Petition against Starmer's controversial ID cards hits huge 500,000-signature milestone

A petition calling for Sir Keir Starmer's ID card plan to be scrapped has surged past 500,000 signatures on the day the PM is set to unveil his proposals. Meanwhile Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has dismissed the plans as a "gimmick that will do nothing to stop the boats", while Nigel Farage's Reform UK branded them "cynical ploy" designed to "fool" voters into thinking something is being done about immigration.

The petition was started by Maxine Sutcliff on the Government website on July 9 - but has picked up the pace remarkably in the last few days with the scheme increasingly under the microscope. Explaining her motivation in the petition information, Ms Sutcliff said: "We demand that the UK Government immediately commits to not introducing digital ID cards. There are reports that this is being looked at.

"We think this would be a step towards mass surveillance and digital control, and that no one should be forced to register with a state-controlled ID system. We oppose the creation of any national ID system.

"ID cards were scrapped in 2010, in our view for good reason."

As of 6.50am on Friday, the petition had attracted 514,217 names.

The so-called Brit-Cards will allow the verification of a citizen's right to live and work in the UK, and are expected to be unveiled by the Prime Minister during a speech on Friday.

Sir Keir is due to speak at the Global Progress Action Summit in London alongside Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney.

Anyone starting a new job or looking to rent a home would be required to show the card on a smartphone app, under the proposals.

It would then be checked against a central database of people entitled to live and work in the UK.

It is hoped this would reduce the attraction of working in the UK illegally, including for delivery companies.

Writing in The Telegraph, Sir Keir said: "This Government will make a new, free of charge, digital ID that will be mandatory for the right to work by the end of this Parliament.

Mrs Badenoch added: "This is a throwaway conference announcement designed to distract attention from Andy Burnham's leadership maneuverings and the crisis in Downing Street over the Prime Minister's chief of staff.

"The Government has struggled to enforce its feeble one-in-one-out deal with France, which has turned into 100-in-one-out national embarrassment.

"Can we really trust it to implement an expensive national programme that will impact all of our lives and put additional burdens on law-abiding people? I doubt it."

A spokesperson for Reform UK said: "This announcement is a cynical ploy to fool voters that something is being done about illegal immigration.

"It's laughable that those already breaking immigration law will suddenly comply, or that digital IDs will have any impact on illegal work, which thrives on cash-in-hand payments."