I've co-signed a letter criticising the government's digital ID plans

The Liberal Democrats are strongly opposed to not only the principle of digital IDs but also how the plans were announced. For the Prime Minister to trail this idea while parliament was in recess was deeply wrong.

Should the government pursue this plan further, it must be subject to full parliamentary debate, a free vote, and proper public consultation. Such a monumental change cannot go ahead without proper scrutiny and democratic consent.

Previously I’ve expressed concern around the cost of digital IDs, but we must also consider the morality of them as well. The imposition of a mandatory digital ID card would redraw the relationship between the citizen and state while doing very little to achieve the government’s stated objectives on immigration enforcement.

Liberals are always suspicious of concentrations of power and the overreach of government. While people might take a balanced view on the intentions of governments of different stripes, we live in uncertain times.

Us Liberal Democrats are deeply concerned that a possible future far-right, authoritarian government would abuse such a system to the detriment of British citizens – especially those in minority groups or those who express dissent.

Even today, the practical impact on the most marginalised in society is an area of great concern. A mandatory digital ID system risks deepening digital exclusion.

The Prime Minister must consider all the implications before pushing ahead with this plan. I was proud to co-sign a letter urging him to do this and highlighting some of the issues mentioned above.

You can read it in full here. 👇