Digital ID petition tops 1.6m as Alyn and Deeside records most signatures in Wales
A petition calling on the UK Government to scrap plans for digital ID cards had been signed by more than 1.62 million people by 8.45am on Saturday.
In Wales, the strongest response has come from Alyn and Deeside, where 3,706 residents have signed – the highest total of any Welsh constituency and the third-highest in the UK overall.
Across Wales, the petition has been backed by nearly 88,000 people.
Other North Wales constituencies with significant support include Clwyd East (3,265), Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr (3,257) and Wrexham (2,877).
The petition text warns that introducing digital ID would be “a step towards mass surveillance and digital control” and calls on ministers to rule out any kind of state-controlled ID system.
It notes that ID cards were scrapped in 2010 “for good reason”.
The petition passed the one million mark within hours of Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement on Friday morning that a new digital ID system will be introduced by 2029.
Under the plans, digital ID will be mandatory for proving the Right to Work by the end of the current Parliament.
According to the Government, the scheme will make it harder for people without the legal right to live in the UK to find work, while also simplifying access to services such as driving licences, childcare, welfare and tax records.
The digital ID will be stored on people’s phones, in a similar way to the NHS app or contactless payments.
Sir Keir Starmer said: “Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure. And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly – rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.”
The Government has said there will be no requirement for individuals to carry the ID or produce it routinely.
A public consultation will take place later this year, including on how to support people who do not use smartphones.
Ministers say outreach and face-to-face support will be available, and point to schemes in countries such as Estonia and Denmark where digital IDs are already widely used.
Civil liberties groups and some politicians have raised concerns that the system could expand beyond employment checks, increasing state monitoring of citizens and creating new privacy risks.
ID cards are not new in the UK. They were introduced during both World Wars but scrapped in 1952 after concerns they were being used too widely.
A Labour government brought them back in 2006, though the scheme was abolished by the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition in 2010 at a cost of £4.6bn.
The idea has resurfaced in recent years, with figures including Tony Blair backing a digital system.
The Labour Together think tank has proposed a version dubbed the “BritCard”.
That branding has already drawn criticism in Wales, with Plaid Cymru warning the label risks alienating people and undermining support for the scheme.
Plaid Cymru Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts MP said: “Plaid Cymru will not support any digital ID system that risks shutting people out of services or eroding civil liberties. Wales still has thousands of people who are digitally excluded, and no one should ever be locked out of vital services simply because they don’t have a smartphone or internet access.”
“And let’s get one thing clear: a majority of people in Wales identify as Welsh only. Describing this as a ‘BritCard’ is the surest way to get a policy off to a bad start here.”
Check live fuel prices near you before you set off.
Spotted something? Got a story? Email news (@) deeside.com
NEW: Add Deeside.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Latest News
