“Serious questions remain about how such an intrusive scheme would operate”
Northern Ireland’s main political parties have united in opposition to proposals from the UK Government to introduce a so-called ‘Brit Card’ Digital ID.
The plans, confirmed by the Prime Minister on Friday, will mean that carrying a digital ID will not be mandatory but will be mandatory as a means of proving your right to work in the UK.
The Government has insisted that the new streamlined digital system for checking Right to Work will simplify the process, drive up compliance, crack down on forged documents, and create intelligence data on businesses conducting checks to help the Home Office take action against employers hiring illegally.
However, the main political parties in Northern Ireland have all spoken of their opposition to the plans.
Taking to social media, Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill described the plans as “ludicrous”.
“The British Prime Minister’s proposal for a mandatory digital ID card is ludicrous and ill-thought-out. This proposal is an attack on the Good Friday Agreement and on the rights of Irish citizens in the North of Ireland,” she said.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson raised “serious questions” about how the digital ID would work and suggested that it would not stop illegal immigration.
“Labour’s plan to introduce digital ID cards is the wrong approach and it is not something DUP MPs will support,” he said.
“Digital ID cards would do very little to stop illegal immigration. The real challenges in tackling illegal entry to the UK lie at our borders and in enforcement, not in creating yet another layer of bureaucracy for ordinary citizens. We need to make illegal entry much more difficult and much less lucrative, and Labour seem incapable or unwilling to do so.
“Serious questions remain about how such an intrusive scheme would operate. What happens to people, particularly older people, without smartphones or easy access to digital technology? Why should every UK citizen be forced to prove their identity in this way when National Insurance numbers already perform this function for work and access to services?
The East Belfast MP said that there are also “legitimate concerns” about data security.
“The Government has not demonstrated that such sensitive personal information could be safely stored, or that it would not be vulnerable to abuse, leaks, or hacking. We have seen in recent weeks how systems have been compromised, causing havoc – there is little confidence that this system would be secure.
“Most worrying of all is the compulsory element. Forcing citizens to carry a digital ID card would be a fundamental shift in the relationship between the individual and the state, undermining liberty and privacy in ways that are totally unacceptable.
“Proposals to deal with immigration should be robust, fair, and effective, but they must be done on a UK-wide basis and without penalising law-abiding people. Digital ID cards fail on every count.
“The DUP will firmly oppose these plans and stand up for the freedoms and rights of people in Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom.”
Alliance Party Deputy Leader, Eoin Tennyson, described the move as “tone-deaf and out of touch.”
“Alliance will oppose mandatory digital IDs. People have the right to go about their daily lives without infringement,” he said.
“No one should be criminalised just because they don’t want to hand over their private data.
“This gimmick from Labour is tone-deaf and out of touch.”
In a joint statement, the Ulster Unionist Party MLA group announced its strong opposition to the government’s proposals for a nationwide Digital ID system. The party condemns the plan as an intrusive state overreach that fundamentally threatens the rights and freedoms of citizens across the United Kingdom.
A UUP spokesperson said: “The party firmly rejects this nationwide Digital ID rollout. We view it as an excessive and ill-conceived initiative that compromises the fundamental right to privacy for law-abiding citizens.
“Such a system would undermine trust and liberty by granting the state unprecedented control over personal lives, jeopardising the core democratic values of liberty, privacy, and accountability.
“The Ulster Unionist Party is clear, we will oppose this at every turn. This proposal must not become law, and we will work to protect the freedoms that people throughout the United Kingdom cherish. We are calling on the Labour government to abandon this misguided policy and focus on solutions that respect the privacy and autonomy of the individual.”
Meanwhile, SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP has called for Northern Ireland to be exempt from proposals. She has criticised the UK Government’s proposals, warning that it would be unworkable in Northern Ireland and risks disrupting cross-border ties. Hanna also cautioned that the scheme does not reflect the reality of people’s rights of identity and citizenship here.
Claire Hanna MP said: “Northern Ireland has complexities of identity, movement and governance. A one-size-fits-all digital ID imposed from Westminster risks ignoring those realities and undermining the progress we have made.
“The truth is that a Brit Card won’t fix the actual problems we face. Here in Northern Ireland, where people cross the border every day for work, family and study, imposing this scheme could be especially problematic.
“That’s why I am calling for Northern Ireland to be exempt from this scheme. The SDLP will continue to argue for solutions that are practical, rights-based and reflect the unique circumstances of life here.”
SDLP MLAs will be tabling urgent Assembly questions on Monday to establish what engagement the Executive had with the UK Government before the announcement.
Elsewhere, People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll said that the plan “represents a worrying attempt to expand digital infrastructure for the British surveillance state.”
“This move is clearly motivated by a desire to appear tough on immigration, while distracting from Labour’s internal collapse and Starmer’s precarious position as leader,” he said.
“From Windrush to the Afghan resettlement scheme, the British government has repeatedly demonstrated that it can’t be trusted to protect people’s personal data. There are also serious unanswered questions about who will administer and profit from the scheme. Starmer’s cosy relationship with Palantir – who have been used for racial discrimination and provide the Israeli military with surveillance and intelligence services – is a huge red flag.”
“Tony Blair attempted to introduce a similar scheme 20 years ago and was rightly met with widespread opposition. Many people throughout the North will once again reject attempts by the British government to expand their technocratic surveillance regime for political gain.”
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