Over 400,000 sign petition demanding Keir Starmer scraps ID cards

Over 400,000 people have backed a petition protesting against Keir Starmer's plans to introduce digital ID cards.

Opposition to the plans mounted tonight as critics cited fears over privacy and potential data breaches, despite recent polling showing a majority of the public support the introduction of national ID cards. An e-petition on the Parliament website has already seen hundreds of thousands of signatures opposing the policy, with 50,000 adding their names in just over 40 minutes.

The number stood at over 420,000 late on Thursday evening - though it is not clear whether all of the signatories are genuine, and data on the House of Commons website showed that a number appeared to have come from abroad. The Prime Minister is anticipated to confirm plans for a so-called "Brit card" on Friday amid concerns that the black economy is enticing Channel migrants to make the crossing in small boats.

READ MORE: Every UK adult will need new digital ID cards and here's when you'll need to show it

Richard Tice from Reform criticised the plan as ineffective, warning that the digital ID scheme will cost billions and take years to implement, reports the Express. He stated: "We know Governments are very bad at managing big IT projects. This will cost billions and billions of pounds and it's bound to overrun and will achieve absolutely nothing. It will take years to introduce. It's a disastrous idea."

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, shedding light on the Government's thought process, said: "One of the things we are thinking about is whether we introduce digital ID. We think there is some merit in this.

"We think they offer two benefits. One, is they will be able to make sure people are able to prove their right to be here, to work legally, very easily, which will then help us to deal with the illegal economy and stop people being undercut at work.

"But we also think there might be big benefits for citizens. If you think about the way the NHS app has developed in recent years, and now you're able to make GP appointments, and access your medical records, we think there may be benefits to the general population as well.

"Beware of any politician who tells you that when it comes to getting control of immigration, there is one single solution." Ministers will probably have to bring in fresh laws for the massively contentious scheme.

Sir David told the Daily Express: "It is an exercise in masquerading as something that will solve the problem. It won't punish the people driving illegal migration. It will punish normal people.

"In the past, my fears over an Orwellian state have been mostly prevented by their own incompetence. That sort of comfort disappears with AI. AI will be able to read all the data - what it can't do now, it will be able to do in a couple of years."

Sir David warned that public sentiment could quickly shift if the Government mishandles their data, especially those who initially supported the idea to curb illegal immigration. The proposed system would require anyone starting a new job to present a digital ID card, enabling officials to cross-check the individual against a central database of those permitted to work in the UK. It is believed that landlords would also be able to verify someone's immigration status.

The Labour leader reportedly had a change of heart regarding the proposals after appeals from influential figures, including French President Emmanuel Macron. But Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick stated: "Starmer will try literally anything other than fixing the route of our problems: our broken legal system that stops us deporting illegal migrants. Most employers who are employing individuals illegally are doing so knowingly.

"They are doing so dishonestly. Merely asking those employers to check ID cards rather than the current checks that they are already obliged to do is not going to make a blind bit of difference."

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch commented: "This announcement is a desperate gimmick that will do nothing to stop the boats. There are arguments for and against digital ID, but mandating its use would be a very serious step that requires a proper national debate."

Former Home Office minister Tom Pursglove slammed the proposal as "a new low" for Labour. A Reform UK described the plans as "a cynical ploy to fool voters that something is being done about illegal immigration."