The Labour Government’s early attempts to set out its plans for digital ID fot UK citizens were nothing short of a fiasco, according to a cross-party committee of MPs.
Evidence given to the Home Affairs Committee raised a concern over security of data contained in a digital ID. The MPs’ report stated that ‘few were convinced of the Government’s ability to provide a secure platform for digital ID.’ The report quoted the ‘Afghan data breach’ of 2022 by the Ministry of Defence. It only came to light in 2025, whereby those fleeing the Taliban regime in Afghanistan had their details accidentally exposed – as reported on in November, by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
In September 2025, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that the Government would introduce digital ID by the end of the Parliament (that is before 2029), and that digital ID would be mandatory for ‘right to work’ checks by employers. Yet the MPs noted that official documents are already required for right to work checks. An online petition against digital ID received 2,984,191 signatures.
The departmental select committee’s chair, Conservative MP Dame Karen Bradley said: “It raised fears of government over-reach into people’s lives and was so poorly thought out that they had few answers to ease these concerns. It is worth bearing in mind that this was a policy direction that was generally well received by the public before they were spooked by the government’s poorly thought out and badly explained plans.
“Ministers have rightly gone back to the drawing board and begun the difficult task of rebuilding trust in what has the potential to be a valuable tool for government. Alongside potential benefits remains the potential for significant changes in the way people access services or interact with the state. That is why government must include voices from across society in deciding the direction of digital ID.
“This will not be a quick-fix solution. As well as learning from early mistakes in the announcement of this strategy, it must be mindful of long-term failures in government delivery of IT delivery. Each element of its future digital ID strategy must have clearly defined aims, a comprehensive plan for delivery and strong safeguards. Any future mistakes might prove fatal for public confidence.”
This year
The report noted that the private sector makes various uses of digital verification services, such as for verifying age. In January 2026, the Government abandoned plans to make digital ID mandatory for right to work checks; and in March, the Government published a consultation on its proposals for digital ID. The committee complained in its report of Labour ‘incoherence’ in its policy-making process.
Data security
On data security, the Government has emphasised, MPs reported, that it does not intend to create a centralised database for digital ID, welcomed by the committee. Digital ID will not achieve widespread adoption unless the majority of people can trust that their data is secure, the MPs concluded.
For the 48-page report visit the Parliament website.
