Prime minister says plans for a new digital ID held on people’s phones will become mandatory to prove the right to work
All UK citizens will have a digital ID under new plans, but it will be “entirely their choice” whether they use it, culture secretary Lisa Nandy told Sky News:
The plan is to ensure that everybody has it, but you can choose whether you use it.
We’ve debated it ever since. It’s important, of course, that we protect people’s civil liberties, and we have got no intention of pursuing a dystopian mess. But I do think for most people, this is a fairly common sense and practical measure.
And like I said, although all UK citizens will have a digital ID, it will not be mandatory for people to use it. It will be entirely their choice.
Companies already are meant to check on whether people have the right to work in the UK and face penalties for that … they will continue to face those penalties.
It makes it much easier for companies to be able to do this and to be able to check whether people are able to work legally or not, which means there is no excuse for not doing so.
