House of Commons – April 8, 2025

HOUSE OF COMMONS LONDON SW1A 0AA

3rd April 2025

Dear Sir/Madam,

At the heart of this government’s agenda is economic growth, public service reform and securing our borders. The development of an ambitious digital ID programme would bolster these priorities. The government is already making great strides, with the adoption of digital driving licenses and improving online verification processes, but the time has come for a more comprehensive programme. We must not miss this opportunity.

Digital ID has the potential to transform public services. From patient passports in our NHS to more tailored education services, to tackling benefit fraud and to offering more targeted financial support, the government’s ability to be proactive and efficient would be exponentially improved by a digital ID programme. It would also greatly assist the HMRC in hunting down tax avoidance and evasion.

At the same time, it would allow the citizens to engage with the state more seamlessly. It takes too long to pay your tax, to renew your passport, or to book an NHS appointment. It is absurd in the 21st century that our NHS relies upon a physical red book to monitor the health of new-born babies. The revolution of Artificial Intelligence in government and the development of e-government will only succeed with better data. Better, more productive government, is a catalyst for economic growth – avoiding the doom-loop of more borrowing and higher taxes.

And this government will only succeed if it is able to get a grip of illegal immigration. A key plank of this initiative must be tackling illegal ‘off-the-books’ employment, which is a major draw for migrants entering our country unlawfully. Digital ID would help counter these practices, as well confronting modern slavery and driving standards in our workplace more generally.

The programme must be developed with care, respecting an individual’s privacy. But countries around the world are leaving us behind in this area – from Estonia to India to the European Union, the UK is danger of relying upon archaic government infrastructure and processes as opposed to our partners and competitors. And we know from extensive polling that the majority of the public are in favour of a digital ID.

Without a gear-shift in this area, we will be in danger of looking back wistfully at a golden, missed opportunity. Now is the time to act.