A new motion brought forward by Cllr Stuart Mann, Independent for Burtonwood & Winwick, seeks to ensure that Warrington Borough Council formally opposes any national proposal to make Digital ID mandatory for the people of Warrington.
The motion — titled “Opposition to Compulsory ID to Work and Support for Voluntary Alternatives” — will be debated at the next full council meeting.
Cllr Mann’s motion calls on Warrington Borough Council to:
- Write to the Home Secretary and Minister for Digital and Technology expressing opposition to any compulsory Digital ID system for employment.
• Request that Government conduct a full Human Rights and Data Protection Impact Assessment before introducing any such proposal.
• Guarantee that any digital or biometric ID remains voluntary, and that no worker or employer is penalised for opting out.
• Share the motion with Warrington’s MPs, the Local Government Association, and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Cllr Mann said the motion is not about rejecting technology, but about protecting choice, privacy and fairness.
“This motion isn’t anti-technology,” said Cllr Mann. “It’s about ensuring that the right to work — one of our most basic freedoms — never depends on being enrolled in a government-controlled digital system. Voluntary digital services can be helpful; compulsory ID is a step too far.”
The motion points out that the UK already operates strong Right to Work verification systems, including passports, residence permits, and share-codes — all of which function effectively without requiring citizens to submit biometric or digital data to the state. It highlights concerns that any compulsory Digital ID would represent a major intrusion into privacy and risk discriminating against older people, those without access to smartphones or the internet, and others who are digitally excluded.
It also cites Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to privacy) and Article 14 (freedom from discrimination) as core protections that could be undermined if Digital ID were made mandatory.
Cllr Mann said he was particularly concerned by recent comments from national government figures suggesting that Digital ID could be used for far more than just proving a person’s right to work.
In a speech earlier this year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he wanted a “modern Digital ID system to simplify everyday life and strengthen national security.” Meanwhile, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle described the government’s Digital ID plans as “foundational to how people interact with public and private services and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Pat McFadden) confirmed uses may extend to “the immigration system, the benefit system, and a number of areas.”
Cllr Mann said that kind of language points to a creeping expansion of purpose.
“When the Prime Minister talks about Digital ID as something that will be used ‘for more than just employment’, that should raise real questions about scope, safeguards and consent,”
“Once introduced, such systems rarely shrink — they grow. “
My motion is about setting clear local principles now: any Digital ID must be voluntary, proportionate and transparent.”
Cllr Mann stressed that technology can serve citizens well when it enhances convenience, but must never become a condition of citizenship or employment.
“Freedom to work must never depend on digital obedience,”.
“We can support modern, secure systems that improve efficiency — but people should always have a choice. If you don’t want to enrol in a Digital ID, you shouldn’t lose your ability to earn a living or your access to services of the state.”
The motion concludes by reaffirming Warrington Borough Council’s commitment to privacy, fairness and proportionality, and by urging the Government to guarantee that no worker or employer is disadvantaged for refusing to use Digital ID.
Cllr Mann ended “Warrington can lead the way in saying: yes to progress, yes to innovation — but not at the expense of personal freedom and privacy,”
