Andy Burnham to scrap digital ID to focus on 'helping with cost of living'

BBC News reports that Andy Burnham, set to become UK prime minister on Monday, will scrap the government digital ID scheme and redirect resources toward cost-of-living support. The reporting is well-sourced with named officials (Burnham's spokesperson, Shadow technology secretary Julia Lopez, Liberal Democrat MP Lisa Smart, and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch), specific policy history including the original £1.8 billion cost estimate and the near-3 million petition signatures that led to the scheme's downgrade from mandatory to voluntary status, and relevant context from the 2024 parliamentary inquiry by Dame Karen Bradley. Independent coverage from The Guardian and other outlets confirms Burnham's broader policy priorities around energy, local government control, and economic growth, corroborating that this digital ID decision fits into a wider reshaping of Labour priorities. Watch for further detail on the promised redirection of resources, the detailed North Sea oil and gas drilling announcement expected Monday, and Conservative challenges to whether Burnham is claiming credit for decisions already made under Starmer.