Explainer-Why is Britain talking about ID cards again?

A protester holds a Union Jack flag and a sign during a 'No to Digital ID' demonstration against the planned introduction of a government-issued digital ID for all British adults, near to the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, Britain, September 28, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week announced plans to require workers to hold a compulsory digital identity card to tackle illegal immigration.

The plan has revived a national debate, last played out two decades ago, in which fears about privacy and security run up against a government drive for greater control and efficiency.