to a photo ID, saying this makes it ‘far easier to pass off someone else’s National Insurance number as your own’.

Labour has come under increasing pressure to respond to concerns around migration amid strong polling by Nigel Farage’s Reform party.

Farage branded the digital ID scheme a ‘cynical ploy’ to ‘fool’ voters into thinking something is being done.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch also dismissed the plans as a ‘gimmick that will do nothing to stop the boats’.

Confirming the measure this morning, Mr Starmer said: ‘I know working people are worried about the level of illegal migration into this country.

‘A secure border and controlled migration are reasonable demands, and this government is listening and delivering.

‘Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure.

‘And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly – rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.’

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