Incoming British prime minister Andy Burnham will scrap the government’s troubled plans for a digital ID scheme when he enters office, a spokesperson for the new Labour Party leader said.

Background

The former Greater Manchester mayor has pledged to halt the rise of the populist Reform UK, the right-wing party that has led British opinion polls by a wide margin. The digital ID scheme was launched by outgoing prime minister Keir Starmer in September to tackle illegal immigration and counter Reform UK.

After a public backlash, Starmer dropped the requirement that the ID be mandatory in January. The Office for Budget Responsibility watchdog estimated the cost of the digital ID scheme at around £1.8 billion between financial years 2026/27 and 2028/29.

“All the time and resource that was going to be spent on a national ID scheme will go instead to where it’s most needed, such as helping with the cost of living,” Burnham’s spokesperson said.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.