Carmichael pleased as new PM scraps unpopular digital ID plans
NEW PRIME minister Andy Burnham has earned praise from Shetland’s MP Alistair Carmichael for scrapping the unpopular digital ID scheme.
The compulsory UK-wide scheme was announced by previous prime minister Sir Keir Starmer in September 2025 and was immediately met with concern and anger.
The UK Government had said the scheme would “help combat illegal working while making it easier for the vast majority of people to use vital government services”.
But some critics accused the government of trespassing on people’s privacy and said the scheme would be ineffective against illegal migration.
New Labour leader Burnham announced this week that the digital ID scheme would now be scrapped, with hopes that the money saved could be used to cut VAT on energy bills.
Carmichael, who was a vocal opponent of the scheme late last year, welcomed the development.
“The scrapping of digital ID outright is encouraging news – and a victory for all of us who opposed these authoritarian and unnecessary proposals,” he said.
“It suggests that Andy Burnham may actually focus on issues that matter to people in the here and now, rather than wasting time and money on projects that the public never asked for.
“We all know, however, that Labour have a habit of returning to ID card policies so there is every likelihood that these proposals will re-emerge once more in the future – if so, we shall be ready to fight them once again.”
The Northern Isles MP had suggested last year that Reform leader Nigel Farage could use the scheme to revoke the settled rights of people living legally in the UK.
“Imagine a Farage-led Reform government with the ability to examine and control the movement, the identities and the rights of citizens and legal residents of our country.
“The Afghan data leak just months ago shows the risks in trusting our government too far with our identities.”
Carmichael said a previous attempt by then-prime minister Tony Blair to introduce digital IDs was also blocked.
“We have a long-standing principle that people have a basic right to live their lives free of interference, as long as we are not doing harm to anyone else,” the Liberal Democrat politician said.
“To concede that our freedoms are a privilege given by the government, rather than ours by default, would be to rewrite entirely the relationship between the citizen and the state.”
The digital ID would have included people’s name, date of birth, nationality or residency status and a photo.
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