Britain’s left‑wing government has reversed course on a controversial plan to require digital ID cards for everyone wishing to live and work in the UK, but Reform UK leader Nigel Farage made clear the issue is far from resolved. The government’s surprise announcement this week that the digital ID “Brit Card” will no longer be compulsory was greeted as a major victory by critics of the policy, who had mounted months of pushback and even gathered nearly three million signatures on a public petition against mandatory implementation.
Farage celebrated the reversal as a win for personal liberty, calling it “a victory for individual liberty against a ghastly, authoritarian government.” However, he stressed that scrapping the compulsory aspect is only a partial success, and that Reform UK would push to abolish the digital ID system entirely if given the chance. Farage and other opponents maintain that any national digital identity framework risks creating a “papers‑please” society that could burden citizens and invade privacy.
Downing Street framed the move as a way to remove a political distraction while keeping the broader digital identity scheme intact. Government officials made clear that digital IDs are still being rolled out and that checks against the system will remain necessary for certain activities such as securing employment or renting property — even if people are allowed to use alternative forms of identification. Critics argue this effectively preserves much of the problematic core of the policy while glossing over genuine concerns.
A government spokesman explained to the press that stepping back from mandatory use cases should ease public anxiety. “We do not want to risk cases of some 65‑year‑old in a rural area being barred from working because he hasn’t installed the ID,” the spokesman said, while adding that right‑to‑work checks would still be carried out digitally following a full public consultation.
Independent Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe, who spearheaded a cross‑party letter opposing mandatory digital ID, hailed the change and said he intended to celebrate the development. Civil liberties advocates echoed his cautious optimism. Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, welcomed the reported U‑turn but warned that converting right‑to‑work checks to a digital system still carries risks. She emphasized concerns about cybersecurity, fraud, and privacy, noting that the “devil will be in the detail” as the policy evolves.
The debate over identity cards in the UK has deep historical roots. Mandatory ID documents were last used during the Second World War to help catch German spies, but they were abolished after the conflict ended and long seen as contrary to British norms of personal freedom. Attempts to revive them in modern times have periodically surfaced, particularly among left‑leaning politicians who argue that digital identity systems can streamline public services and improve administrative efficiency. Opponents, however, view them as intrusive and unnecessary, pointing to past government failures to protect sensitive personal data.
While the government’s latest concession represents a significant retreat from compulsory requirements, the broader digital ID initiative remains in motion. Farage and likeminded critics have indicated that they will continue to challenge the project, insisting that any system which centralizes personal information could erode individual freedoms and expose citizens to new forms of surveillance.
