Britain’s incoming Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, plans to abandon the government’s digital ID programme as part of a wider effort to prioritise the cost of living and other everyday concerns.
Burnham is due to replace Keir Starmer as prime minister on Monday (20 July), when he is also expected to announce his new cabinet.
His office said scrapping the digital ID programme would be among his first decisions after taking office.
The scheme was originally intended to require employees to use a digital identity document for right-to-work checks. It was presented as part of the government’s efforts to tackle illegal employment and migration.
However, Starmer dropped the mandatory requirement in January following widespread criticism of the proposal.
Burnham’s spokesperson said the time and resources allocated to the national identity programme would instead be directed towards more urgent priorities.
“All the time and resource that was going to be spent on a national ID scheme will go instead to where it’s most needed, such as helping with the cost of living,” the spokesperson said.
The Office for Budget Responsibility estimated in November that the programme would cost around £1.8 billion between the 2026/27 and 2028/29 financial years.
Britons generally use documents such as passports and driving licences to confirm their identities. National identity cards introduced during the Second World War were abolished in 1952.
Opposition Conservative MP Julia Lopez accused Labour of wasting public money on the programme.
“Labour have wasted millions of pounds on this project and now Andy Burnham is trying to pretend he’s riding to the rescue,” she said.
Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell described the decision as an example of the incoming government’s attempt to reset its priorities.
She acknowledged that the immediate savings might be limited but said abandoning the scheme would allow ministers to redirect attention and resources towards more pressing issues.
“This is an opportunity to reset, to refresh, to look at those things that are perhaps not just taking resource but are taking attention away from government priorities,” Powell told the BBC.
Powell said Burnham’s government would maintain Labour’s existing policy on new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, according to interviews with the BBC and Sky News.
Labour’s 2024 election manifesto pledged not to issue new exploration licences while respecting licences that had already been granted.
These included the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas projects in Scotland, whose regulatory approvals were overturned following a legal challenge in 2025.
Powell also said the government had the authority to place struggling water suppliers, including Thames Water, into special measures. However, she stopped short of confirming whether Burnham’s administration would take that step.
Overnight U.S. strikes caused blackouts in southwestern Iran and hit the northwestern city of Tabriz for the first time. Separately, a U.S. soldier di...
Dozens of people are feared to have died after a ferry carrying 133 people capsized off the coast of Guyana on Saturday night. Authorities are investi...
At least six people were killed and 21 others injured after two earthquakes struck Peru's central Junín region, destroying dozens of homes and trigge...
Overnight U.S. strikes caused blackouts in southwestern Iran and hit the northwestern city of Tabriz for the first time. Separately, a U.S. soldier died in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone.
Dozens of people are feared to have died after a ferry carrying 133 people capsized off the coast of Guyana on Saturday night. Authorities are investigating whether an inaccurate passenger list and drug use by crew members contributed to the disaster.
At least six people were killed and 21 others injured after two earthquakes struck Peru's central Junín region, destroying dozens of homes and triggering a major emergency response.
Persistent high temperatures could cost Italy between €6 billion and €12 billion annually, according to a report released on Saturday (18 July). Prolonged heat continues to weigh on businesses, workers and the country's tourism sector.
Lionel Messi's Argentina face Spain in World Cup final with history on the line. Spain and Argentina meet on Sunday in the 2026 World Cup final, bringing together the reigning champions of Europe and South America.
The United States launched fresh strikes against Iran after two U.S. service members were killed in Jordan. U.S. President Donald Trump paid tribute to the fallen troops as Iran warned of further escalation.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump's comments blaming Canada for wildfire smoke affecting parts of the United States. He called Trump's remarks "absolutely unacceptable" as crews battle hundreds of forest fires across the province.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will make his first trip to the White House this week to present a plan to U.S. President Donald Trump on how to disarm Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and secure Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.
The United States launched a seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran as Tehran targeted U.S. allies in the Gulf, while tensions remain high in the Strait of Hormuz.
Dozens of people are feared to have died after a ferry carrying 133 people capsized off the coast of Guyana on Saturday night. Authorities are investigating whether an inaccurate passenger list and drug use by crew members contributed to the disaster.
Persistent high temperatures could cost Italy between €6 billion and €12 billion annually, according to a report released on Saturday (18 July). Prolonged heat continues to weigh on businesses, workers and the country's tourism sector.
At least six people were killed and 21 others injured after two earthquakes struck Peru's central Junín region, destroying dozens of homes and triggering a major emergency response.
Cuban dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara arrived in the United States on Saturday after completing a five-year prison sentence on the communist-run island.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck central Peru on Saturday, a day after a powerful tremor off southern Mexico prompted a temporary tsunami warning across parts of the Pacific coast.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment