In a heated PMQs exchange, Prime Minister hit back with a jibe about an ancient Hindu sex positions text after Kemi Badenoch him over another U-turn – this time on digital ID
Keir Starmer has accused the Tories of having “more positions in 14 years than the Kama Sutra” after constantly changing ministers when in power.
In a heated PMQs exchange, the Prime Minister hit back with a jibe about the ancient Hindu guide on sex positions, the art of love and spirituality after Kemi Badenoch attacked him over another U-turn – this time on digital ID.
Ministers this morning confirmed they were ditching plans to make digital ID for right-to-work checks mandatory in the UK. They said they are committed to having digital right-to-work checks but that a digital ID or other digital documentation, such as a biometric passport chip, would now be accepted.
Challenged on the U-turn by Ms Badenoch, Mr Starmer said: “I’m determined to make it harder for people to work illegally in this country. And that’s why there will be checks. They will be digital and they will be mandatory.
READ MORE: Mandatory digital ID plans ditched as top minister rejects 13 U-turns accusation
“And I’ll tell you what this government is doing, whether on planning, child poverty, employment rights, investing in our NHS, we’re taking the right choices for Britain. And they oppose every single one of them.
“She talks about U-turns and consistency from the party that used to recognise the challenge of climate change, and now they run from it. We promised to cut immigration, but they’d lost control of it. Who once took great pride in our diversity? Now they talk of deporting our neighbours to achieve cultural coherence.
“On consistency, don’t get me started on five prime ministers, six chancellors, eight home secretaries, 16 housing ministers. They had more positions in 14 years than the Kama Sutra.”
It came after Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “I welcome the Prime Minister’s latest U-turn. I feel like I say that every week. Mandatory digital ID was a rubbish policy and we, on this side of the House, are glad to see the back of it. But yesterday the Health Secretary said the Prime Minister’s New Year’s resolution should be, and I quote, to try to get it right first… time. My question is, does he agree?”
In September, Mr Starmer unveiled the digital ID plans with an emphasis on making them mandatory for proving your right to work in the UK in a crackdown on illegal working.
The PM said: “It has been too easy for people to enter the country, work in the shadow economy and remain illegally. We must be absolutely clear that tackling every aspect of the problem of illegal immigration is essential.” And he vowed: “You will not be able to work in the UK if you don’t have a digital ID, it’s as simple as that.”
But digital ID will now be optional, with other forms of digital documentation to be accepted for right-to-work checks. Chancellor Rachel Reeves this morning said the Government is “pretty relaxed” about what form of digital documentation people use.
She told BBC Breakfast: “On the digital ID, for starters, I do think this story has been a bit overwritten. We are saying that you will need mandatory digital ID to be able to work in the UK. Now the difference is whether that has to be one piece of ID, a digital ID card, or whether it could be an e-visa or an e-passport, and we’re pretty relaxed about what form that takes.”