Unionists unite against Labour’s Digital ID Scheme warning of privacy threats

Northern Ireland political leaders have issued strong warnings over Labour’s proposed Digital ID scheme, with both the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) condemning the plan as a threat to liberty, privacy, and the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom.

Speaking in the Assembly on Monday (29 September), North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston criticised Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, arguing that the policy demonstrates he is “out of touch with our cherished British values.”

Mr Gaston said:

“Keir Starmer has shown that he is a Prime Minister on his way out, after once again showing us all that he is out of touch with our cherished British values. He has ensured that many of his MPs will rightly receive their P45s at the next election through his foolish attempts to introduce mandatory digital IDs.

“It shows a Prime Minister who is out of touch with public opinion and a Prime Minister with no answers on how to stop the boats.”

He outlined a series of alternative measures to tackle illegal immigration, including leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, freezing non-essential immigration, and deporting those who enter the UK illegally rather than housing them in hotels.

The North Antrim MLA also raised concerns about the risks of storing citizens’ personal data on a centralised system, warning that it could “have ramifications for the civil liberties that we all enjoy, and they must be resisted.”

On the constitutional issue, Mr Gaston said:

“The digital ID debate raises another equally serious question regarding the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom. Digital ID is a national matter. There can be no Irish Sea ID border… Our legitimate concerns over ID cards must not be exploited to drive yet another wedge between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.”

UUP Condemns ‘Intrusive’ Digital ID

The Ulster Unionist Party also strongly rejected the proposed rollout, issuing a statement describing the scheme as an “intrusive state overreach.”

A UUP spokesperson said:

“The party firmly rejects this nationwide Digital ID rollout. We view it as an excessive and ill-conceived initiative that compromises the fundamental right to privacy for law-abiding citizens.

“Such a system would undermine trust and liberty by granting the state unprecedented control over personal lives, jeopardising the core democratic values of liberty, privacy, and accountability.”

The party confirmed it would “oppose this at every turn,” urging the government to drop the plan and instead “focus on solutions that respect the privacy and autonomy of the individual.”

Cross-Unionist Opposition

The joint condemnation from both the TUV and UUP signals growing resistance within unionist parties to the Digital ID proposals.

Both warned against any move to treat Northern Ireland differently from Great Britain, insisting such an approach would amount to a new Irish Sea border and further erode the UK’s constitutional integrity.

With concerns spanning privacy, civil liberties, and the constitutional question, the proposed scheme looks set to face significant political challenges in Northern Ireland.