The scheme, which the government announced on Friday, will require British citizens and residents’ digital IDs to be stored on phones. The government stated that while it will be “mandatory” for employees, it will not be required for people to carry their ID or be required to produce it.
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Immigration, which populist groups claim is uncontrolled, is being pushed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government, despite the UK’s long opposition to identity cards, which were abolished after World War II.
A person’s name, date of birth, and photo would be included in the free digital ID, along with details about their nationality and residency status.
According to a government statement, it will be “mandatory as a means of proving your right to work.”
One of the biggest “pull factors” for people who enter the UK illegally is that it will prevent those with no right to work from being able to find employment.
The statement added that streamlining access to tax records will be made simpler with the introduction of the digital ID, as well as simplifying applications for services like driving licenses, childcare, and welfare.
According to Starmer, “digital ID is a huge opportunity for the UK.” It will also provide countless advantages to regular people. Making our borders more secure, it will make it harder to work illegally in this nation.
“Digitally excluded”
The government’s earlier statements that it was considering were met with mixed reviews of the proposals.
The liberal Democrats, who are centrist, said they would not support “mandated digital ID” for those who are “forced to turn over their private information just to go about their daily lives.”
Liberal Democrats oppose digital IDs that are required. People shouldn’t be subject to criminal law simply because they don’t want to give out their personal information. pic. twitter.com/mEzV7s9vUf
The Conservative Party’s leader, Kemi Badenoch, stated on X that her party would not support the government’s or this organization’s efforts to require law-abiding citizens to wear ID cards.
We will not support any system that British citizens must adhere to, or that deprives those of us who choose not to do so from our citizenship’s rights, she added.
The far-right Reform UK party referred to the plans as a “cynical ploy” meant to “fool” voters into believing immigration measures are being implemented.
Additionally, it sought to dispel long-standing British suspicions about widespread national ID schemes across most of Europe.
According to Reform leader Nigel Farage, “It won’t affect illegal immigration, but it will be used to control and punish the rest of us.”
I oppose @Keir_Starmer’s digital ID cards vehemently.
It won’t affect illegal immigration, but it will be used to impose rules and sanctions on the rest of us.
This much authority should never be in the hands of the state.
An identity card was attempted by the Labour Party, which was then led by Tony Blair, in the 2000s, but it was later dropped by Gordon Brown, Blair’s successor, after opposition called it a civil liberties violation.
The government appears to be betting that populist viewpoints will outweigh the long-standing opposition, given that immigration is currently rife.
The announcement, which comes as Labour is holding its annual conference, seems to have come at a time that is not coincidental.
Source: Aljazeera
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