Exclusive: Keir Starmer Facing Mounting Labour Rebellion Over Digital ID Cards

Keir Starmer is facing a mounting Labour rebellion over his plans to introduce compulsory digital ID cards, HuffPost UK can reveal.

Downing Street has announced a series of “outreach” meetings with unhappy backbenchers in an attempt to win them round.

One MP said: “Overtures from them won’t shift people. The anti-digital ID brigade will be unswayed and those who buy the argument think No.10′s reverse Midas touch has tainted it for another five years.”

The prime minister announced his backing for digital ID cards on the eve of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.

He said it would be a vital tool in the government’s attempts to tackle illegal immigration as anyone starting a job would need to have one to prove they have the right to live and work in the UK.

Starmer said: “Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure. And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly – rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.”

But one MP described the announcement as a “shitshow” which had only hardened opposition to the policy.

“Loads of people feel they’ve been made mugs of after being told by No.10 there were no plans for them or that they would be non-compulsory if they ever were introduced,” the MP said.

Another MP added: “The breadth of anger at the mishandling of this is truly impressive.”

A poll by the More In Common think-tank showed that public support for the ID cards had plummeted from 53% to 31%in the wake of Starmer’s announcement.

“We can’t even launch a policy properly,” said one MP.

HuffPost UK has learned that Tim Allan, No.10′s director of communications, announced plans for “outreach” meetings with backbenchers on a post-conference online call with MPs on Tuesday.

One MP described Downing Street’s attempts to win over opponents of the policy as “embarrassing”.

“There is massive unhappiness about it,” the MP said.

More than 2.8 million people have now signed a petition on parliament’s website opposing digital ID cards.

The plan is also facing cross-party opposition from the Tories, Lib Dems, Reform UK and the SNP.