UK Announces Mandatory 'BritCard' for Workers

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a free national digital ID, the "BritCard," which officials say must be held to work in the UK and will be available by the end of this Parliament. The IDs will be stored on phones via a GOV.UK Wallet app, with promised physical alternatives, and pilots and new legislation are expected before a full rollout. Ministers say the scheme will curb illegal working and streamline access to public services, and Starmer declared, "You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID." Critics — including opposition politicians, civil liberties groups and a petition with over one million signatures — warn the plan risks privacy invasions, mass surveillance and erosion of civil liberties. Some commentators compare the proposal to past rejected biometric-ID plans under Tony Blair and to authoritarian systems, while supporters argue a verified digital credential would modernize public services. Skeptics also say the measure may be ineffective against cash-in-hand illegal work and that stronger enforcement of existing laws could be a more practical response.