Labour drops compulsory element of digital ID for right-to-work checks

Sir Keir Starmer has reportedly scrapped plans for a compulsory digital identity scheme for workers, Independent.co reports. The prime minister had said last year Labour would introduce a digital ID system that would be voluntary in most cases but mandatory for right-to-work checks, and in September he announced a downloadable “Brit card” to verify the right to live and work in the UK.

The Times reported ministers were now backing away from the compulsory element and allowing other digital documents to be used for right-to-work checks. A government source told The Times the compulsory element had been “stopping conversation about what digital IDs could be used for generally”, and added: “Stepping back from mandatory-use cases will deflate one of the main points of contention.

We do not want to risk there being cases of some 65-year-old in a rural area being barred from working because he hasn’t installed the ID.” Civil-rights groups, Reform UK and the Conservatives had opposed the mandatory scheme, and the change brings to at least nine — and by some counts as many as 13 — the number of U-turns reported since the 2024 general election.

Key Topics

Politics, Keir Starmer, Brit Card, Digital Id, Home Office, Reform Uk