Boris Johnson rails against government ID cards, calls Labour plan un-British and costly

Boris Johnson has warned against a government ID card scheme, saying he will never accept or use one and urging others to resist as well. In a column published by the Daily Mail, the former prime minister criticized Labour leader Keir Starmer's proposal to require a state-sponsored ID card for residents and workers, arguing it would be financially ruinous and an affront to individual liberty.

He argued that such a scheme would be prohibitively expensive and would extend state power over ordinary citizens. "I will never accept a government ID card. I will never use one. If asked to produce one I will refuse – and I hope you do, too," Johnson wrote, adding that the idea had resurfaced amid Labour's current political muddle.

Johnson contended the plan would apply to anyone who works in Britain, not just British nationals, and that the database would collect a wide range of data, from basic identifiers to physical traits and even historical sex designation. He argued that the true cost would run into tens of billions of pounds at a time when tax pressures are high and productivity is under strain.

To defend the scheme, Johnson argued that employers already verify eligibility to work; if they fail to do so, fines can reach up to 60,000 pounds. He also warned that a central government database would be vulnerable to data breaches, citing recent incidents at major firms as examples.

Historically, he said, the UK has long been wary of ID cards; the only time such cards were widely used was during World War II. He recalled the 1950 case of Clarence Willcock, a motorist who refused to produce an ID card and argued that Britain should remain a free country; the courts backed him and the system was scrapped.

Johnson also tied the issue to Labour’s political dynamics, suggesting that Starmer's stance emerges from internal turmoil rather than a clear policy mandate. He asserted that the proposal did not appear in Labour’s manifesto and had resurfaced as the party grapples with economic and political pressures.

In a broader security frame, Johnson argued that tougher measures against illegal crossings were needed and endorsed a deterrent approach, including the Rwanda policy he says the government should adopt. He criticized Starmer for not pursuing similar steps, urging a decisive stance and ending the identity-card proposal.

The column frames the debate as a clash between civil liberties and security needs, a familiar fault line in British politics as government costs rise and the immigration challenge persists.