They could be rolled out in full by 2029
Cllr Mark Weston, left, and Cllr Bador Uddin. Both Conservative councillors for the Henbury and Brentry ward at Bristol City Council, pictured on the A4108 main road.
Bristol Tories will say next week that the government’s ‘authoritarian’ plan for mandatory identity cards should be scrapped. Conservative councillors will try to get cross-party support for their opposition to the proposed digital ID scheme, known as “BritCard”.
The Labour government hopes that ID cards will help tackle illegal immigration and make accessing public services easier. The public is being consulted on the plan at the moment and the technology, used via a smartphone app, could be rolled out in full by 2029.
The Tories will table a motion at a full council meeting on December 9. If successful, this could lead to Bristol City Council formally opposing the controversial identity card proposals. Green MPs have already supported an early day motion in parliament which opposes the plans.
Councillor Mark Weston, leader of the Conservative group, said: “Labour have really lost the plot on this policy initiative. It is a plan that is unnecessary as we already have plenty of acceptable forms of validating identification.
“Such a scheme is unlikely to work because rogue employers simply bypass National Insurance requirements and will continue to do so under any new regulatory regime. The compulsory aspect is unpopular due to its authoritarian nature and is something that is completely alien to our culture or traditions.
“It must be resisted and, once again, defeated before it has been given an opportunity to take root in law. I hope we will be able to persuade our political opponents in the council chamber and then the city’s five MPs to reject the notion of mandatory digital ID cards.”
Last time Labour were in government, similar plans were considered but then scrapped after the party lost the general election in 2010 and the coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats took over. If the motion is passed, Green Cllr Tony Dyer, leader of the council, would write to the prime minister’s office and all of Bristol’s MPs to explain the opposition to the ID card proposal.
Digital ID could be used to access services like applying for welfare, free childcare and renting property. This could also curb the prospect of work for people who have come to the UK illegally. Applying for a driving licence at the moment, for example, can be onerous and involve getting a confusing paper form from the Post Office and sending off paper copies of documents.
People won’t need to carry their ID or be asked to produce it. But digital ID would be mandatory as a way of proving you have a right to work in the UK. The government believes that this would deter some people from coming to the UK illegally, as finding work could then become harder.
When the plan was announced in September, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “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, making our borders more secure. And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly — rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.”
Almost three million petitioners have called on the government to scrap its plans for digital ID cards. MPs are due to debate their petition Monday, December 8. The petition states that the plan is a “step towards mass surveillance and digital control, and nobody should be forced to register with a state-controlled ID system”.
However, people already need to register with government agencies for a passport in order to leave the country, a driving licence to be able to use a car, and a local GP surgery to access many health services. You also need to register for a National Insurance number to get a job and pay tax, and provide some form of official ID in order to vote in elections.