UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled plans to introduce a free nationwide digital identification system, in what his government says is a major step towards tackling illegal migration while modernising access to public services.
Announcing the initiative on Friday, September 26, ahead of the Labour Party’s annual conference, Starmer said the new system will provide every British citizen and legal resident with a digital ID that can be stored on their phones. The government insists the scheme will simplify applications for driving licences, childcare, welfare benefits, and tax services, while also ensuring only those with a legal right to remain in the country are able to work.
“This will stop those with no right to be here from being able to find work, curbing their prospect of earning money, one of the key ‘pull factors’ for people who come to the UK illegally,” the government said in a statement.
Officials stressed that there would be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or produce it in public, but that the system will become mandatory for proving eligibility to work.
Starmer called the move “an enormous opportunity for the UK” and framed it as part of his wider pledge to build “a fairer Britain for those who want to see change, not division.” He added that alongside migration enforcement, the scheme will “offer ordinary citizens countless benefits” by reducing bureaucratic hurdles.
The proposal comes at a politically sensitive moment for Labour. Starmer faces growing pressure on immigration policy, with Labour’s annual conference set to begin and critics demanding clarity on how the government intends to reduce arrivals while maintaining fairness and respect for human rights.
Britain has historically resisted introducing national identity cards. Unlike many European nations, it does not operate a central civilian registry or require citizens to present ID in public. An earlier attempt under Tony Blair’s Labour government to create voluntary identity cards and a resident database was scrapped in 2011 by a Conservative-led administration that opposed the scheme on civil liberties grounds.
That resistance was echoed again on Friday by Kemi Badenoch, leader of the opposition Conservatives, who vowed her party would fight the rollout. Writing on X, she said: “We will oppose any push by this organisation or the government to impose mandatory ID cards on law-abiding citizens. We will not support any system that is mandatory for British people or excludes those of us who choose not to use it from any of the rights of our citizenship.”
The debate has sparked strong feelings across the country. A petition opposing the introduction of ID cards had already gathered more than 575,000 signatures by early Friday. However, opinion polls suggest a majority of the British public supports the concept of a digital ID, particularly if it is free and designed to cut red tape.
Currently, Britons rely on passports, driving licences, and utility bills as ad hoc forms of identification depending on the context. Starmer’s government says a digital ID would replace this patchwork with a single, secure system.
Acknowledging public unease, ministers have pledged that the scheme will not exclude those without smartphones and that alternative formats will be made available. A public consultation will launch later this year to gather views on how the service should be delivered.
“The public consultation will engage with groups who aren’t as experienced with the digital world, like the homeless and older people, learning from other countries that have done this well,” the government statement said.
Officials insist the system will not only strengthen Britain’s immigration enforcement but also help modernise government services, streamline interactions with citizens, and enhance trust in public institutions.
