Why Starmer’s Digital ID Plans are Already Collapsing

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In this video we’re going to take another look at the digital ID proposal, why it hasn’t gone down too well, and why it may be evidence that Starmer has the “reverse Midas touch”.

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SOURCES:

Previous TLDR video:
https://youtu.be/M28u-aiog5E

Government explainer on digital ID policy:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-id-scheme-explainer/digital-id-scheme-explainer

YouGov and Ipsos polling pre-announcement:
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/trackers/support-for-the-introduction-of-a-system-of-national-identity-cards-in-the-uk
https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/57-britons-support-national-id-card-scheme-have-significant-concerns-over-data-security-and

Post-announcement polling by YouGov and More in Common:
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2025/09/26/aaac5/1
https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/media/oknc4ugl/tables-on-digital-id-sep-2025.xlsx

Anti-digital ID petition:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/730194

Other party reactions:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1987874758701747
https://www.libdems.org.uk/press/release/davey-on-digital-id-we-will-fight-this-tooth-and-nail-just-like-blairs-id-cards
https://www.itv.com/news/2025-10-03/zack-polanski-warns-of-authoritarian-alarm-bells-at-green-party-conference
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyl3lzzed2o
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yv2gj5pd4o

Labour internal opposition:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/andy-burnham-greater-manchester-mayor-new-labour-rachel-reeves-b2835881.html
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/keir-starmer-digital-id-backlash-8rvw3x7cw

Palantir reaction:
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/software-giant-palantir-snubs-digital-id-scheme-t0gdsknr2

Full Fact factcheck on in-house vs outsourcing:
https://fullfact.org/technology/digital-id-euan-blair/

Starmer’s “reverse Midas touch”:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/oct/01/keir-starmer-labour-collapse-public-support-digital-id-cards

Starmer favourability September 2025:
https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/52973-political-favourability-ratings-september-2025