Story perspectives

Labour's Digital ID Cards: £1.8 Billion Cost Sparks Outcry

11/26/2025

Summary

Story summary

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates Labour's Digital ID cards will cost taxpayers £1.8 billion over three years and will be mandatory for right-to-work checks by the end of the decade.
The government has not identified funding sources for the initiative.
Critics, including David Davis, former Conservative minister, and campaign group Big Brother Watch, say the plan invades privacy and civil liberties.
They state the financial burden will fall on taxpayers, with an estimated £50 per person.

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Story summary

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates Labour's Digital ID cards will cost taxpayers £1.8 billion over three years and will be mandatory for right-to-work checks by the end of the decade.
The government has not identified funding sources for the initiative.
Critics, including David Davis, former Conservative minister, and campaign group Big Brother Watch, say the plan invades privacy and civil liberties.
They state the financial burden will fall on taxpayers, with an estimated £50 per person.