The Labour government will introduce a digital ID scheme aimed at combating illegal working while simplifying access to government services for the majority of law-abiding citizens.
The scheme will eventually be mandatory for Right to Work checks, helping to prevent people without the legal right to work from securing employment. For the public, it will streamline processes like applying for driving licences, childcare, welfare benefits, and accessing tax records—without requiring individuals to carry physical ID.
Labour ministers said the scheme would balance efficiency with fairness, cracking down on exploitation while making life easier for ordinary people.
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Dear Ibrahim,
Welcome to your update from the Political Office in Number 10, keeping you up to date with everything the Labour government is delivering for working people in Britain.
WHAT WE’VE DONE THIS WEEK
Restoring pride in local communities
The nationwide Pride in Place programme will deliver a record £5 billion of investment and support over 330 local communities.
Communities will be handed unprecedented new powers to seize boarded-up shops, save derelict pubs and block gambling and vape shops on their high street.
The measures form the largest transfer of power from Whitehall to communities in history, through the Plan for Change.
Read more Communities to seize control over high streets and restore pride
PM backs "true patriots" to lead UK renewal with £5bn investment
£214m new funding for Welsh communities to improve neighbourhoods and restore pride
£292m Pride in Place investment for Scottish neighbourhoods
Jess’s Rule to prevent avoidable deaths
A new initiative will ask GPs to take a ‘three strikes and rethink’ approach to prevent avoidable deaths.
Jess’s Rule is named in memory of Jessica Brady, who died of cancer in December 2020 at the age of 27 after 20 appointments at her GP surgery failed to diagnose her condition.
The new initiative will ask GPs to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to offer a substantiated diagnosis, or the patient’s symptoms have escalated. This will standardise practice across the country.
Read more Jessica Brady's legacy inspires new life-saving GP safety rule
Record number of major infrastructure projects approved
This Labour government has green-lit 21 major infrastructure projects in its first year – the most in the first year of a Parliament in history.
This includes offshore wind farms to power three million homes, roads to speed up over 90,000 commutes, airport expansion for cheaper holidays, and clean energy projects creating thousands of jobs.
We’re getting Britain building.
Read more Record number of major infrastructure projects green-lit
Formal recognition of the State of Palestine
On Sunday, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognised the State of Palestine.
PM statement on the recognition of Palestine: 21 September 2025
Watch and share the statement here
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's letter to President Abbas: 21 September 2025
Digital ID to combat illegal working
A new digital ID scheme will help combat illegal working while making it easier for the vast majority of people to use vital government services.
The scheme will be available to all UK citizens and legal residents, saving time by ending the need for complicated identity checks which often rely on copies of paper records.
Instead, the roll-out will in time make it simpler to apply for services like driving licences, childcare and welfare, while streamlining access to tax records.
There will be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it – but digital ID will be mandatory for Right to Work checks by the end of the Parliament.
This will stop those with no right to be here from being able to find work, curbing their prospect of earning money, one of the key ‘pull factors’ for people who come to the UK illegally.
Read more New digital ID scheme to be rolled out across UK
My team and I look forward to seeing and meeting with as many of you as possible at Annual Conference. Good luck to all those travelling up to Liverpool over the next few days!
