Councillors in Warrington have expressed their support for a motion opposing government proposals that would mandate the use of a digital ID for employment purposes.

Stuart Mann, [1] an independent councillor, has proposed a motion opposing [2] compulsory identification for work and advocating for voluntary alternatives during the full council meeting at Parr Hall. “My motion this evening is not about rejecting technology it is about defending choice, privacy and proportionality. It asks a simple but important question should the right to earn a living depend on holding a mandatory, government-issued digital ID? Because that’s the direction national discussions are headed. Ministers have said digital ID will be mandatory for right to work checks by the end of this Parliament, but they and the Prime Minister have also spoken about expanding its use to cover access to benefits, housing, driving licences and other everyday services and that really matters,” said Mann.

Cllr Mark Browne [3] who is the Liberal Democrat group leader also said, “We had an excellent debate with speeches for and against. My group decided to have a free vote because colleagues had different views. Most, but not all, of my councillors voted in favour of the motion. The Labour group also allowed a free vote. t is a complex topic and no-one yet fully understands the details. This should become clearer when the public consultation starts later this year.” The council decided to ask the council leader to request that the UK government conduct a comprehensive human rights and data protection impact assessment prior to introducing any proposals. The council also seeks assurance that any digital or other identification systems will remain voluntary, that current right to work checks will continue to be adequate and accessible, and that no worker or employer will face disadvantages or penalties for opting not to use a digital ID.

The government announced that [4] the digital ID scheme will be accessible to all UK citizens and legal residents, stating that it aims to streamline processes by eliminating the need for complex identity verifications that typically depend on paper documentation. “I know working people are worried about the level of illegal migration into this country. A secure border and controlled migration are reasonable demands, and this government is listening and delivering. Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, enhancing the security of our borders,” said Kier Starmer.

Meanwhile, the UK government has been reported to allocate millions in funding for foreign digital identification initiatives prior to announcing a similar scheme for the UK. According to Lewis Brackpool, director of investigations [5] at Restore Britain, the Foreign Office utilized taxpayer money to finance these controversial projects in two countries over several years.  Brackpool disclosed that the organization acquired documents from the Foreign Office that detail this funding. He stated that [6] these documents confirm that the UK government is involved in designing and funding governance and digital ID infrastructure in other nations, rather than solely focusing on domestic initiatives. “Effectively the UK's own digital government model is being exported and embedded inside another country's citizen data system. None of us were ever asked for this. This has been a project that's been pushed along for a long time. The Tony Blair Institute has been really pushing after the mid-2000s, when Tony Blair's push for his national ID cards didn't go through in the Houses of Parliament. It's almost like vengeance now.”