It’s finally happening—after decades of successive governments threatening Brits with a mandatory ID scheme, the UK is set to at last impose the ‘BritCard.’ Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer is planning to reheat the Blair-era plan to make national identification compulsory in the UK. The government intends to complete the rollout of these cards by the end of 2029—before the next, presumably non-Labour, government can stop it.
The idea is that anyone with the right to work in the UK will be issued one of these digital ID cards, stored on your smartphone. This would contain a passport-style photo, as well as information like your full name, nationality, date of birth, and residency status. They would be issued not just to Brits but also to those born abroad, so long as they have permission to work in the UK.
