Digital ID card backlash explodes as petition tops one million signatures

A petition demanding the Government abandon its plans for mandatory digital ID cards has smashed through one million signatures, underlining the scale of public unease with the proposals. The petition, started in July by campaigner Maxine Sutcliff, warns the scheme would open the door to "mass surveillance and digital control".

It says citizens should not be forced to register with a state-controlled identity system and recalls how ID cards were scrapped in 2010, in what many believed was a permanent decision. However, the Government is pressing ahead. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed at the Global Progress Action Summit in London that digital ID will be "mandatory for the right to work" by the end of this Parliament. He told delegates: "Let me spell it out: you will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It's as simple as that."

The scheme, dubbed the "Brit-Card", will be issued free of charge to all UK citizens and legal residents. It will be stored on a smartphone app, similar to the NHS App or contactless payments, and checked against a central database. Ministers argue this will make it harder for illegal migrants to find work while cutting down on forged documents.

According to Downing Street, the IDs will also make it quicker and easier for people to access public services. Over time, they are expected to be used for driving licence applications, childcare support, welfare claims and tax records, ending the need to hunt for utility bills or paper forms.

Security is being presented as a key selling point. Officials say digital credentials will sit directly on people's devices, protected by encryption and biometric checks, with the ability to revoke and reissue them instantly if a phone is lost or stolen. Only the minimum information needed for each scenario will be shared, limiting the risk of identity theft.

To reassure critics, the Government has promised a public consultation later this year to hear views on how the scheme should be delivered. Ministers say they will work with groups less experienced in the digital world, including older people and the homeless, and that an outreach programme will provide face-to-face support for those struggling to access the service.

The scheme builds on plans for a GOV.UK digital wallet and comes alongside new measures targeting illegal working in the gig economy. The Home Office says illegal working arrests have risen 50 per cent under its crackdown, and officials believe digital ID will strengthen enforcement by creating better intelligence on employers.

International examples are also being cited. In Estonia, citizens use digital IDs to access healthcare and childcare seamlessly. In Denmark, students can log in to retrieve education records. In Australia, digital ID is used for banking and age verification, while in India the Aadhaar system has saved billions by cutting fraud in welfare.

Despite the Government's arguments, opposition remains strong. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed the plan as a "throwaway announcement" that will burden law-abiding people, while Reform UK said it was a "cynical ploy" unlikely to deter illegal workers.

With more than a million people now adding their names to Ms Sutcliff's petition, the digital ID debate is set to dominate political rows in the months ahead.