Burnham’s move to scrap UK’s digital ID plans earns cheers and criticism

The incoming Labour government under Andy Burnham has announced plans to abandon the UK's proposed digital identity scheme, reversing one of the previous administration's most contested initiatives. The decision, made shortly after the formal invitation to form government, will redirect the estimated $2.4 billion budgeted for the program over three years toward alternative priorities including cost-of-living assistance. The scheme, initially introduced as mandatory for employment verification checks, had faced continuous opposition since its announcement last September.

The digital ID proposal generated unprecedented public backlash, with a parliamentary petition against it accumulating nearly three million signatures—among the largest in British history. In response to mounting criticism, the government had previously shifted from a mandatory to voluntary framework in January, but this compromise failed to resolve underlying concerns. Critics warned the system could expand beyond immigration verification into healthcare, banking, and travel sectors, while proponents argued it would modernize public services and reduce fraud.

Elizabeth Anderson, chief executive of the Digital Poverty Alliance, welcomed the scheme's cancellation but emphasized distinct concerns from civil liberties arguments. She highlighted that approximately 19 million British adults face digital exclusion due to lack of device access, connectivity, or skills. Anderson noted that research by her organization found one in five adults require assistance to access online government services, and that the government's proposed support through libraries and post offices would prove impractical for people needing access at home, while traveling, or outside business hours.

Anderson attributed the scheme's broader unpopularity to longstanding public distrust regarding government data handling and processing practices, combined with inconsistent messaging and failure to articulate clear personal benefits. The decision carries historical irony, as Burnham himself served as Home Office minister during implementation of Tony Blair's original ID card scheme in 2006, which was subsequently scrapped in 2010 due to projected lifetime costs reaching several billion pounds.