Every citizen in Britain could soon be forced to sign up for a digital ID card after French President Emmanuel Macron demanded action on illegal immigration.
The UK’s socialist Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has reportedly told his Cabinet that he is “exploring options” for a digital ID scheme.
The plan is supposedly part of sweeping reforms aimed at cracking down on illegal working.
Downing Street confirmed the plans, marking the return of a proposal scrapped 15 years ago after widespread public outcry over civil liberties.
Under the new scheme, Britons could be required to show a digital ID before starting a new job, renting a home, claiming benefits, or even accessing public services.
Critics warn that this represents a massive step toward a surveillance state.
Far-left Labour Party ministers had only recently dismissed the idea.
In July, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said ID cards were “not our approach.”
But Macron, whose government has struggled to contain waves of illegal migration into France, has pressed Britain to eliminate what his allies describe as “pull factors” for migrants.
Some in Paris have derided Britain as an “El Dorado for migrants” due to its lax rules.
The nation rolls out the red carpet for illegal aliens, offering them taxpayer-funded “free” housing in luxury hotels and other handouts, making Britain an attractive draw for migrants.
Now, under pressure, Starmer appears to have reversed course.
His spokesman admitted ministers are “willing to look at what works,” including compulsory ID cards for all citizens.
Globalist former Prime Minister Tony Blair attempted to push ID cards during his tenure before the policy was killed by the 2010 Coalition government.
However, Blair is now said to be lobbying behind the scenes again.
Starmer, facing growing anger over record-breaking illegal Channel crossings and the costly use of migrant hotels, has seized on the digital ID plan to show action.
When asked about the backlash that derailed Blair’s original plan, Starmer’s spokesman said “the debate has changed” and argued that people today are more “relaxed” about proving their identity online.
But for many, this is precisely the problem.
A “relaxed” acceptance of digital surveillance opens the door for permanent state monitoring.
Once introduced, critics warn, digital IDs rarely stay “optional.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the proposal, insisting there was “no alternative” to Labour’s migration plan.
But she admitted she could not guarantee deportations would begin anytime soon under Labour’s “one in, one out” arrangement with France.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blasted Cooper’s comments as false.
“There are alternative plans – Labour is just too weak to act on them,” Philp said, pointing to a Conservative Deportation Bill and the abandoned Rwanda plan.
Starmer reportedly used an emergency immigration meeting to push ministers to pursue “all options.”
This option included shutting down Britain’s 200 migrant hotels, accelerating deportations, and tightening rules under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden, who just returned from Estonia to study its digital ID system, claimed the idea makes sense to replace “paper-based documents.”
“The idea you’ve got to prove who you say you are in order to work is a reasonable expectation,” McFadden argued, echoing Macron’s demand to eliminate “pull factors.”
The proposal signals a dramatic shift in Britain’s approach to identity and surveillance.
What started as a migration crackdown could soon become compulsory digital IDs for every citizen.
It’s a development that civil liberties advocates warn will strip away privacy and set the stage for even greater government control.
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