It is better to correct policy than persist in error, but Keir Starmer cannot afford to keep signalling his lack of coherent direction
In practical terms there is not a huge difference between proving your identity online with a passport and using a government-issued digital ID. But when possession of the latter is a legal requirement, the distinction has clear political significance. So does the government’s decision this week to abandon proposals to make digital ID mandatory.
People will still have to verify their identities in order to work in Britain. That was declared as the main purpose of the scheme when Sir Keir Starmer announced it last autumn. It would prevent people without the proper entitlement – illegal migrants, in short – having jobs. Now the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, says she is “pretty relaxed” about what kind of ID is used for verification.
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