It’s official – every UK adult who is a national citizen or legal migrant will be holding a government-issued digital ID ‘card’, which has strongly been aligned with the current political debate on how to curb immigration. With the PM Kier Starmer backing the scheme to verify a citizen’s right to work and live in the UK, he will make a speech today announcing the “enormous opportunity” ahead. The law would need to change, and incite a major new strategy to be taken to manage the inflammatory issue of immigration.
Experts have expressed their reasonable expectations that the digital ID the government will issue will be a digital credential in the upcoming GOV.UK Wallet, which is also in the pipeline for 2026.
The Age Verification Providers Association scoped two options on social media, one being a “multi-billion pound, multi-year government IT project to create a new state-issued centralised ID app” or a digital credential stored in the UK holder’s approved private sector ID app at “no cost to the taxpayer”.
Civil groups will be vocal on the privacy risks as this new push develops from the government’s standing point at the beginning of the year to find a form of digital ID for adults in the UK.
The government-issued national digital ID is being explored as well as a digital wallet alongside the digital ID systems that the UK has had for a while, namely the One Login infrastructure and DIAT framework.
The political mantra is that such issues should not get in the way of progress, and in particular the issue of people entering the country illegally which has been provoked by some opponents and divisive leaders in society.
Article update: Kier Starmer makes announcement at the Global Progress Action Summit in London this morning. Friday, September 26, 2025.
Starmer confirmed, “Digital ID is mandatory for right to work”.
“You won’t be able to work in the United Kingdom if you don’t have a digital ID card”.
Public opinion is 53% in favour of a universal digital identification system, and 25% extremely in favour, which does reflect the need to have age verification to protect minors.
The ‘BritCard’ explained by Labour Together should harmonise the two best approaches for both supporting people with the right to stay in the UK and effectively stopping those who come to the country illegally.
“We currently can’t effectively stop people from living and working in our country illegally. Nor can we efficiently support legal citizens and residents to exercise their rights”.
Historically, the UK has not progressed digital ID proposals far enough to take a hard-line approach. ‘Britcard’ would become “a familiar feature of daily life for everyone in the country” to unleash countless benefits such as access to key public services, and better verification.
The digital credential downloaded onto a user’s smartphone would allow employers or landlords to instantly check using a free verifier app.
But the opposing views are that mandatory digital ID are “unlikely” to achieve the government’s goal to tackle immigration.
