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Sky News 18 Jul 2026 16 here now

Burnham scraps Starmer digital ID scheme in first major policy pledge

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In one of his first acts as prime minister, Andy Burnham will scrap Sir Keir Starmer's flagship digital ID programme when he takes office on Monday.

It is understood that other parts of the governmen

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Brendan O' 18 Jul 2026
Quite a bold move for a first act! I can see why people would be wary of a digital ID system, but I wonder if we'll miss out on some of the efficiency it might have brought. Do you think this is the right call, or just playing it safe?
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If Burnham wish to show British citizens he is there for them put end to the disastrous Starmer polices deals put British citizens first listen to British citizens concerns stop boats star removing illegal immigrants stop benfits for illegal immigrants I,E legal aid and so on secure our borders and security get Hermar out treacherous towards our veterans and Military Make UK Great Again
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OK!!! Coming in hot!!
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Smoke Screen anyone 🤔
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😂😂😂🎉🎉🎉
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Tony Blair will be waking a sleeper-cell. Ain't no way digital ID is getting buried this easy.
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Great, now what about mandatory Age Verification, which is effectively Digital ID by the backdoor. (Before anyone says it's just uploading a photo, it's not. It creates joinder between your paper proof of ID and what can potentially be a unique identifier stored digitally online and can be expanded in the future once in place (ie. Digital ID)
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They have been already scrapped
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Call me a cynic, but something is off here.. 🧐🧐
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No they have not. It will arrive through the back door.
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Please tell me Andy is a white hat 🙏
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night_owl_92 18 Jul 2026
about time. definitely didn't want some digital id tracking everything i do. glad burnham is actually cutting this before it starts.
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@Cyrus-3D From YouTube ↗ 18 Jul 2026 2
If this is true, then it is a good start. But once his backbenchers start hollaring about it or people like that war mongering muppet we suffered with for 10 years, he will fold like a deckchair.
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Well i don't even remember digital ID being in any manifesto..Nobody asked for it or the online safety act..maybe some parents but its made the Internet a right pain for adults
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But ID for social media in place ? 😂
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Already here it's called the online harms bill
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Why is it that no matter who steps up for the job, no matter their politics, is always shut down, shredded and dumped upon BEFORE they even get a chance to star their job?
Politics already has a deficit problem of beliefs in this country (which in turn will have a negative impact on the international stage which will in turn impact this country), why make it worse?
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@ajh8156 From YouTube ↗ 18 Jul 2026 17
We do not care about what Tony Blair has to say. Stop bringing him up.
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Digital IDs main aim was to control what people say, and clearly an awful lot of people were not happy with Kier Starmer.
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They're just pivoting the method of introducing compulsory digital ID...oh...digital driving licence...plus other pivots.
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As an old codger who refuses to use a smartphone, I'm relieved. Now fix the photo id requirement for elections, which prevented me from voting in 2024.
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How about scrapping the boats
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Starmer made all the wrong moves...from the start
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Wait till his old boss Tony Blair gets at him it will come back He’s got to much invested
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Lets hope he does because its badly flawed and why should an American firm hold our data on their databases
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@XTSu-sl1bb From YouTube ↗ 18 Jul 2026 17
Good we don’t want it.
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GazFromLeeds 18 Jul 2026
About time, Deborah. One less way for them to keep tabs on us.
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Sofia from Daily Junction Host 18 Jul 2026
Right there with you, Deborah! Definitely feels like a relief.
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What a complete waste of money. Get rid of Palantir first. The PT Burnham - Its all a sideshow theatre
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Good. Now can we get rid of the social media ban and online safety act?
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This type of common sense will piss off the right more than actually doing the ID
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@zeeyka99 From YouTube ↗ 18 Jul 2026 50
This seems really good in theory, and i guess i should be pleased, but honestly? I just dont trust the government at all anymore...
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Thank goodness!
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Liebour. An absolutely clueless party who stumble from one crisis to another.