Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to introduce a free digital ID system for both UK citizens and residents. The initiative, which will be accessible via smartphones, is aimed at curbing illegal immigration while making it easier for people to access public services such as welfare, childcare, driving licences, and tax records.

The digital ID will not require individuals to carry or show physical documents in everyday life. However, it will become mandatory for proving the right to work in the UK, a step the government says will close loopholes exploited by illegal workers and employers.

While the proposal has been praised as a modern solution to streamline services, critics have raised concerns over privacy, civil liberties, and the potential exclusion of people without smartphones or digital access. The government insists the plan will be free, inclusive, and designed with safeguards before it is rolled out nationwide.