In a move that’s drawing both praise and protest, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed that digital ID will soon become a requirement for anyone wishing to work in the country. The announcement, made during an interview with The i Paper on October 23, 2025, marks a pivotal moment in Britain’s ongoing debate over identity, immigration, and privacy.
Starmer’s digital ID scheme—now at the center of a national conversation—aims to tackle illegal working, streamline government services, and bring the UK in line with much of Europe. But with nearly three million people signing a petition against the proposal and critics from across the political spectrum voicing concerns, the policy’s road ahead is anything but smooth.
“If you want to work, you’ve got to have it,” Starmer told reporters, underscoring that the digital ID would be mandatory for employment but voluntary for most other aspects of daily life. The Prime Minister was quick to clarify, though, that for activities such as buying a house or renting an apartment, digital ID would remain optional. “The only area in which it will be mandatory is proving your right to work. Beyond that, totally voluntary,” he said, according to The i Paper.
However, the policy’s structure means that for the vast majority of working-age adults, digital ID will be all but compulsory. According to the Office for National Statistics, more than 34 million people in the UK were employed between June and August 2025, representing a 75% employment rate for those aged 16 to 64. As people claiming out-of-work benefits are expected to be actively seeking employment, they too would likely need to obtain the new ID.
Starmer’s rationale for the plan hinges on curbing illegal migration, a topic that’s become increasingly heated as small boat crossings hit record highs. “That’s because we’ve got too many people who are working illegally, and we’ve got to clamp down on it,” he explained at a Barclays Bank branch in Brighton, as reported by Metro. The government hopes that by making the right-to-work checks digital and harder to forge, it will stem one of the key ‘pull factors’ for migrants crossing the Channel.
Yet, the government’s messaging has shifted. Where once the focus was on border control, Starmer now emphasizes the everyday convenience digital ID could offer. At the Brighton bank, customers shared their frustrations with the “faff” of producing multiple documents just to get a mortgage—one couple recounted paying £170 for outsourced ID checks. Starmer argued the new system would “cut all that faff out,” making life easier for everyone. “The experience of other countries is that the benefits are so great, and it makes life so much easier, that in the end everybody says, ‘I’d like that because it’s going to make it easier for me,’” he said, echoing sentiments reported by The i Paper.
The digital ID would exist primarily as a smartphone app, similar to the NHS app, though the government is developing non-digital options for those without mobile phones or internet access. “For people who don’t have a mobile phone, then this isn’t mandatory, so you don’t have to have it,” Starmer said. “We are consulting on what other forms of ID would help them.” This is a nod to the estimated 2.1 million Britons who do not use the internet, a group that civil liberties organizations worry could be left behind.
Security and privacy are front and center in the public debate. Starmer has repeatedly assured that the digital ID will be “highly encrypted and very, very secure.” He insists that personal data will not be shared with private companies, nor will it be used to track individuals’ behaviors. “None of that is going to be any part of this; this is just a false rumour,” he told Metro, flatly denying viral claims that the system could be used to monitor things like meat consumption or frequent flying as part of a government green agenda. “This is basic information—who you are, what your age is, that sort of information. The basic stuff we use every day to prove who we are, nothing beyond that.”
To further allay fears, Starmer emphasized that the system would be governed by primary legislation, setting out strict legal boundaries. “So it will be in stone that this is the system and you can’t simply change it because it’s the law,” he said, seeking to reassure those worried about a slippery slope toward a Chinese-style social credit system. Importantly, there will be no fines for not having the digital ID, and people will not be required to carry it at all times.
The policy is not without precedent. The UK had national ID cards during World War II, scrapping them in 1953. Later efforts, such as New Labour’s 2006 biometric card plan, were abandoned amid civil liberties outcry. Today, nearly every EU country has a form of national ID, and the bloc plans to introduce its own digital version by the end of 2026. The UK’s system is being modeled on those in India, Estonia, and Australia. India’s Aadhaar system, for example, assigns a unique 12-digit number to over 1.3 billion citizens, streamlining access to services and reducing fraud. While the UK’s digital ID will be less expansive, the Tony Blair Institute estimates it could save £2 billion annually by cutting benefit fraud, though the actual cost of implementation could range from £140 million to over £2 billion.
Still, critics abound. Civil liberties groups like Big Brother Watch and Liberty argue that mandatory digital ID is “uniquely harmful to privacy, equality and civil liberties.” They warn it could push unauthorized migrants into more precarious work and housing, and raise the specter of mass surveillance. The backlash has crossed party lines, with Green MP Sian Berry, suspended Labour MP Diane Abbott, and Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick all supporting motions condemning the plan. As The Observer noted, public support for the scheme dropped from 35% to -14% after Starmer’s announcement.
There are also practical concerns. Critics question whether digital ID will really stop rogue employers from hiring illegal workers, given that employers are already required to check right-to-work documents. Others point to cybersecurity risks and the challenge of ensuring access for those without digital devices. Nearly three million people have signed a petition against the policy, reflecting deep unease about the direction of travel.
Despite the storm, the rollout is already underway. The UK’s two million veterans can now download a digital ID card as part of a pilot program, with a full national launch expected by 2029. The government maintains that, over time, Britons will come to appreciate the convenience and security digital ID offers—just as many have in Europe and beyond.
For now, though, the debate rages on, with the future of digital identity in the UK hanging in the balance between efficiency, security, and the enduring question of personal liberty.
