CORNWALL’S MPs are split over the government’s plan to introduce mandatory Digital ID cards.

The Duchy’s four Labour MPs are all in favour of the move, however, the two Liberal Democrat MPs are very much against.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced last week that the new ID system would be introduced in 2029 and would be mandatory for people working in the UK as part of a bid to tackle illegal migration. The photographic IDs would be stored on smartphones in a similar way to digital bank cards and would contain information on the holder’s name, residency status, date of birth and nationality.

North Cornwall’s MP Ben Maguire, the Lib Dem Shadow Attorney General, has launched a local petition opposing the move and has called on the government to immediately cancel its plans.

He said: “Mandatory digital ID will cost taxpayers billions with zero guarantee of success – time and time again government tech projects waste huge sums of money. These IDs could lock out older people, disabled people and people with little access to technology and be a honeypot for hackers.

“Local people want action on the issues that matter to them. Across North Cornwall people can’t get access to healthcare or the public transport they need. The Government needs to scrap this plan and get on with making our country a better place to live.

“The Liberal Democrats oppose the Labour Party’s long obsession with ID cards and more state control. We will fight against it tooth and nail – just as we successfully did against Tony Blair’s ID cards.”

His Lib Dem colleague Andrew George, MP for St Ives and West Cornwall, agrees.

He said: “Offering an opt-in digital system to improve the management of health records, voter entitlement, passport records, etc, is fine and could be a useful tool which would help those who choose to use it and could improve efficiency of access to those services. But to make it mandatory draws the state into a very different relationship of state surveillance with its citizens. I’ve already been contacted by hundreds of constituents who are alarmed at the proposal.”

There is a very different view from the rest of Cornwall’s MPs. Perran Moon, Labour MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, said: “Digital ID is used throughout mainland Europe, including Sweden, Estonia as well as Australia. In the UK they will not be mandatory for everyone. They will be used by employers to reduce the bureaucracy associated with employing people.

“Many of us already give our data to multiple services and companies to make our lives easier, save money and get other benefits – whether it’s a Tesco ClubCard, library card or passport. Having many forms of identity for different entitlements in different parts of life is both bureaucratic and time-consuming for the individual and creates the space for abuse and fraud. This includes known issues with illegal working and modern slavery, while accessing disjointed public services can be frustrating.

“Furthermore, there are too many people who are excluded currently, like the one in 10 UK adults who don’t have a photo ID, so struggle to prove who they are. To tackle these interlinked issues, we will introduce a new digital ID which will be available for free to all UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over but will not be mandatory to all. They will allow us to share only the information necessary for a given transaction – for example, proving you’re over 18, without the need to reveal your exact date of birth.”

Anna Gelderd, Labour MP for South East Cornwall, added: “I’m supportive of digital IDs that will digitise the form of ID that is already required to legally work in the UK. This system will make it easier for residents of South East Cornwall to access the services that matter to them in a simpler and more secure way.

“I’m working with residents who have questions about how this might affect them and I encourage everyone to have their say by responding to the government consultation.”

Jayne Kirkham, MP for Truro and Falmouth, echoed her Labour colleagues. “The Government is proposing this be used for right to work checks. While there’s no silver bullet to solving illegal migration, it is clear that unscrupulous criminals are claiming the UK labour market is easy to cheat when seeking to profit from offering dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK. The new digital ID will create a single system to prove a right to work for UK citizens and legal foreign nationals, which will make the process simpler, fairer and more robust.

“Most employers are already complying with the rules, but where they do a remote check of a UK citizen it can cost them over £10 per check. The new system would aim to make that much easier and cheaper for employers and take away anxiety over a potential employee providing a fake document.”

She added: “As we consult people about this, a top priority is obviously ensuring that the Government follows the highest data security standards so that people’s data is held safe and securely and it keeps pace with the changing cyber threat landscape. We are going to be putting privacy first at every step, using encryption and authentication and decentralising data storage.”

Noah Law, Labour MP for Newquay and St Austell, said: “On a personal level, particularly having spent time in a country where a digital ID system works well and is widely accepted, I am very supportive and not cynical about it. But I do also understand why people have concerns about privacy, even in an age where our digital records are kept so widely by private companies.

“It’s important we separate genuine and reasonable privacy concerns from the myths and conspiracies around it. This is not about controlling anyone – it’s an attempt to make it easier for people to get things done, and help employers avoid hiring people illegally. It will not be compulsory to have a digital ID; everyone can choose.”