The government has dropped plans requiring workers to sign up to a new digital ID system in order to prove their right to work in the UK. Instead, Labour ministers say existing checks, using documents such as biometric passports, will move fully online by 2029.

Initially, the government argued that mandatory digital IDs for workers would help curb illegal immigration. Now, the focus has shifted to using digital IDs to improve access to public services.

Polling showed that public support for digital ID collapsed after Sir Keir’s announcement, falling from just over half the population being supportive in June to less than a third of the population just after his speech. Nearly three million people have signed a parliamentary petition opposing the introduction of digital IDs.