“Describing this as a ‘BritCard’ is the surest way to get a policy off to a bad start in Wales.”

In response to plans announced by the Prime Minister to roll out a free digital ID for those living in the UK, Plaid Cymru Westminster Leader Liz Saville Roberts MP said:

“Plaid Cymru will not support any digital ID system that risks shutting people out of services or eroding civil liberties. Wales still has thousands of people who are digitally excluded, and no one should ever be locked out of vital services simply because they don’t have a smartphone or internet access.”

The UK Government says that 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.

“Digital ID will be mandatory for Right to Work checks by the end of the Parliament. 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. The new digital ID will be held on people’s phones, just as millions already use the NHS App or contactless mobile payments.”

“IDs could reduce some of the paperwork people face to access everyday services,” concedes Plaid’s Liz Saville Roberts, “but we are not convinced the UK Government’s plans are really about making things easier. We are concerned about data security, and we will oppose any system that risks making monetising sensitive personal data for private companies or making it more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

“That’s why we need a proper public debate about whether digital IDs are truly in the public interest. Sadly, the fact this was announced as a dead cat strategy while Parliament is in recess suggests the UK Government has no real interest in an open or democratic debate."

“And let’s get one thing clear: a majority of people in Wales identify as Welsh only. Describing this as a ‘BritCard’ is the surest way to get a policy off to a bad start here.”