Public Petition Sparks Debate on UK National ID Cards

- The UK has a history of implementing and then repealing national identity systems; compulsory ID cards were introduced during World War I and II, with the latter system being abolished in 1952. More recently, the Labour government under Tony Blair introduced the Identity Cards Act in 2006, creating a national identity register. - The 2006 ID card scheme was ultimately scrapped in 2011 by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government due to concerns about cost and civil liberties. The scheme had cost £292 million by the time it was cancelled, and scrapping it was projected to save a further £835 million. All data from the National Identity Register was subsequently destroyed. - In place of a single national ID card, the UK government is developing a decentralized trust framework for digital identity. The "UK digital identity and attributes trust framework" sets out rules and standards for organizations to become certified providers of digital identity services, rather than creating a single, government-run system. - The government's current flagship digital identity project is GOV.UK One Login, which aims to provide a single, secure way for users to sign in and prove their identity to access all government services online. This system is designed to streamline user experience, reduce fraud, and improve accessibility, built using components from the GOV.UK Design System. - Many European Union member states have a form of national identity card, with ownership being compulsory in 15 countries. These cards are often used as travel documents within the EEA and for a range of public and private services. In contrast, countries like the UK, Ireland, and Denmark do not have a national ID card system. - Privacy remains a central concern in the UK debate, with critics raising fears about potential government surveillance and the risk of "function creep," where a system is expanded beyond its original intended purpose. Civil liberties groups have consistently warned that centralizing personal data could create a "honeypot" for cybercriminals. - Proving one's identity for the GOV.UK One Login service can be done in multiple ways to enhance accessibility, including through a dedicated app that scans photo ID, by answering security questions online, or through an in-person verification at a Post Office. - The estimated cost for a new digital ID system has been a point of contention; in late 2025, the Office for Budget Responsibility provisionally forecasted a cost of £1.8 billion over three years for a proposed "BritCard" scheme. The previous 2006-era scheme's projected 10-year cost had risen to £5.75 billion by 2007.