Blair Institute urges digital ID 'superapp' as flagship state project

Britons should be given a digital ID 'superapp' that would allow people to prove age, claim benefits, report potholes and perform a range of other everyday tasks, a report by Tony Blair’s think-tank says. The proposal arrives as the government is expected to announce plans for an identity scheme aimed at tackling illegal immigration, with the think-tank arguing that a universal system could become a flagship program used by adults across the country. The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) frames the plan not as a tool for policing or exclusion, but as a way to bring control and convenience to interactions with the state.

The TBI says the digital ID system should become the universal method for verifying identity and would operate as a smartphone app that handles a broad array of daily tasks rather than merely confirming eligibility to live or work in the UK. In its vision, citizens would be able to use the app for tasks such as proving age to buy a pint at a pub, reporting potholes, and accessing personalised health advice. The think-tank also envisions more administrative conveniences, including a child benefits flow triggered when a newborn’s details are added to the system. For example, when a baby is registered, the newborn’s name and NHS number would be input into the parent’s digital ID, and if family income falls below the threshold, a notification could appear in the app indicating pre-approval for child benefits.

A digital ID 'superapp' should become the government’s flagship project, the report says, described as a symbol of tangible change and the Reimagined State in action. The think-tank Labour Together, which helped Sir Keir Starmer become Prime Minister, has previously proposed a type of digital ID smartphone app called a BritCard. The vision is to weave identity verification into everyday public services so that interactions with the state can be conducted in a few taps, or potentially automatically, rather than taking hours, days, or weeks.

Opposition and civil liberties groups have raised alarms about such a system. Rebecca Vincent, interim director of civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, warned that the proposal could amount to a checkpoint Britain just days before Keir Starmer is expected to outline digital ID plans. She and six other rights groups, including Liberty and Unlock Democracy, wrote to Keir Starmer urging him to scrap any plan for mandatory digital ID. They argued that a centralized database joining together all government-held records would create a vulnerability that could be exploited by hackers or malicious actors, exposing sensitive data in breaches and undermining individual privacy.

But the TBI argues that digital ID would be more secure and privacy-protecting than current arrangements. The institute contends that citizens would be put in control of their data, increasing transparency and reducing the likelihood of privacy breaches such as the Afghan data leak. It points to new polling showing evolving public support, with 62 per cent of Britons in favour of introducing digital ID, up from 54 per cent last year and with only 19 per cent against.

Alexander Iosad, Director of Government Innovation at the Tony Blair Institute, said the value of a digital ID is clear and so is the public appetite for it. He argued that the technology would dramatically simplify interactions with government, enabling tasks such as reporting issues, applying for benefits, sorting tax codes, or booking appointments to be completed in a few taps or automatically, rather than through lengthy processes. He described digital ID as a foundational technology for a new service model in which public services come to users when they need them, guided by principles of fairness, control and convenience.

A UK Government spokesman said the administration is committed to using technology to make it easier for people to interact with the state and that officials will consider serious proposals that could help citizens access public services, including digital ID.