UK’s seventh prime minister in a decade says he’ll ditch digital ID scheme
Andy Burnham, who has just become the UK's seventh prime minister in a decade, is set to scrap the national digital ID scheme championed by his predecessor Keir Starmer, while creating a new Cabinet-level minister for artificial intelligence. The move, reported by Reuters, marks a sharp reversal of one of Labour's flagship technology policies, with Burnham's team saying the time and resources earmarked for the scheme will instead go towards cost-of-living support and other immediate priorities.
Starmer's original "Brit Card" proposal envisaged a compulsory digital credential holding a worker's name, nationality, date of birth, residency status and photograph, intended to curb illegal working, but it drew fierce criticism from privacy groups including the Open Rights Group and Big Brother Watch over surveillance concerns, forcing ministers to make it voluntary in October 2025. The Office for Budget Responsibility had estimated the scheme's cost at around £1.8 billion between 2026-27 and 2028-29, though the government never confirmed a final figure. In its place, Burnham plans to elevate an AI minister to Cabinet rank for the first time, with details of the role's departmental home expected next week, as part of a broader push to boost Britain's AI industry and adoption across government.
In short
- Burnham scraps Labour's digital ID "Brit Card" scheme entirely
- Cost-of-living support prioritised over the £1.8bn ID project
- New Cabinet-level AI minister role to be created instead
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The digital ID scheme addresses a genuine problem: illegal working undermines fair wages, worker protections and tax revenues whilst disadvantaging compliant businesses. Digital ID systems operate successfully across Europe, streamlining identity verification and reducing bureaucratic friction. Scrapping the scheme after significant preparation simply wastes the investment and leaves the underlying labour market problem unsolved, whilst diverting £1.8 billion to short-term spending that may not deliver lasting economic benefit.
The case against
Citizens have a fundamental right to privacy and freedom from pervasive government surveillance, concerns that privacy advocates raised legitimately throughout development. A compulsory digital ID normalises constant identity verification and creates mission creep; a voluntary scheme becomes ineffectual anyway. In a cost-of-living crisis, directing £1.8 billion toward immediate hardship relief rather than identity infrastructure is the responsible allocation of scarce resources, reflecting government's duty to protect both privacy rights and economic security.
Explained simply
Keir Starmer's government proposed a national digital identity scheme called the "Brit Card" to prevent illegal working. It would have required workers to hold a digital credential containing personal information including their name, nationality, date of birth and photograph.
Privacy campaigns such as the Open Rights Group and Big Brother Watch raised concerns that the scheme posed surveillance and civil liberties risks. In response, the government made the scheme voluntary rather than compulsory in October 2025, and the Office for Budget Responsibility estimated its cost at approximately £1.8 billion over three years.
The rapid turnover of Prime Ministers in recent years—with Andy Burnham now leading the government as the seventh PM in a decade—has meant frequent shifts in policy direction. This instability means major inherited initiatives often face review or reversal as new administrations set different priorities.