UK government makes Digital ID cards,” VOLUNTARY (rather than compulsory)
yet another U-turn
PETER HALLIGAN
In a temporary victory for those wishing to keep government out of private lives, the Labour government has “decided” (for now) that it’s pet project on Digital ID cards, will be VOLUNTARY, rather than COMPULSORY.
Having already spent millions on plans to roll-out compulsory Digital ID cards,
The Labour government will “spin “ this U-turn as confirmation that it is “listening” to voters. It could hardly fail to hear the deafening opposition to its surveillance state proposal s evidenced by a petition signed by 3 million people which stated “Do not introduce Digital ID cards,”
Per Brave AI:
“As of January 13, 2026, nearly three million people have signed the UK parliamentary petition titled “Do not introduce Digital ID cards,” making it the fourth largest petition in British history and the second largest non-Brexit petition. The petition has prompted a significant policy reversal, with the government scaling back its original plan to make digital ID mandatory for right to work checks by 2029.
Instead, alternative digital identities such as electronic visas and passports will now be accepted, marking a major climbdown amid widespread public opposition.
“The government maintains that the digital ID project is not abandoned, with a public consultation expected to outline future details, though the mandatory requirement has been deferred.
“deferred”.. not abandoned”.
Onwards!
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This article (UK government makes Digital ID cards,” VOLUNTARY (rather than compulsory)) was created and published by Peter Halligan and is republished here under “Fair Use”
See Related Article Below
BREAKING: Starmer Abandons Plans for Compulsory Digital ID
Sir Keir Starmer has abandoned plans for mandatory digital ID for workers amid concerns that it will undermine public trust in the scheme, though a voluntary version is still expected. The Times has the story.
The Prime Minister had previously announced that the IDs would be compulsory to verify someone’s right to work in the UK.
Instead, they will be optional when they are introduced in 2029, with workers given the choice of whether to use other documents to verify their identity digitally instead.
A Government source said that the compulsory element “was stopping conversation about what digital IDs could be used for generally”.
The source said: “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.”
In September Starmer said that he would “make a new, free-of-charge digital ID mandatory for the right to work before the end of this Parliament”. He said that “we need to know who is in our country” and that the IDs would prevent migrants who “come here, slip into the shadow economy and remain here illegally”.
Anyone starting a new job would have been required to “show” the digital ID, which would then be automatically checked against a central database of those entitled to work in the UK.
While right-to-work checks will still be mandatory other forms of documentation, such as an electronic visa or a passport, will be valid. A consultation to start within weeks will explore which verification checks could be used.
Worth reading in full.
Another Starmer U-turn on a bad idea is good news. But for how long will it remain voluntary, is the question many will be asking.
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