Protesters march through streets against digital ID plans

Crowds of protesters person marched done London streets rallying against authorities plans for integer IDs.

Thousands of demonstrators - controlled by strict constabulary conditions - chanted and waved banners on the way connected Saturday, which ended astatine the bosom of authorities - Whitehall.

The prime curate announced successful September that a integer ID strategy would beryllium introduced successful 2029 and would beryllium mandatory for radical moving successful the UK arsenic portion of a bid to tackle amerciable migration.

Former Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen, who was expelled from the Conservative Party successful 2023 for comparing COVID-19 vaccines to the Holocaust, walked astatine the beforehand of the march.

One protester carried an effigy of Sir Keir Starmer.

An advert for the protestation connected the website of organiser Mass Non-Compliance said "if you judge digital ID now, it whitethorn beryllium the past existent prime you ever make".

The Metropolitan Police told demonstrators not to deviate from their pre-planned route, and to enactment connected the left-hand broadside of the road.

Explainer: What is simply a integer ID card, volition it beryllium mandatory and volition it beryllium safe?

Plans to rotation retired integer IDs person already faced criticism.

Conservative erstwhile curate Sir David Davis, who campaigned against their instauration during Sir Tony Blair's Labour government, said: "While integer IDs and ID cards dependable similar modern and businesslike solutions to problems similar amerciable immigration, specified claims are misleading astatine best.

"The systems progressive are profoundly unsafe to the privateness and cardinal freedoms of the British people."

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The countries wherever integer IDs already exist
Starmer's recovered caller enthusiasm for integer ID - but volition helium beryllium capable to merchantability it?

Tory person Kemi Badenoch has dismissed the plans arsenic a "gimmick that volition bash thing to halt the boats".

Reform UK person Nigel Farage has besides said helium is "firmly opposed".

The Liberal Democrats person said they would not enactment mandatory integer ID wherever radical are "forced to crook implicit their backstage information conscionable to spell astir their regular lives".