Andy Burnham to Scrap £2bn Digital ID Plans in Break From Starmer

Andy Burnham will abandon £2 billion plans for a national digital ID scheme, marking a clear break from the Keir Starmer government, The Independent reported. The policy had drawn strong opposition from many Labour MPs who viewed it as a waste of money and an infringement on individual liberty.

Burnham also plans to scrap reforms that would have watered down the right to a jury trial and to restore rebel MP Karl Turner to the parliamentary party.

Turner had been suspended for opposing the jury trial changes. The new prime minister will further set a roadmap to restore spending on international aid to 0.7 per cent of GDP. A spokesperson for Burnham said the government would focus resources on immediate public needs.

“One of the first things this government will do is put its focus where people need it right now: creating breathing space and delivering change they can feel in their everyday lives,” the spokesperson stated. ” The spokesperson added that the government aims to return power to communities rather than centralise it. Burnham has made clear the UK will maintain enforcement against illegal working.

The previous government carried out nearly 13,000 enforcement visits and more than 9,000 arrests in 2025. Right-to-work checks will stay mandatory for all employers. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will extend those checks for the first time to gig economy and zero-hours workers in construction, food delivery, beauty, courier and warehousing sectors.