The new national identity card could be used to crack down on benefits cheats and ‘all sorts of other things’, Shabana Mahmood has said.
The Home Secretary’s remarks indicate a far wider ambition for the controversial project than simply verifying the right to work.
When Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer outlined the plans to introduce digital ID cards by the end of this Parliament in 2029, he said it would only be mandatory for people showing they are allowed to take paid employment in Britain.
Ms Mahmood’s comments will alarm critics who fear such a scheme would be an Orwellian invasion of privacy and lead to a ‘papers please’ culture in Britain.
‘For me it’s always been a no-brainer, if one of the results of having an ID card is to clamp down on the ability of people to cheat the system,’ the Home Secretary told a fringe meeting at Labour conference.
