Wiltshire MP Sarah Gibson has welcomed the Government’s decision to abandon plans for a mandatory digital ID scheme, describing the move as “an important victory” following pressure from the Liberal Democrats and residents across the county.
Reports emerged this week that ministers have dropped proposals that would have required people to register for a new digital ID in order to prove their right to work in the UK. While right-to-work checks will still move online by 2029, using tools such as biometric passports, signing up to a standalone digital ID scheme will now be optional.
Ms Gibson, the Liberal Democrat MP for Chippenham , whose constituency includes Calne, Corsham and Royal Wootton Bassett, said she had been concerned about the impact the original plans could have on rural communities already facing digital exclusion.
Earlier this month, more than 4,500 people in her constituency signed a local e-petition calling on the Government to scrap the proposals. The petition was debated in Parliament, during which Ms Gibson questioned whether a mandatory digital system risked excluding vulnerable residents who struggle to access or use online services.
Commenting on the Government’s change of position, she said: “This is an important victory for rural Wiltshire. I was seriously worried that billions of pounds in taxpayers’ money were being earmarked to deliver a scheme that had the potential to exclude some of the most vulnerable in our communities from accessing basic services.
“It is far better that the Government now spend this money on improving access to critical NHS services in areas like ours.”
She also drew parallels with previous attempts to introduce compulsory ID schemes, adding: “When Tony Blair’s Labour Government tried to bring in mandatory ID schemes, the Liberal Democrats stopped them – two decades later, we have done it again.”
The policy shift marks a clear change from last year, when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said people would not be able to work in the UK without digital ID. Since then, public support for mandatory digital identification has fallen sharply, with millions signing petitions opposing the plans.
While ministers insist they remain committed to digitising right-to-work checks, opposition parties have criticised the original proposal. The Liberal Democrats said the scheme was “doomed to failure” and have repeatedly called for funding to be redirected to public services such as the NHS.
The Government has said digital systems can help prevent fraud and illegal working, but has acknowledged concerns about accessibility and public confidence. Details of how the revised system will operate are still being developed.
Ms Gibson said she was confident many Wiltshire residents would feel relieved by the announcement, following weeks of correspondence from constituents worried about the impact of a mandatory digital ID on everyday life.
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