Majority of voters do not support digital ID cards, exclusive LBC poll reveals

The poll, undertaken by Survation and by campaign group 38 Degrees, found that 43 per cent of people polled oppose the Government’s Digital ID proposal, with only 36 per cent supporting it.

The survey also revealed that four out of five voters (80 per cent) are concerned about the risk of their data being exposed in a large-scale security breach or cyber-attack.

And 78 per cent are concerned about the risk of the government itself mismanaging the project or failing to keep data secure.

The Government announced in September that digital ID cards were set to be rolled out "by the end of the Parliament," with the first ones being seen last month.

Read more: Digital ID will make life easier for millions, writes Sir Keir Starmer

The move is - in part - a bid to tackle illegal migration. Last month, the Prime Minister wrote for LBC that they will “give people greater control over their services” and “can help modernise the state”.

He added: “Take, for example, illegal migration. For a long time, the ease with which people can come to this country and disappear into the shadowy parts of our economy has been an invitation to the smuggling gangs.

“Yes, illegal working arrests have already gone up 50% in the last year, as this Government has taken tough enforcement action. But digital ID checks will help us crackdown even more quickly on rogue employers who do not follow the rules.”

But this polling also finds 73% are concerned that the system will lead to personal privacy being reduced. And that more than three-quarters of voters (77%) were concerned about the system being difficult to use for older people or those without a smartphone.

Veronica Hawking, Campaigns Director at 38 Degrees, said: “The message from the public is loud and clear: the public have little appetite for Digital ID cards.

“Whilst the idea of a digital ID card might sound convenient, introducing a scheme like this would fundamentally change the country we live in and the way we live our lives - and there’s also little evidence it will magically fix any problems.

“From concerns about cyber-attacks and privacy to social fairness, voters do not support digital ID cards – that’s the message we’re taking to Downing Street today, on behalf of hundreds of thousands of members of the public.”

A Government spokesperson told LBC: "For years, people have been increasingly banking, shopping and booking restaurants online. But the state hasn’t kept up.

"Too often people dread their interactions with government services, feeling like they’re getting lost in the system.

"We want to cut the faff by learning from other countries with successful digital government services, including a digital credential - or ID - to make access to these services easier and more secure.

"People will not be required to have it. But, by the end of the Parliament, employers will have to use a digital check to see if new staff have the right to work in the UK, instead of using existing paper-based systems.

"The scheme will give people more control over how their data is used than they have now and we will consult on how the scheme is designed and implemented."