Digital ID will be mandatory for right to work checks by the end of this parliament, the prime minister said today. Sir Keir Starmer was announcing a much-trailed revival of the national identity scheme set up by his predecessor Tony Blair and cancelled by the incoming coalition government in 2010.

Rather than a physical card, the digital ID will be hosted on mobile phones, alongside the digital driving licence which the government has already announced plans to introduce. There will be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it - but digital ID will be mandatory as a means of proving the right to work.

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.’