Politics Home | Public Opinion On Digital ID Has Not Shifted Since Move To Make It Optional

4 min read27 January

A Savanta survey, carried out in recent days and shared exclusively with PoliticsHome, found that the public is broadly split on whether they would sign up to the government’s proposed digital ID scheme, with fewer than half saying they would be likely to take part.

Forty-one per cent of people said they would be likely to sign up to the optional digital ID scheme being planned by the Labour government, compared to 48 per cent who said they would be unlikely to use it. 

Meanwhile, eight per cent of respondents said they used to support digital ID but now oppose it, and 9 per cent said they used to oppose it and now support it, indicating little overall change in public opinion despite changes to the policy.

Overall, 36 per cent of respondents said they support the scheme, and 42 per cent said they oppose it.

Savanta’s Chris Hopkins said the findings suggest that “the government’s climb down on its mandatory nature has had little impact on general sentiment”.

The Savanta poll asked 2,306 respondents between 23-26 January about their views on the government’s plan to roll out a digital ID scheme. Prime Minister Keir Starmer first announced the policy ahead of Labour Party conference in September, saying that it could play a key part in modernising the state and tackling illegal immigration.

PoliticsHome revealed earlier this month that the government was introducing a key part of the digital ID scheme as optional, despite originally planning for the scheme to be mandatory for everyone to prove their right to work in the UK.

This came following a growing belief within government and among Labour MPs that they would struggle to make the policy more popular with the public while the mandatory element was in place.

The Savanta poll also asked respondents how effective they think digital ID will be for different purposes.

Overall, 69 per cent thought it would be useful for proving identity when going to vote, 64 per cent for streamlining age verification processes, 60 per cent for toughening employment checks, 59 per cent for making it easier to access public services, 58 per cent for reducing identity fraud, and 47 per cent for reducing illegal immigration.

Since the plans were announced, government figures have admitted that the initial bid to communicate the policy was flawed. In particular, there is an acceptance that the argument around how digital ID could help tackle illegal immigration by combating illegal working was badly explained, and government messaging has since sought to focus more on how a digital ID scheme could improve access to public services.

Hopkins, Political Research Director at Savanta, told PoliticsHome: “The public remains divided over digital ID generally, with similar proportions opposing the scheme as supporting it. 

“This is broadly unchanged from when the scheme was first announced, implying the government’s climb down on its mandatory nature has had little impact on general sentiment. In fact, Savanta’s data explicitly shows there has been limited change in support over time.

“It’s no surprise, then, that the public will be similarly divided over their likelihood to sign up to a non-mandatory digital ID scheme. Those already in opposition to the scheme are similarly less likely to take part.

“And while the public believes the scheme will be effective in some ways, there is less belief it will be effective at curbing illegal immigration, which was the main benefit the government expunged political capital talking up when first announced.”

A Cabinet Office spokesperson told PoliticsHome: “The aim of digital ID is to make dealing with the government as quick and easy as online banking, saving you time by connecting you to services in one secure place.

“We will shortly be launching a consultation to gather the public’s view on how we should build the system so that it works for everyone.”