Smartphone Covid passports were used during the pandemic.

This Labour government knows it must transform, or ‘rewire’, the British state if it is to be successful. The crude levers of tax and spend will not be sufficient. A different approach is needed to rebuild faith in the benign effect of government and politics.

Truly embracing the potential of digital ID is an important place to start. The FT’s recent editorial advocating the case was welcome and the influential thinktank Labour Together has also argued that the government should introduce digital ID. This followed an intervention from several former home secretaries and prime ministers, of different political colours, arguing that the time has come.

The benefits are clear from international comparisons: offering more tailored public services in a health and educational setting, delivering a fairer welfare state and providing more tools to control borders.

It is estimated to boost the Treasury’s coffers by around £2 billion a year and assist HMRC in confronting tax avoidance. As AI transforms our use and........

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