Keir Starmer and Labour’s polling is diabolical. Ipsos reported on Wednesday that, for the first time, Britons are split on whether Starmer or Nigel Farage would make a better Prime Minister, with 30% selecting both men. A mega poll from YouGov also revealed this week that, if a general election were held right now, Reform UK would win 311 seats, just 15 short of a majority.
So, naturally, you would think that the Government would be trying to roll out popular policies — ones that are well worth the time and would result in a boost in favourability. More than one million people have signed a petition against the introduction of digital ID cards. Out of 4,920 UK adults polled by YouGov, 30% strongly oppose the idea, with only 14% strongly supporting the policy.
Let’s leave that alone then, shall we? That would be a competent politician’s view. Unfortunately, it is not the Prime Minister’s.
Sir Keir and his colleagues came out on Friday claiming the move could form the bedrock of the modern state, insisting that it will help solve problems with the NHS and immigration.
**Article continues below**
ADVERTISEMENT
**READ MORE:**
‘Andy Burnham is 24-carat dud — we don’t need another cack-handed PM’
**READ MORE:**
Starmer’s digital ID cards risk nightmare hack on 50m records, warn experts
I sympathise with the view of the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who suggested that this money would be better spent on reducing GP waiting times or fixing the social care system.
Ministers say that they have been impressed by the ID system in Estonia, which has apparently enabled better access to child benefits, health records, and applications for nursery places. They add that Australian citizens can access a range of private services, from banking to buying alcohol, with their digital identification — reducing the need for multiple separate accounts and pieces of paper.
In Denmark, meanwhile, students can use their national digital ID to log in and automatically retrieve education records and qualifications when applying for jobs or university.
**Article continues below**
ADVERTISEMENT
But do we not already have systems in place for these things? And if these need to be improved, perhaps pursuing tailor-made solutions instead of implementing something as blunt and fundamental as this would be a better idea.
This is without even mentioning the existence of these miraculous things called driving licences, passports, National Insurance numbers, and NHS numbers.
Another argument is that billions could be raised by reducing fraud and leakages in welfare schemes. If the Government had managed to actually get recent legislation through, instead of caving to backbenchers, we wouldn’t be worrying as much about this.
Plus, money is there to be raised in a far better manner: creating a friendly and incentivising fiscal tax environment for businesses. This seems a million miles away at the moment and is set to become even further from us after Rachel Reeves unveils her next Budget.
This policy is simply surplus to requirements, and it is frankly unfathomable to me why the Prime Minister and his team thought it would be a good idea to unveil it at this time.
Various polls show loads of voters currently loathe Sir Keir and his party, with many having already switched to supporting Reform UK. Lots of these supporters will be impossible to bring back — especially since digital IDs tend to be opposed by right-leaning Brits in general, the very people Labour must convince to vote for the party again in 2029, if that is indeed when the next national poll takes place.
Brits are seeing this as a gimmick and can’t see how it will genuinely and tangibly improve their lives.
This is why Labour was elected in 2024. If voters don’t feel better off in four years’ time, Sir Keir — or whoever is in charge of the Red Team at that point — will be ousted from the premiership.
What on earth are they thinking?
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2114075/keir-starmer-tone-deaf-nigel-farage-digital-id
