Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Mike Wood MP used an Urgent Question in the House of Commons to challenge the Government on its plans for introducing Digital ID, following a sudden and controversial change of direction by Ministers.
In a tense exchange in the Chamber, Mike pressed the Government on why it had abandoned earlier assurances about the voluntary nature of Digital ID and raised serious concerns about the implications for privacy, civil liberties and public trust. The U-turn has sparked widespread unease, with many constituents contacting MPs to warn that compulsory or poorly safeguarded digital identification could open the door to state overreach, data misuse and the exclusion of vulnerable people.
Mike directly challenged Cabinet Office Minister Josh Simons over what he described as a dramatic waste of taxpayers’ money, pointing out that £1.8 billion has already been spent on a Digital ID scheme that the Government now says will not even be compulsory. He questioned how Ministers could justify pouring such vast sums into a system that millions of people may never use, while public services remain under severe financial pressure.
Speaking from the Opposition front bench, Mike made clear that while digital technology has a role to play in modernising public services, it must never come at the expense of individual freedoms. He warned that rushing ahead without proper safeguards risks creating a system that tracks people’s movements, spending or behaviour, undermining the long-standing British principle that citizens should not have to prove who they are to go about their everyday lives.
Mike also challenged Ministers to explain how their new approach would protect those who are digitally excluded, including older people, those without reliable internet access and individuals who simply do not want their personal data held in large government databases. He argued that trust in digital government can only be built through transparency, strong legal protections and genuine choice for the public.
The exchange highlighted growing concern across Parliament about the direction of travel on Digital ID and the lack of clarity coming from Ministers. With technology moving faster than legislation, Mike called for the Government to slow down, publish its plans in full and allow proper scrutiny before any irreversible decisions are made.
Watch the full exchange to see Mike Wood MP hold the Government to account on one of the most important and controversial issues facing the future of digital government.
