They say it won’t be compulsory. Then they say you can’t work without one. Well, where I come from, if you can’t earn a wage without it, that’s compulsory. No two ways about it. I don’t usually write in to papers, but I love reading the Grumbler bit, and this whole digital ID thing stinks.
We’ve already got passports and driving licences. I’ve had to show mine often enough over the years. You can’t get a job, open a bank account, or hire a van without them. So why now are they suddenly not enough? What’s changed?
It looks to me like nothing’s changed, except someone in Westminster fancies a new gadget to keep tabs on us.
I tried to picture how we all know this conversation is going to go:
“We do already have rules to stop illegal migrants working. And we already have driving licences and passports to prove who we are?”
“Yes, that’s not enough.”
“Your driving licence and passport aren’t good enough?”
“No, not any more, sorry.”
“FINE. How do I get a digital ID then?”
“Well, if you could just show us your passport or driving licence…”
It’s daft. Round in circles. Bureaucracy at its finest.
Marched down the road
But what really worries me is where this goes next. First they say it’s just for work checks. Then it’ll be banks. Then benefits. Then the doctor’s surgery. Bit by bit, you’ll find you can’t do much at all without flashing your little digital card. And don’t think they won’t be keeping records of where and when you’ve used it. That’s how these things always go.
And what about the people who don’t have the latest phones, or aren’t good with technology? Out in the country we’ve got plenty of folk who can’t even remember their email password, never mind fiddle about with digital wallets and QR codes.
We’ve still got villages where the broadband drops out if it rains too hard. How’s a digital ID supposed to work there?
Take the Lloyds in Shaftesbury closing. For years, people said “don’t worry, you can just do it online.” Then one day the branch was gone, and if you’re not online now, tough luck. That’s what I fear with this digital ID business. They’ll bring it in and say ‘there are alternatives for those who need them’, but give it a year or two and those ‘alternatives’ will vanish.
I know some people will shrug and say it’s no big deal. But rights don’t usually get taken away all at once. They get chipped away at – a new rule here, an extra form there – until suddenly you find you can’t do something you always took for granted. Work, travel, even protest. A digital ID that’s basically a digital dog lead, but all controlled at the press of a button.
So no, I don’t trust this scheme. If they wanted to make things simple, they’d use the IDs we already have and not spend (how much?) billions on a new system. But they don’t – and that’s what’s making me stop and think.
It feels like we’re being marched down the road towards something we’ll regret later?
**The Grumbler – the open opinion column in The BV. It’s a space for anyone to share their thoughts freely. While the editor will need to know the identity of contributors, all pieces will be published anonymously. With just a few basic guidelines to ensure legality, safety and respect, this is an open forum for honest and unfiltered views. Got something you need to get off your chest? Send it to [email protected]. The Grumbler column is here for you: go on, say it. We dare you.**
