At Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons this afternoon, Keir Starmer faced a sustained attack from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch over recent government reversals, most notably the U‑turn on compulsory digital ID. The session ranged from boardroom-level policy disputes to front‑bench rows on water supplies, AI moderation and the state of the high street. Starmer used his opening remarks to criticise the Conservatives’ record and accused Nigel Farage of being a “Putin apologist” in an exchange linked to a question on Ukraine. By the end of the sitting, the digital ID shift — and whether the scheme will remain mandatory in practice — dominated exchanges.
Key takeaways
- Keir Starmer was challenged by Kemi Badenoch over a series of perceived government U‑turns, with digital ID the focal point of today’s PMQs.
- The digital ID policy, launched in September 2025 and originally pitched as compulsory for work, has been revised; Chancellor Rachel Reeves said alternatives such as e‑visas or e‑passports could be used.
- Public opposition to compulsory digital ID surged to a parliamentary petition of three million signatories and polling showed support falling from just over half to under a third.
- Labour and opposition MPs also discussed South East Water outages affecting Tunbridge Wells, East Grinstead and parts of Kent and Sussex since Saturday, with calls to revoke the firm’s licence.
- Starmer criticised X and the Grok AI tool as “disgusting and shameful” over concerns about abusive image generation; he said X had informed ministers it was moving to comply with UK law.
- Pubs and inheritance‑tax changes were raised by Badenoch; Starmer cited 7,000 pub closures under the Conservatives as part of his rebuttal.
- Reform UK figures, including Nigel Farage and deputy Richard Tice, were present in or around the chamber, with Reform pressing for opportunities to intervene at PMQs.
- Ed Davey pressed for action on lengthy A&E waits, while Labour pointed to voting records and budget priorities in reply.
Background
The government’s digital ID initiative was unveiled in September 2025 with a clear objective: to make right‑to‑work checks digital and mandatory by 2029. The proposed system was expected to operate via a smartphone app holding residency and identity details, modelled on existing digital services such as the NHS App. The announcement provoked rapid public pushback — a parliamentary petition opposing compulsory ID attracted around three million signatures — and polling showed a large drop in popular support after the launch.
Political opponents seized on that backlash as evidence of poor policy design and fast political miscalculation. Conservative critics framed the reversal as yet another U‑turn, using it to argue the government lacks direction. At the same time, smaller parties and interest groups emphasised civil‑liberties and practical concerns about access for older or digitally excluded groups. The combination of large‑scale public petitioning and cross‑party criticism set the scene for today’s exchanges at PMQs.
Main event
Kemi Badenoch opened her questioning by welcoming what she called the prime minister’s latest reversal and labelled compulsory digital ID a “rubbish policy”. She used the despatch box to catalogue other recent changes she described as U‑turns, including alterations to winter fuel payments and the two‑child benefit cap. Badenoch repeatedly pressed Starmer on the consequences of policy instability for businesses and voters.
Starmer responded by defending the government’s broader record on the economy, arguing that “inflation is down, wages are up” and that the country was “turning a corner.” He accused the Conservatives of economic mismanagement during their time in government and used previous Tory decisions — notably the closure of around 7,000 pubs under earlier Conservative administrations — to counter Badenoch’s attacks on Labour policy toward the hospitality sector.
On the digital ID issue, Starmer acknowledged action had been taken after the backlash and said officials were now offering alternative routes such as e‑visas or e‑passports to meet right‑to‑work checks. Chancellor Rachel Reeves was cited as confirming that mandatory digital checks would remain for work eligibility, even if the form of identity evidence broadened. The exchanges included questions about whether the compulsory element was effectively being dropped and what protections would be in place for those without smartphones.
Other topics featured prominently. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey asked the prime minister about A&E waits exceeding 12 hours; Starmer countered with criticisms of the Lib Dems’ voting record on NHS funding. Labour MP Emily Darlington raised concerns from the backbenches about Grok, the AI tool developed by Elon Musk’s X, which is under investigation amid allegations it can generate sexualised abusive images. Starmer described the companies’ conduct as “disgusting and shameful” and said officials had been told X was moving to ensure compliance with UK law.
Analysis & implications
The digital ID reversal illustrates the political perils of large‑scale, centrally driven reforms that touch everyday civil liberties. When a policy that affects employment and identity verification meets organised public resistance — measured here by a three‑million‑signature petition and sharp polling decline — ministers risk losing control of the narrative and being forced into rapid course corrections. For the government, the immediate implication is reputational: opponents can frame the episode as evidence of weak policy testing and poor stakeholder engagement.
Operationally, the change raises substantial implementation questions. If the mandatory element is relaxed in practice by allowing e‑passports or e‑visas, the government must still ensure compatibility between different data sources, protect privacy, and provide accessible alternatives for those without digital access. These adjustments demand time and resource investment in IT systems, employer guidance and enforcement mechanisms to prevent illegal working without imposing undue burdens on legitimate workers.
Politically, the episode strengthens opposition lines ahead of future debates. Badenoch and other Conservatives capitalised on the U‑turn to argue Labour lacks consistency, while smaller parties turned the issue into a civil‑liberties campaign. For Labour, the risk is that a continued perception of backtracking will blunt its message about economic competence and reform. Conversely, if ministers can show that changes respond to genuine public concerns and improve outcomes, the move could be reframed as responsive governance rather than weakness.
| Item | Before announcement | After announcement / U‑turn |
|---|---|---|
| Public support (broad description) | Just over half | Less than a third |
| Parliamentary petition | — | ~3,000,000 signatures |
| Policy rollout target | Compulsory checks by 2029 | Compulsory element revised; e‑visa/e‑passport accepted |
The table summarises the political and public opinion movement around digital ID: support fell markedly after the September 2025 launch, a mass petition formed, and the government has since signalled acceptance of alternative identity routes. That trajectory is instructive for how quickly a headline policy can move from announcement to practical revision.
Reactions & quotes
Responses across the political spectrum were rapid and polarised, with some actors welcoming the U‑turn and others decrying it as inconsistent policymaking.
“A victory for individual liberty against a ghastly, authoritarian government.”
Nigel Farage / Reform UK (paraphrased)
Farage framed the change as a vindication of his party’s stance, while Conservative critics described it as another example of Labour policy instability. Those firms and platforms implicated in AI moderation faced separate scrutiny from MPs on both sides.
“No 10 must be bulk ordering motion sickness tablets at this rate to cope with all their U‑turns.”
Lisa Smart / Liberal Democrats (paraphrased)
The Liberal Democrats used the U‑turn to mock government consistency, and other smaller party leaders expressed relief or humour; the Green leader and the SNP offered brief, largely symbolic reactions. Officials from X said steps were being taken to comply with UK law, a claim that ministers noted positively.
“The actions of X and Grok are disgusting and shameful; ministers will not back down on enforcement.”
Keir Starmer (paraphrased)
Unconfirmed
- Whether Reform UK will be granted an official right to reply during this PMQs session remains unsettled and depends on the Speaker’s discretion.
- Reports of an unnamed minister saying it would be “worth rolling the dice” on a new Conservative leader come from a newspaper attribution and have not been independently verified in the Commons.
- The exact operational timetable and technical specification for alternatives to the app‑based ID (including data protection guarantees) have not been published in full and remain subject to further ministerial clarification.
Bottom line
Today’s PMQs crystallised how a high‑profile policy can rapidly become a political liability when public sentiment turns decisively against it. The government’s digital ID plan moved from flagship reform to contested policy within months, forcing ministers to recalibrate in the face of large‑scale opposition and cross‑party criticism. That dynamic underlines the importance of pre‑launch testing, accessible alternatives and clear safeguards for rights and data protection.
For now, the U‑turn reduces the immediate political heat but does not close the issue: ministers must still set and publish the technical and legal frameworks that will govern how identity checks are carried out, who is required to use which credentials, and how exclusions will be managed. How well the government handles those next steps will determine whether this episode becomes a brief stumble or a longer political vulnerability.
Sources
- BBC Live PMQs coverage — live reporting / media
- Reuters — news agency reporting on policy timeline and reactions
- PA Media — image and parliamentary reporting (news)