In 2006, the then Labour Government introduced identity cards under the Identity Cards Act 2006. This legislation provided the legal basis for the cards as well as for a national identity register. In 2010, the Coalition Government abolished ID cards and they ceased to be a legal form of documentation in 2011. All data on the national identity register was destroyed.
I believe the introduction of identity cards would be detrimental to individual liberty and note that this significant measure was not contained in the Labour Government's manifesto at the last election.
I understand the Government is developing a voluntary digital identity verification service which will give people the option to create and reuse digital identities. This system was put forward with the intention to not infringe on people's freedoms; it will not be compulsory and does not include any proposal to create either a digital or physical ID card.
Known as GOV.UK One Login, the idea of the service is to make it easier for people to find and access government services, allow users to prove their identity online, protect the privacy of users, and reduces identity fraud and theft. It also enables public bodies to share a wider range of specified data than is currently possible. This further benefits individuals and households by improving digital inclusion and reducing the burden on individuals of providing the same information to different public authorities many times.
To successfully deliver this service, participating public authorities will need to be able to check and share several types of government-held personal data with the identity verification service to allow users to prove who they say they are. I believe that it is critical that all data sharing is compliant with existing data protection legislation and that guidance is published by the Information Commissioner’s Office to maintain trust in the system.
The rules and requirements within the service's framework provide protections and reassurance that are vital if digital identities are to be trusted. I believe the Government has plans to test the trust framework and the feedback will be used to improve this framework.
Looking forward, there will need to be a robust accreditation and certification process, enabling organisations to prove that they follow the rules of the trust framework. Organisations who have been certified against the trust framework and agreed to be subject to governance will be given a trust mark as a visible sign of their trustworthiness.
As it stands, having a GOV.UK One Login account will not be mandatory; offline and face-to-face routes will still be available for individuals who do not want to use the online service. The previous Government proposed a voluntary framework in the belief that using digital identity has many advantages, and those will become greater as the technology improves. However, I am clear there should be no compulsory or mandatory element to the use of digital identity.
On June 12th 2025, the Home Affairs Committee launched a new inquiry (now closed) to explore the potential benefits and risks of the use of government-issued digital ID.
This inquiry will consider how useful digital ID could be for the Home Office in meeting its objectives, as well as the potential costs and associated risks.
The Chair of the Committee, Dame Karen Bradley said:
“Introducing digital ID could help the Home Office achieve its ambitions to reduce crime and improve control over the immigration system. But there are also fears that ID schemes could infringe on people’s privacy or be costly to implement effectively.
“The debate around digital ID is growing and we want to find the best evidence for how digital ID could be used by the Home Office to implement its priorities. We will be exploring the benefits and risks of digital ID systems as well as the practical challenges to their introduction.”
New inquiry: Harnessing the potential of new forms of digital ID - Committees - UK Parliament
Please be assured, I will be reading the Committee report very carefully.
