MOSCOW: Incoming British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will abandon the implementation of the digital ID programme in the United Kingdom (UK), the politician’s press secretary announced, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.
It said The Guardian had reported that the government of outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced it would not promote mandatory digital IDs, instead promising to make the programme voluntary and Burnham now intends to scrap it altogether.
“All the time and resource that was going to be spent on a national ID scheme will go instead to where it’s most needed, such as helping with the cost of living,” a spokesperson for Burnham said, as quoted by The Guardian.
Specifically, the next UK prime minister intends to focus on improving the financial situation of citizens and decentralising government powers.
At the same time, as the newspaper emphasises, it is unknown exactly how much money will be saved as a result of this decision.
Burnham was elected leader of the Labour Party on Friday and is expected to replace Starmer as prime minister on Monday. – BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI
