Incoming UK prime minister Burnham, who assumes office next Monday, will abandon
the Starmer government's proposed digital ID scheme and redirect resources
toward cost-of-living relief, Burnham’s team said on Saturday. The scheme drew
about 3 million signatures on an opposition petition last year. It is unclear
how much fiscal saving abandonment would yield: the Starmer government did not
publish a clear budget for the plan, and the Office for Budget Responsibility
previously estimated costs around £1.8bn, a figure government officials have
contested.
