UK Digital ID

A digital ID scheme (also known "BritCard" or "Brit Card") for adult residents of the United Kingdom was announced by the prime minister, Keir Starmer, on 25 September 2025. The Starmer government claims introducing it is part of their "attempts" to tackle the rise in illegal migrant crossings in small boats across the English Channel and for it to be a mandatory requirement to prove the right to work.

The proposals for digital ID has received opposition from Labour MPs and other political leaders due to concerns around the possible infringement of civil liberties, with Big Brother Watch describing the plans as "wholly unBritish" and creating a "domestic mass surveillance infrastructure". It has been compared to the abandoned voluntary ID card scheme of former prime minister Tony Blair. A petition against mandatory digital ID cards reached 2.9 million signatures as of 23 October 2025.

The government backed down on the card being compulsory in January 2026, stating that other forms of identification would also be acceptable to prove the right to work.

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