A furious row erupted over Government plans to introduce digital ID cards as part of proposals to end the Channel migrant crisis.<\/p>\n
Labour\u2019s Lisa Nandy claimed Sir Keir Starmer<\/a> was \u201ccoming at this from every single angle\u201d in a bid to stop the boats.<\/p>\n And she claimed \u201cwe\u2019re disrupting the gangs\u201d.<\/p>\n But Reform\u2019s Richard Tice<\/a> said \u201cthat\u2019s not working\u201d and warned the digital ID plan will cost billions and take years to introduce.<\/p>\n Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: \u201cOne of the things we are thinking about is whether we introduce digital ID. We think there is some merit in this.<\/p>\n \u201cWe think they offer two benefits. One, is they will be able to make sure people are able to prove their right to be here, to work legally, very easily, which will then help us to deal with the illegal economy and stop people being undercut at work.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we also think there might be big benefits for citizens. If you think about the way the NHS app has developed in recent years, and now you\u2019re able to make GP appointments, and access your medical records, we think there may be benefits to the general population as well.<\/p>\n \u201cBeware of any politician who tells you that when it comes to getting control of immigration, there is one single solution. We are coming at this from every single angle. We\u2019re disrupting the gangs, supporting people who have the right to be here, deporting people.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Tice then interjected: \u201cWe know that smashing the gangs is not working so now you are jumping on a new bandwagon.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Nandy said: \u201cThat\u2019s not true. We\u2019ve deported more people under this Government than ever before\u201d.<\/p>\n The Prime Minister is expected to confirm plans for a so-called \u201cBrit card\u201d on Friday amid fears the black economy is convincing Channel migrants to cross in small boats.<\/p>\n Ministers will likely need to introduce new legislation for the hugely controversial plan. Dr Luke Evans, a Conservative MP, said digital ID cards won\u2019t stop the boats.<\/p>\n He told BBC<\/a> Question Time<\/a>: \u201cWhy are we having this debate?<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s something in politics called the dead cat theory, where you throw a dead cat out to distract because the Prime Minister is under pressure from the likes of Andy Burnham and putting pressure on him.<\/p>\n \u201cThis would be the perfect place to have this discussion in Parliament.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know if this will have access to the NHS. It\u2019s a bizarre situation where Tony Blair put this forward back when he was in Government and then only last year the new Government announced they liked it after voting against voter ID.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know where we are trying to get to.\u201d Mr Tice then added: \u201cIt\u2019s called a gimmick.\u201d<\/p>\n He said: \u201cWill compulsory ID cards stop the boats? The answer is no, of course it won\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve already got two forms of ID. It\u2019s passports and national insurance.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we use those properly, the quantity of people here illegally and working illegally, then we should use the national insurance numbers properly with a proper deterrent for employers that break the laws.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know Governments are very bad at managing big IT projects. This will cost billions and billions of pounds and it\u2019s bound to overrun and will achieve absolutely nothing.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will take years to introduce. It\u2019s a disastrous idea.\u201d<\/p>\n