[opless]

Not really. British governments have always been increasingly authoritarian.

The stated reason is to stop illegals working.

Unfortunately we have an ID for working, called a national insurance number. We literally can't get legally paid without it.

So a National ID card ... Is irrelevant. You still need this number for benefits, etc.

I've got an NI number, a driving license and a passport. Not to mention a NHS number.

I don't need another form of identification to link together everything about me so my government can leak everywhere.

[pjc50]

NI is not ID for working. It's a tax identifier.

The ID for working system is https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work , with its digital ID "share code" https://www.gov.uk/view-right-to-work

(what does the digital ID scheme add to this again?)

[opless]

Yes, and to be paid via PAYE you need a NI number.

The prove right to work is a slightly newer thing thats additional

[mnahkies]

The nuance is that you can have a NI number, then have your visa lapse for whatever reason - you still have the NI number. Hence the requirement to prove your right to work through another means.

Previously you could use proof of British nationality or a physical biometric residence card - but they've been replaced by the digital share code system (which tbh hasn't been too bad)

[IanCal]

No, those are still the ways of proving you have the right to work, it’s only if you’re not a national that you need the share code.

[mnahkies]

Sorry I worded that poorly - I was trying to make the point that citizens prove their right to work using passport/birth certificate, and until recently visa holders used a physical BRP, and now a digital system (which oddly enough uses your expired/redundant BRP number as a username)

[IanCal]

The share code stuff is not for nationals. It’s not clear to me exactly how it works and whether it’s scalable.