Burnham Scraps £1.8 Billion UK Digital ID Plan as He Shifts Focus to Cost of Living
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 18
Burnham Scraps £1.8 Billion UK Digital ID Plan as He Shifts Focus to Cost of Living
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 18
Summary
Andy Burnham will drop plans for a government-issued digital ID for all British adults after taking office Monday, redirecting money and official effort to cost-of-living pressures and other “daily priorities.”
£1.8 billion over three years was the Office for Budget Responsibility’s estimate for the scheme, which Burnham’s office said will now give way to spending aimed at improving everyday life and local economies.
The reversal goes beyond Keir Starmer’s January retreat to a voluntary system after nearly 3 million people signed a petition against mandatory digital IDs for workers.
Burnham’s team cast the move as part of a broader reset before he enters Downing Street, following plans to back more North Sea oil and gas drilling while Conservatives attack his agenda as unrealistic.