Labour must ‘shut down legacy state’ in drive for digital ID, says minister

Labour needs to “shut down the legacy state” and build a new one in its place, the minister in charge of introducing digital ID has told the Cabinet.

Darren Jones told Cabinet colleagues on Tuesday that digital ID would make people’s experience of a new state “fundamentally much better” as he updated ministers on plans for the scheme.

Mr Jones, who is both chief secretary to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has been put in charge of driving through the digital ID scheme announced by Sir Keir Starmer last month.

Sir Keir originally sold the scheme as a measure to crack down on illegal immigration, with digital ID only being mandatory for right to work checks.

But it is also expected to have wider applications, acting as a “gateway” to a range of government services and the foundation for a complete overhaul of the state.

Mr Jones told Cabinet on Tuesday that “many people felt Government no longer worked, despite much tinkering with the system over many years”, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

They added: “Instead, he said, we have to build a new state and shut down the legacy state, with digital ID making people’s experience of that new state fundamentally much better.”

The shift in focus from illegal working to improving public services comes after support for digital ID crashed in the wake of Sir Keir’s announcement last month.

More than 2.9 million people have signed a petition against the measures and net support for digital ID cards fell from 35% in the early summer to minus 14% after Sir Keir’s September announcement, according to polling by More in Common.

And the proposals have drawn condemnation from opposition parties over concerns about privacy and civil liberties, as well as the eventual cost of the scheme.

Last week, Sir Keir said the Government would not know the full cost of introducing digital ID until it had finished consulting on the proposal.

But he added that “most of the evidence from other countries shows that (it) actually saves money because it stops fraud”.