UK PM announces British citizens, permanent residents will have to produce mandatory digital ID

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that British citizens and permanent residents will have to produce a mandatory digital identification card in order to get work, reviving a contentious idea in an effort to show that the government has control of the country’s borders. Prime Minister Starmer made the announcement during an international meeting of centre-left politicians in London. He said the new ID system will be in place before the next election, due by 2029.
 
The government said the plan will help reduce unauthorised immigration by making it harder for people to work in the underground economy. It said it will also make it simpler for people to access health care, welfare, child care and other public services. Britain has not had compulsory identity cards for ordinary citizens since shortly after World War II, and the idea has long been contentious, with civil rights campaigners arguing it infringes personal liberty and puts people’s information at risk.