Keir Starmer Mandates Digital ID for UK Right to Work

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on September 26, 2025, that the United Kingdom will implement a mandatory digital identity system by 2029. Unveiled at the Global Progress Action Summit in London, the initiative requires all individuals to possess a digital ID to prove their right to work, aiming to secure borders and eliminate the shadow economy. While the ID will be free and voluntary for accessing other services—such as healthcare, childcare, and banking—it will be compulsory for employment verification.

The system will be integrated into the GOV.UK Wallet and One Login platform, storing a user's photo, name, date of birth, nationality, and residency status. The Cabinet Office is overseeing legislation, while the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology manages technical delivery. To address digital exclusion, the government is consulting on providing physical alternatives for those without smartphones.

The proposal triggered widespread political and public backlash. A government petition opposing the plan garnered nearly 3 million signatures, which the government subsequently rejected. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage dismissed the move as a gimmick and a tool for state control. In Northern Ireland, First Minister Michelle O'Neill characterized the plan as an attack on the Good Friday Agreement, while Scottish First Minister John Swinney opposed the mandatory nature of the system.

Civil liberties groups, including Big Brother Watch and Liberty, warned the system could create a mass surveillance infrastructure. Despite these concerns, Starmer maintains the technology is similar to mobile banking and will bring the UK into the modern age. A public consultation is scheduled for late 2025.