The Prime Minister has outlined proposals for a mandatory national digital ID. I share your concerns about this policy, which is a cynical gimmick to distract from the Government’s recent scandals and disastrous efforts to counter illegal immigration.
Keir Starmer wants us to believe that a mandatory digital ID card will solve his migration mess. It will not. The Channel crossings will continue until he gets a proper deterrent, stops pretending his ‘Smash the Gangs’ plan is working, and starts taking on the lawfare industry of which he used to be a part. By linking migration policy to a mandatory digital ID card, I further worry that the Prime Minister risks fuelling conspiracy theories and distrust of government - everything he claims to want to tackle.
My colleagues and I firmly oppose this scheme. If my party believed mandatory digital ID cards were right and necessary, we would have introduced them in government. We made a clear choice not to.
The British people have always rejected ID cards. So instead of being open with his plans ahead of the General Election, Kier Starmer made no mention of ID cards in his manifesto and deliberately avoided scrutiny on this controversial and intrusive policy.
A single, government-issued, mandatory digital identity is simply not necessary to deliver excellent online services, check eligibility for benefits or work, or verify immigration status. The Conservative Party believe it is government’s role to empower the citizen, not the other way round. That is why in government we were working on a single portal to access government services while making sure those services could always be accessible in person or on paper, too. This work was delivering tangible results - simple, easy and fast passport and driving licence applications, and right-to-work and right-to-rent checks. The previous Government was able to provide trusted and secure ID documents without everyone being mandated to have a single digital identity. If the Government wants to crack down on illegal working, it should use the existing tools and e-visa system to do so.
Mandatory digital ID would be expensive and brings considerable security risks. It would also permanently alter the balance of power between the individual and the state. Let me be clear that my colleagues and I oppose this policy and will be directly challenging the Government on it in Parliament.
If you're interested in reading more of my personal thoughts on this issue, I have focused my article for the Bexhill & Battle Observer on it. You can read it in full here - https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/political-opinion-with-kieran-mullan-mp-why-i-oppose-labours-plan-for-mandatory-digital-id-5339839
Kieran
