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Describing digital ID as 'BritCard' will get policy off to bad start in Wales, Plaid warn
Describing the UK Government's new digital ID as a 'BritCard' is the surest way to get the policy off to a bad start in Wales, Plaid Cymru has warned.
A new digital identification held on people’s phones will become mandatory as a means of proving the right to work in the UK.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says it will be available to UK citizens and legal residents by the end of this Parliament.
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Immigration
The UK Government hopes the proposed IDs will support efforts to reduce illegal immigration by curbing the ability of those who come to the UK illegally to earn money.
The plans will see ID cards being stored on devices in the same way contactless payment cards are.
The 'BritCard' would be the authoritative proof of identity and residency status in the UK and include name, date of birth, and a photo as well as information on nationality and residency status.
However, Plaid Cymru have warned against the plans raising concerns about civil liberties and digital exclusion.
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'Bad start'
Plaid Cymru Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts, says that describing the new digital ID as a "BritCard" when most people in Wales identify as "Welsh" will get the policy off to a bad start.
She said: "Plaid Cymru will not support any digital ID system that risks shutting people out of services or eroding civil liberties.
"Wales still has thousands of people who are digitally excluded, and no one should ever be locked out of vital services simply because they don’t have a smartphone or internet access.
"IDs could reduce some of the paperwork people face to access everyday services, but we are not convinced the UK Government’s plans are really about making things easier.
"We are concerned about data security, and we will oppose any system that risks making monetising sensitive personal data for private companies or making it more vulnerable to cyberattacks.
"That’s why we need a proper public debate about whether digital IDs are truly in the public interest. Sadly, the fact this was announced as a dead cat strategy while Parliament is in recess suggests the UK Government has no real interest in an open or democratic debate.
"And let’s get one thing clear: a majority of people in Wales identify as Welsh only.
"Describing this as a ‘BritCard’ is the surest way to get a policy off to a bad start here."
Wartime
How the scheme will work for those those who do not use smartphones will be addressed as part of the government's consultation process.
Those who do not want to carry a digital ID card or do not operate digitally could be given a physical card instead, according to The Telegraph.
Mandatory ID cards have previously only existed during wartime.
Sir Keir Starmer says the plans will be an "enormous opportunity" for the UK and make working illegally tougher.
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