LONDON

The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought to revive public support for his government’s proposed digital identification system, insisting it will simplify everyday life and empower citizens despite mounting criticism over privacy and cost concerns.

The plan for digital IDs -- announced last month -- has faced significant opposition and was described by critics as a symptom of Starmer’s “reverse Midas touch.”

More than 2.9 million people have signed a petition against the proposal, and polling by More in Common found that while net support for digital ID cards was 35% in early summer, more people opposed than supported the plan following the announcement, resulting in a net support of minus 14%.

Starmer, however, argued that the initiative would modernize Britain and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy.

“Digitization has already transformed so many parts of our lives – from how we shop, travel and bank,” he said in a statement on Thursday. “But there’s so much more we can do to make people’s lives easier, simpler and more secure."

“The digital ID is about putting power back in people’s hands, cutting the faff out of rummaging through drawers for documents and pointless bureaucracy we have accepted for too long while bringing Britain into the modern age," he noted.

“This can be a boarding pass to getting on in life, helping people get a bank account, apply for a job or access childcare. Countries across the world are reaping the benefits of digital IDs, the British public should be able to as well,” he said.

The government says digital IDs could be issued to every British citizen and legal resident, allowing people without passports or driving licenses to prove their identity digitally when applying for jobs, opening bank accounts, or securing mortgages -- without needing to send physical documents or pay for private verification services.

Starmer also sought to allay fears that digital IDs could be required to access essential services, stressing that “the identification system would never be needed to get into hospital.”

Despite these assurances, opposition parties have continued to challenge the proposal.

The Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson, Max Wilkinson, told the Guardian on Thursday: “Keir Starmer is trying to put lipstick on a very expensive pig. Relaunching this scheme for the second time this month won’t change the fact it is intrusive, expensive and unnecessary.”

The controversy highlights a deep divide in public opinion over the balance between technological convenience and personal privacy, as the UK government pushes ahead with its vision to “bring Britain into the modern age.”