Mike Wood has challenged the Government over its approach to digital identity during an Urgent Question in the House of Commons.
Responding to a ministerial statement on the Government’s plans for digital ID, Mike criticised what he described as inconsistencies and shifting positions around the policy, questioning whether ministers have made a clear case for introducing such a system.
During the exchange, Mike highlighted concerns about the potential cost of the policy, asking whether the Government still expected digital ID to cost £1.8 billion and whether it would ultimately be mandatory.
He also warned that the proposal could represent a significant change to long-standing British practice.
Speaking in the Commons, Mike said:
“Britain has never had peacetime ID cards, and the Government has still not explained why introducing a new digital identity system is necessary.”
Mike also questioned what value taxpayers would receive if the Government continued to pursue the policy without requiring citizens to use it.
The intervention comes as Parliament continues to debate the role of digital identity in the delivery of public services and the balance between convenience, security and personal privacy.
Mike has previously argued that improvements to digital government services should focus on voluntary and secure ways for people to verify their identity online, rather than introducing mandatory systems.
You can watch Mike’s full intervention in the House of Commons in the video above.
