# UK government scraps plans for digital ID cards after millions of Brits opposed

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/uk-government-scraps-plans-for-digital-id-cards-after-millions-of-brits-opposed/
- Published: 2026-07-21T14:13:21+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-21T14:18:22+00:00
- Original publisher: TechCrunch
- Original article: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/21/uk-government-scraps-plans-for-digital-id-cards-after-millions-of-brits-opposed/
- Topics: Government, Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Burnham scraps Starmer's digital ID card plan after mass public backlash
- Nearly 3 million people signed a petition opposing the scheme
- Savings will fund a tax cut to ease household energy bills

## Summary

Incoming UK prime minister Andy Burnham has confirmed the government is abandoning a controversial digital ID card scheme introduced by his predecessor, Keir Starmer. The plan had faced fierce public opposition, with critics warning it would enable state surveillance, and its cancellation marks a significant policy reversal following Starmer's resignation and Burnham's formal appointment as prime minister this week.

The scrapped scheme had been projected to cost £1.8 billion ($2.4 billion) over three years, though that figure was disputed amid claims the funding had never actually been allocated. Opposition to the plan generated close to three million signatures on a parliamentary petition, making it the second-largest of its kind on record. Chancellor John Healy said the money saved would instead fund a tax cut to reduce household electricity bills this winter. The episode echoes a similar identity card programme scrapped in 2011 under a new coalition government after being introduced by Tony Blair's administration in the 2000s.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.