UK PM Andy Burnham to scrap ID scheme, redirect £1.8bn

Andy Burnham will become the United Kingdom's prime minister on Monday, July 20, 2026, and his first major act will be to scrap his predecessor's controversial national digital ID scheme, redirecting its estimated £1.8 billion budget toward addressing the cost of living. Burnham, elected leader of the governing Labour Party on Friday, July 17, will formally assume office after meeting with King Charles III, replacing Keir Starmer after a two-year premiership.

A spokesperson for Burnham confirmed the policy reversal on Saturday, July 18, stating the new government would focus its resources where people need it right now. "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," the spokesperson said. The decision marks a clear departure from Starmer's agenda, who had launched the digital ID plan in September 2025 as a tool to modernize services and tackle illegal immigration through right-to-work checks.

The digital ID initiative faced significant public and political opposition. A parliamentary petition against it gathered nearly three million signatures, leading the Starmer...