Britain Scraps Digital ID Cards Under Pressure of Nearly 3 Million Signatures

The new UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has confirmed that the government is scrapping the controversial digital identity programme announced a year earlier by his predecessor.

According to Burnham's administration, the funds freed up by closing the project will go toward a tax break intended to lower households' electricity bills amid the rising cost of living. The recently appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey, said the aim of the changes is to give people “breathing room on their bills” and at least some measure of certainty this winter.

The Legacy of the Previous Course

The plan to roll out digital IDs was put forward by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He argued that state-issued identity documents would help combat illegal employment of migrants and modernise access to public services. The national ID card system was valued at £1.8 billion ($2.4 billion) over three years, yet even that figure drew disputes: by all accounts, the money for the programme was never actually written into the budget.

Starmer announced his intention to resign on 22 June, and on Monday he was officially succeeded by Burnham.

A Wave of Protest

The idea of mandatory digital IDs stirred discontent among millions of Britons. A petition against it gathered around 3 million signatures and became the second most popular in the history of the country's parliamentary petitions. Critics warned that introducing ID cards would open the door to surveillance of citizens.

The episode recalled a similar undertaking in the 2000s under Tony Blair's government. Back then an identity card system was also attempted, but it was scrapped in 2011 — soon after an opposition coalition came to power following an election.

Source: TechCrunch