Digital ID will be mandatory for work in the UK to tackle illegal migration. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it would make working illegally harder and offer “countless benefits” to citizens. The digital ID, will be stored on phones like contactless payment cards, will include name, date of birth, nationality or residency status, and a photo.

The government has said it wants to ensure the scheme works for those who are not able to use a smartphone and will launch a consultation on how the service will be delivered later this year.

Opposition parties, including shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately, criticised the scheme for adding hurdles for law-abiding people and employers. The SNP-led Scottish government stated that they oppose any compulsory card or digital ID.

Sir Keir told a gathering of left-leaning politicians that “for too many years it’s been too easy for people to come here, slip into the shadow economy and remain here illegally,” he said. “It is not compassionate left-wing politics to rely on labour that exploits foreign workers and undercuts fair wages.