What is the plan for digital IDs and will they be mandatory?

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has defended the government’s plans to introduce digital ID cards across the UK. He told the BBC the new system would “cut the faff” for people trying to prove their identity in a range of scenarios, as well as showing they have to the right to work. The government says the scheme will be rolled-out “by the end of the Parliament” – meaning before the next general election, which by law must be held no later than August 2029.