Petition against Keir Starmer's digital ID plan hits 2 million signatures as Farage calls scheme 'un-British'

London — A petition opposing the government's plan for mandatory digital ID cards has reached two million signatures, highlighting broad civil-liberties concerns as Prime Minister Keir Starmer's administration presses ahead with the policy. The petition, titled Do not introduce digital ID cards, says no one should be forced to register with a state-controlled ID system and warns of mass surveillance and digital control. The government has said digital IDs would become mandatory for proof of the right to work by the end of this Parliament, though in practice people would not be required to carry or produce them in all situations.

Under the plans, all workers would store a digital ID on their smartphones, which could be requested by authorities. The digital ID would serve as the authoritative proof of identity and residency status in the UK, and would include name, date of birth, a photo, nationality, and residency details. Civil liberties groups argue the system risks privacy and overreach, while supporters contend it would help tackle illegal work and improve public services.

The petition's momentum comes as Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, branded the plan 'un-British' and described the so-called Brit card as a mechanism for controlling the population, tracking where people go and what they spend. He argued that the pandemic-era vaccine ID showed such measures do not curb crises but add costs and inconvenience. Farage also contrasted the UK approach with European neighbors like Germany and France, saying digital IDs and stricter checks had not solved immigration challenges there and will not in Britain.

Prime Minister Starmer has argued the immigration system must be fair and that digital IDs will be an enormous opportunity for the country. 'Let me spell it out, you will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID,' he said at a conference of progressive leaders. 'It's as simple as that because decent, pragmatic, fair-minded people, they want us to tackle the issues that they see around them.' He noted that the system would determine who is legally eligible to work and where people reside, while stressing the plan would phase in as part of a broader effort to reform the labor market.

However, critics say the move would not necessarily prevent illegal working. Shadow Pensions Secretary Helen Whately told Sky News that people in the gray economy are often paid in cash and well below the minimum wage, and that the issue goes beyond verifying IDs for law-abiding workers. Reform UK has called the plan a cynical ploy to mislead voters about immigration, and Conservative ministers face opposition from allies such as Kemi Badenoch, who dismissed the plan as a gimmick unlikely to deter boat arrivals. Liberal Democrats pledged to fight the proposal.

Beyond party lines, the idea has drawn attention from think-tank scholars linked to former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Alexander Iosad of the Tony Blair Institute argued digital IDs could be the gateway to showing the state is on citizens' side, but he urged ministers to consider central data storage alongside strong safeguards. 'This is the moment of opportunity to deliver it – it must not be missed,' Iosad said.

The petition's organizers say it has drawn more than 6,800 signatures in an hour on a recent Saturday and has surpassed two million entries. They want Parliament to commit to not introducing digital ID cards. Darren Jones, who chairs the policy as chief secretary to the Prime Minister, suggested in London that a functioning digital ID system could underpin a broader reform of public services: 'If we get this digital ID system working and the public being with us, that will be the bedrock of the modern state and will allow for really quite exciting public service reform in the future.'