Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 25, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleUK PM Keir Starmer to propose digital ID cards to combat illegal immigration, reviving a controversial policy from the 2000s.
LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will on Friday announce plans to mandate digital ID cards for all adult citizens as part of his plans to address illegal immigration, according to multiple media reports on Thursday.
The government has previously said it was considering such measures, which could be used to make it harder to employ those without the legal right to work in the country as it looks to address public concern over immigration.
Starmer's office did not comment on the reports, which said he would announce the plan at a policy conference on Friday.
In the 2000s Starmer's Labour Party, then led by Tony Blair, attempted to introduce a physical identity card, but the plan was eventually dropped by Blair's successor, Gordon Brown, after years of opposition that called it an infringement of civil liberties.
Britons have not been issued with identity cards since their abolition after World War Two, and typically use other official documents such as passports and driving licences to prove their identity when required.
(Reporting by William James; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
Keir Starmer will announce plans to mandate digital ID cards for all adult citizens as part of his strategy to address illegal immigration.
The digital ID cards are intended to make it more difficult to employ individuals who do not have the legal right to work in the UK.
In the 2000s, the Labour Party under Tony Blair attempted to introduce a physical identity card, but the plan was eventually abandoned by his successor, Gordon Brown.
Identity cards were abolished in the UK after World War Two, and since then, citizens typically use passports and driving licenses for identity verification.
No, Starmer's office did not comment on the reports regarding the announcement of the digital ID card plans.
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