Parties across divide in Northern Ireland unite against digital ID cards

Parties across the usually sharp political divide in Northern Ireland have united to oppose digital ID cards.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced plans for the so-called “Brit-Card” to allow the verification of a citizen’s right to live and work in the UK.

The ID card, which will be mandatory, will include a name, date of birth, nationality or residency status, and a photo.

It is expected to be subject to consultation and may require legislation.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson described the plan as “the wrong approach”, and said his party’s MPs will oppose it.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill on Thursday night slammed the plan as “ludicrous”, and Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood said her party will oppose the digital IDs at every step.

On Friday, Mr Robinson expressed concern around data security and the scheme being mandatory.

“Digital ID cards would do very little to stop illegal immigration,” he said.

“The real challenges in tackling illegal entry to the UK lie at our borders and in enforcement, not in creating yet another layer of bureaucracy for ordinary citizens.

“We need to make illegal entry much more difficult and much less lucrative, and Labour seem incapable or unwilling to do so.

“Serious questions remain about how such an intrusive scheme would operate.

“What happens to people, particularly older people, without smartphones or easy access to digital technology? Why should every UK citizen be forced to prove their identity in this way when national insurance numbers already perform this function for work and access to services?

“There are also legitimate concerns about data security.

“Most worrying of all is the compulsory element. Forcing citizens to carry a digital ID card would be a fundamental shift in the relationship between the individual and the state, undermining liberty and privacy in ways that are totally unacceptable.

“Proposals to deal with immigration should be robust, fair and effective, but they must be done on a UK-wide basis and without penalising law-abiding people. Digital ID cards fail on every count.”

Meanwhile, SDLP leader Claire Hanna called for Northern Ireland to be exempt from the scheme.

She said her party’s MLAs will be tabling urgent Assembly questions on Monday to establish what engagement the Executive had with the UK Government before the announcement.

“Northern Ireland has complexities of identity, movement and governance. A one-size-fits-all digital ID imposed from Westminster risks ignoring those realities and undermining the progress we have made,” she said.

“The truth is that a Brit Card won’t fix the actual problems we face. Here in Northern Ireland, where people cross the border every day for work, family and study, imposing this scheme could be especially problematic.

“That’s why I am calling for Northern Ireland to be exempt from this scheme. The SDLP will continue to argue for solutions that are practical, rights-based and reflect the unique circumstances of life here.”

The Ulster Unionist Party also opposed the scheme.

“The party firmly rejects this nationwide Digital ID rollout. We view it as an excessive and ill-conceived initiative that compromises the fundamental right to privacy for law-abiding citizens,” a spokesperson said.

“Such a system would undermine trust and liberty by granting the state unprecedented control over personal lives, jeopardising the core democratic values of liberty, privacy and accountability.

“We are calling on the Labour government to abandon this misguided policy and focus on solutions that respect the privacy and autonomy of the individual.”