Digitals IDs. Another screwup by this incompetent Labour government…

A few months back, I had to register for one of the government’s online tax services. To do so, I needed to verify my identity. That meant downloading an app, scanning my passport, and then taking a photo of my face to prove it matched the passport image. The whole process took only a few minutes, and I was actually impressed at how smooth it was. Not long ago, you’d have been traipsing down to a government office, waiting in line, and wasting half a day. Doing it from home was far less hassle.

Since Covid, I’ve stopped carrying a wallet. These days, all my cards live in my Apple Wallet. I keep a few emergency tenners in my pocket, but most of the time it’s just me and my phone. I’ve also taken photos of my driving licence and passport and stored them in my photo roll. But let’s be honest: a JPEG isn’t exactly watertight, anyone with half‑decent editing skills could fake one. That’s why Apple’s upcoming digital ID system makes sense. Most iPhone users will see it as a convenience, not a threat.

Now, here’s where the government could have played it smart. Imagine if they’d said: fewer people are carrying wallets, so we’re launching a voluntary digital ID app. It’ll hold your licence, passport, and other documents. You won’t be forced to use it. But if you do, it’ll make life easier – faster access to government services, less bureaucracy, fewer forms etc. Frame it like that and plenty of people would sign up willingly. Many countries have digital IDs without issues.

Instead, they’ve botched the messaging. Rather than selling it as a convenience, they’ve dressed it up as a tool to hunt down “illegal migrants.” Cue images of anyone with a sun tan being stopped repeatedly by overzealous officials. The whole thing invites accusations of a creeping police state.

Then, to just really kill it at birth, they want to call it ‘BritCard’, that is going to go down well here.

This is the tragedy: a potentially useful bit of modernisation ends up poisoned by clumsy, heavy‑handed politics. Digital IDs could save people time and cut red tape. But thanks to the government’s tone‑deaf rollout, the debate is now about surveillance, mistrust, and overreach, when it should have been about making everyday life simpler.

Brian O'Neill

Managing Editor of Slugger O’Toole. I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism; I am not a member of any political party. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.