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The British government has watered down plans for mandatory digital identification cards, a contentious idea it had touted as a way to help control immigration.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the latest policy U-turn by Prime Minister Keir Starmer\u2019s embattled center-left government, which is under fire from both opposition politicians and governing Labour Party<\/a> lawmakers.<\/p>\n Officials confirmed Wednesday that it won\u2019t be compulsory for citizens and residents to show a digital ID card in order to get a job, ditching a key plank of the policy announced in September.<\/p>\n \u201cThe digital ID could be one way you prove your eligibility to work,\u201d Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the BBC, alongside other documents such as biometric passports.<\/p>\n The government said detailed plans for digital ID cards<\/a> will be \u201cset out following a full public consultation which will launch shortly.\u201d<\/p>\n Starmer announced in September that \u201cyou will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It\u2019s as simple as that.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the plan would help reduce unauthorized immigration by making it harder for people to work in the underground economy. He said it would also make it simpler for people to access health care, welfare, child care and other public services.<\/p>\n He faced an immediate backlash, with polls suggesting support for digital ID plummeted after Starmer backed the idea.<\/p>\n Britain has not had compulsory identity cards for ordinary citizens since shortly after World War II, and the idea has long been contentious. Civil rights campaigners argue it infringes personal liberty and puts people\u2019s information at risk.<\/p>\n