Nigel Farage has declared that he would rather go to jail than have a digital ID. The Reform UK leader furiously hit out at Sir Keir Starmer’s plan for a new identification system.
The Prime Minister has announced the move in a bid to tackle illegal immigration. But speaking on his GB News show, Mr Farage said: “If you are a foreign worker in Britain, you already have to show a form of digital ID to your employer on your phone. So we’re told that’s why we’ve got to have it.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage takes a furious swipe at Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Image: GB News)
“Yet already we have HMRC [HM Revenue and Customs] saying this is wonderful, it’ll pave the way for £600million of tax grab we can take from people.
“And before you know it, you’ll have all your medical records on there. If you’re not jabbed, because the Government thinks you should be, you’ll find yourself genuinely a second-class citizen.
“I think the whole thing is appalling. I will not be having digital ID. Put me in prison, not a problem. I will not be having digital ID and I really mean it.”
The Prime Minister announced in September that digital ID would be introduced in 2029 and would be mandatory for people working in the UK.
The plans have faced a wave of opposition since Sir Keir announced them, and support for digital ID has plummeted in the polls.
During his trip to India, the PM met Nandan Nilekani, a founder of the Indian technology company Infosys, to discuss India’s voluntary digital ID.
And he has suggested he wants to expand beyond the current proposals with a voluntary digital ID to cover public services such as benefits and bill payments.
Ahead of the meeting, Sir Keir said he believed the Government’s work on mandatory ID was “really important” for tackling migration.
But he added: “I think there is a case to be made about the benefits for voluntary ID into other areas, and obviously we need to make that case.
“I think it’s a really important discussion for us to have. So on the one hand, it’s mandatory for work, but I actually think it would be a good passport.
“You know, I don’t know how many times the rest of you have had to look in the bottom drawer for three bills when you want to get your kids into school or apply for this or apply for that. Drives me to frustration.”
