Ministers have rolled back central element of digital ID plans, possibly allowing people to use other forms of identification to prove their right to workBig Brother Watch, a civil liberties group which says it campaigns against the “surveillance state”, has joined Reform UK (see 10.07am) in calling for the government’s digital ID scheme to be now fully abandoned. Its director, Silkie Carlo, said:We welcome Starmer’s reported U-turn on making intrusive, expensive and unnecessary digital IDs mandatory. This is a huge success for Big Brother Watch and the millions of Brits who signed petitions to make this happen.The case for the government now dropping digital IDs entirely is overwhelming. Taxpayers should not be footing a £1.8bn bill for a digital ID scheme that is frankly pointless.Keir Starmer has abandoned plans for the Digital ID to be compulsory.This is a victory for individual liberty against a ghastly, authoritarian government. Continue reading...