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DIGITAL ID cards could be the nail in Keir Starmer’s coffin — and an opportunity for the left to lead a fightback in defence of civil liberties and human decency.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s denial that forcing digital IDs on us all will be a “dystopian mess” is revealing — because that is exactly where this policy will lead.

The British state is — rightly — viewed with deep distrust by many if not most of its subjects.

This is the state that has handed Palantir — a tech giant whose operations are thoroughly intertwined with the US Central Intelligence Agency and the Israel Defence Forces, whose “democracy-sceptic” founder Peter Thiel is known for funding hard-right political causes and whose British boss Louis Mosley is the grandson of fascist Oswald — the right to manage patient data for the NHS.

It’s all very well for Nandy to say the digital ID card will be used only to determine whether someone has the right to work. Its existence will facilitate mission creep given the growing authoritarianism of the British state across the board.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article ... horitarian

Not often I quote The Morning Star.

Not often I post in immigration, but the Prime Minister's announcement pushed this policy on the grounds it would reduce employment opportunities for those in the UK with no legal means of earning a living. I might have to find a quote from hm to substantiate that but it's what I think he said. Here we are - BBC summary:

Keir Starmer confirms plans for a new digital ID scheme aimed at tackling illegal working - here's what we know, and don't know, so far

The PM says people will not be able to work in the UK without a digital ID and the plans will make the country's borders "more secure"

Speaking from a conference in London, Starmer says progressive politicians have been "squeamish" about addressing illegal migration and saying things that are "clearly true"

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch calls the scheme a "desperate gimmick", while the Lib Dems fear it would force people to turn over their private data

Starmer hopes tackling illegal immigration will give himself a useful political dividing line with his opponents, writes our political editor

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cwydl81dg13t

The backtracking started the same day.

"Digital ID will become mandatory as a means of proving the right to work under the plans, but people will not be required to carry or be asked to produce it" Keir Starmer defends plans for mandatory digital ID amid fierce backlash

"Officials emphasise voluntary adoption, tying into the GOV.UK Wallet launching a pilot digital driving licence in summer 2025. Officially, BritCard remains non-compulsory for UK digital ID access" BritCard 2025: Keir Starmer Confirms Digital ID - Is It Mandatory? Here's What We Know

"The GOV.UK guidance stresses: 'The Data (Use and Access) Bill includes measures to establish a statutory footing for digital verification services without creating a mandatory digital ID system or introducing ID cards'"

"How the scheme will work for those who do not use smartphones will be addressed as part of the consultation process"

Which makes it all somewhat pointless. Legal drift once legislation exists is pervasive in the UK - digitising personal data within departments of state came with a promise to compartmentalise the databases but it's now standard for the police, tax, benefits systems to have access to all the other government databases despite the initial promises never to do that.

And I note UK banks block their apps from running on non-standard Android smartphones and this is likely to take the same path - I use GrapheneOS for sandboxed security hardening, for example.

And once there is an obligation to produce the ID on request, many authoritarian pipe-dreams become realised:

Tracking of phones in realtime - already a reality - becomes something no citizen can legally avoid by refusing to carry the phone. There's a pipe-dream already.