Keir Starmer to unveil Brit-Card: UK’s new digital ID for work and rent
What is the Brit-Card?
Sir Keir Starmer is ready to launch the “Brit-Card” — a digital ID scheme aimed at cracking down on illegal work and verifying the right to live and work in the UK. The ID will be accessed via a smartphone app. Starting a new job or renting a property will require showing the card, instantly checked against a central UK database to confirm residency and work rights.
Back to ID cards – but with a tech twist
The UK ditched mandatory ID cards back in 1952. Now Starmer wants a reboot – a digital ID designed for the 21st century. He insists this isn’t “Whitehall dictating,” but a tool driven by everyday people needing proof of status.
Starmer on the Brit-Card: “It’s not Whitehall dictating what’s going to be done, it’s people with skin in the game.”
Why now? Migrant surge and Macron’s pressure
The timing isn’t accidental. French President Emmanuel Macron has called for tougher checks to reduce migration pull factors to the UK. Last week alone, 1,157 migrants arrived on small boats, according to Home Office data.
Starmer plans to announce the Brit-Card at the Global Progress Action Summit in London, rubbing shoulders with world leaders like Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Canadian PM Mark Carney. The Labour leader recently told the BBC that a digital ID could be key to stopping illegal migration, noting how much we rely on digital verification today compared to 20 years ago. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood backs the plan, adding serious firepower to the push.
