The Deputy Leader of the Alliance Party and MLA for Upper Bann has branded the new digital ID scheme as an ‘illiberal gimmick’ amid a united chorus of derision for the proposals from Northern Ireland’s main political parties.
In the weeks following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement that a digital ID card will be a mandatory requirement as a means of proving right to work in the UK, Northern Ireland’s main political parties have united in their shared resistance to the measure.
Speaking recently, Deputy Leader of the Alliance Party, Eoin Tennyson has branded the card “illiberal” and a “gimmick” that will only serve to further isolate those in society deemed to be “digitally excluded”.
Said the MLA: “I don’t think it should be a criminal offence for someone to be reluctant to pass over their personal and private information to government for the purposes of a digital ID.
“It’s not a criminal offence not to hold a passport. It’s not a criminal offence not to hold a driving licence. And, so I think it is fundamentally illiberal.
“But more than that, we know that older people in our society, people who are disabled, those living in poverty are much more likely to be digitally excluded.
“Now are we seriously saying that we are going to put into place a scheme that is going to potentially criminalise those people or put further barriers in the way of those people accessing employment? I don’t think that’s good enough.
“I think it’s a gimmick and I think at a time when public services are struggling an public finances are so constrained Labour would be much better focusing their time and energy in investing that money elsewhere.”
Similarly, MLA for Newry and Armagh, Aoife Finnegan added her disdain for the move: “I am not a British citizen. I never have been and I never will be.
“The British Prime Minister’s proposal for a mandatory digital ID card or ‘Brit Card’ is ludicrous.”
Sharing the sentiments of the Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Ms Finnegan lambasted the proposal as an “attack on the Good Friday Agreement” and on the “rights of Irish citizens in the north of Ireland”.
For the DUP, Councillor Scott Armstrong said: “I want to put on record that the DUP and myself will NOT be supporting the proposed Digital ID cards by the Labour Government.
“Digital ID cards would do very little to stop illegal immigration. The real challenges in tackling illegal entry to the UK lie at our borders and in enforcement, not in creating yet another layer of bureaucracy for ordinary citizens.”
However, rather than promoting the unification of parties against the proposal, Cllr Armstrong urged the public not “to be fooled” by the stance of Sinn Féin (SF), UUP and SDLP, comparing the new digital card to Covid vaccination passports.
Said Cllr Armstrong: “Not so long ago SF, SDLP and UUP were all in favour of COVID vaccine passports which curtailed the rights of every citizen in Northern Ireland.
“I can assure you that SF stance on the Digital ID cards is only on the basis that it is a ‘Brit card’. Watch them change their minds if the name changes and the EU or RoI administer Digital IDs.”
