Andy Burnham will scrap the United Kingdom’s planned national digital ID programme for all adults when he becomes prime minister, marking his first major policy pledge after taking office. A spokesperson for the incoming prime minister said the resources previously earmarked for the programme would instead be redirected toward measures aimed at easing cost of living pressures, describing the decision as part of a broader reset of government priorities. Burnham is set to be formally sworn in and take charge of the government early this week.
The digital ID scheme, which had been championed by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, was originally unveiled as a mandatory system intended to help tackle illegal working while making it easier for citizens to access government services. The proposal faced sustained public opposition after its announcement, with nearly three million people signing a parliamentary petition against a mandatory version of the scheme. Ministers subsequently softened the plan earlier this year, dropping the requirement for participation and recasting it as a voluntary system capable of supporting services ranging from childcare administration to tax filing through a single application. Despite the revision, criticism of the programme continued, with Dame Karen Bradley, who chairs the Home Affairs Committee, concluding after a parliamentary inquiry that the government had been right to pursue digital identification in principle but had mishandled its rollout and public communication.
A spokesperson for Burnham said the incoming government’s focus would shift toward addressing everyday pressures facing citizens, stating that resources previously allocated to the national identification scheme would instead support cost of living initiatives. The move represents the first significant break from Starmer’s policy agenda that Burnham has confirmed ahead of taking office, and it comes as he is also expected to detail plans on other contentious issues, including North Sea oil and gas licensing.
Reaction to the decision was mixed, reflecting broader divisions in Parliament and among interest groups that had monitored the programme’s development. Advocacy groups focused on civil liberties, including Big Brother Watch, welcomed the reversal as a win for privacy focused campaigners who had opposed the scheme throughout its development. Opposition politicians offered a more critical assessment, with Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch calling for clearer detail on what exactly is being scrapped rather than treating the announcement as a symbolic gesture. The policy shift adds to a period of political turnover in the United Kingdom, with the country having seen several changes in prime ministerial leadership over the past decade, and it signals that Burnham intends to distinguish his administration’s priorities from those of his predecessor early in his tenure.
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