Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Tony Blair and William Hague call for everyone to have digital ID cards

Tony Blair and William Hague call for everyone to have digital ID cards

The former Labour and Conservative leaders have put their political differences aside to push for the roll-out of digital ID.

Sir Tony Blair and Lord Hague have joined forces to urge the government to roll out "digital ID" as part of a "fundamental reshaping of the state around technology".

Their plan would involve a new ID incorporating details such as a passport, driving licence, tax records, qualifications and right-to-work status which could be stored on a mobile phone.

The former political rivals said the challenge of adapting to the new technological revolution meant putting party differences to one side.

Sir Tony was the Labour prime minister when Lord Hague led the Conservative party as the Opposition and the pair had many clashes at the despatch box.

"We both believe the challenge is so urgent, the danger of falling behind so great and the opportunities so exciting that a new sense of national purpose across political dividing lines is needed," the pair said in a joint article for The Times.

They warned that politicians were in danger of conducting a "20th-century fight at the margins of tax and spending policy" rather than grappling with the fundamental shifts required in the new era.

"We are living through a 21st-century technology revolution as huge in its implications as the 19th-century Industrial Revolution," they said.

The pair suggested a shake-up of Whitehall "including digital ID for every citizen, a national health infrastructure that uses data to improve care and keep costs down, and sovereign AI systems backed by supercomputing capabilities".

The Times reported that the pair's plan, published in a report with more than 40 recommendations, included:

* Appointing "executive ministers" from outside Parliament to rewire Whitehall's approach to science and technology

* Limiting the Treasury's power to manage science and technology investment

* Using AI to help teachers in schools and provide personalised support to pupils at home

* Offering tax breaks to stimulate pension fund investment in UK start-ups

On BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Sir Tony - who pushed to introduce ID cards as prime minister - said technology would overcome many people's concerns about online dangers.

Former prime minister Tony Blair is calling for digital ID for every citizen


"If you look at the biometric technology that allows you to do digital ID today, it can overcome many of these problems," he said.

"The world is moving in that direction, countries as small as Estonia and as large as India are moving in that direction or have moved in that direction."

He added: "Here's our problem: We're spending a lot, we're heavily taxed, and the outcomes are poor.

"So the question is what changes that situation? So if you take, for example, the ambition we have on climate, there is no way we can meet that ambition without changing planning. There's literally no way we can do it.

"And a lot of these things, they're not airy-fairy, they're actually about people's lives. People already live their lives digitally. The question is whether government and politics can catch up with that reality."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×