I've had hundreds of emails from my constituents opposing the mandatory digital ID. Like you, I’m hugely concerned about the Labour Government’s recent announcement to roll out of mandatory digital IDs.
Labour have tried to justify this policy by saying it will solve the mess of rapidly rising illegal migration, but that simply is not true.
Digital IDs will not stop the boats.
This policy is a smokescreen to distract from the government’s failures, which includes a lack of strong border policy. Only a comprehensive borders policy and legitimate deterrent, like our Rwanda plan, will stop the boats.
The Government has said that introducing digital ID will stop illegal working. However, employers are already required to check whether someone has a right to work in the UK. If an employer doesn’t bother to check now whether someone is working illegally now then there’s no reason they will check in future with a different form of ID.
What this policy will mean is extra cost and admin for millions of law abiding people.
The Government has also hinted that this digital ID proposal is the first step towards a mandatory ID system for everyone. While there is a argument for simplifying the way people have to use different IDs for different Government services, I strongly disagree with a mandatory Government ID system.
When the Conservatives were in government, we were working on a single portal to access government services. This work was delivering results: faster passport and driving licence applications, and straightforward right-to-work and right-to-rent checks. But we were not mandating a single digital identity. We also made sure people could still access those services in person as well. We believe in choice and Government serving the people, not Government controlling people.
As a member of the Opposition I will, along with my Conservative colleagues, be fighting hard to stop this government overreach.
