Andy Burnham will scrap Sir Keir Starmer’s plan for digital ID cards, pledging to redirect the resources towards “people’s everyday priorities”.
Mr Burnham, who will become prime minister on Monday, has said he wants his government to focus on giving power to communities rather than “hoarding it in Whitehall”.
Scrapping ID cards is part of a package of measures he is preparing to unveil during his first weeks in No 10, aimed at tackling the cost of living.
Mr Burnham and his team are also drawing up plans to give children aged 11 to 16 free bus travel and to cut household energy bills.
New government ‘will get people’s bill’s down’
Outlining plans to axe the digital ID scheme, a spokesman for Mr Burnham said: “One of the first things this government will do is put its focus where people need it right now: creating breathing space and delivering change they can feel in their everyday lives.
“That means all the time and resource that was going to be spent on a national ID scheme will go instead to where it’s most needed, such as helping with the cost of living.
“This government is determined to bring power back to communities, instead of hoarding it in Whitehall. We will work every day to lift this country back up to where it belongs, with growth in every postcode, and hope in every heart.”
At a webinar for Labour members on Friday night, Mr Burnham pledged to introduce policies to “reduce the cost of living” and get “people’s bills down”.
Referring to Bev Craig, Labour’s candidate to replace him as Greater Manchester mayor, Mr Burnham said: “She’s just made a commitment to give free travel to 11- to 16-year-olds. So you know, why can’t other areas go on that journey? In fact, I want to support other areas to go on that same journey.
“Just help people with the cost of everyday living and that will be a big theme for the government from here.”
Mr Burnham is set to announce plans to fast-track oil and gas drilling in the North Sea after entering No 10.
He expected to uphold Labour’s 2024 manifesto pledge not to issue new licences. However, it is thought that he could pledge to speed up existing plans to drill in the North Sea.
He is also understood to be considering plans to cut household energy bills by £130 a year by removing green levies and abolishing the gas standing charge.
The energy proposal, drawn up by the think-tank Nesta and being examined by Mr Burnham’s team, would change the way household gas is charged and remove some policy levies from bills, at a cost of £3.2bn a year.
Over the longer term, he is also looking to overhaul the social care system, having opened the door to imposing a death duty on taxpayers to help fund a “national care service”.
On Monday morning, Sir Keir will formally resign and Mr Burnham will be appointed by the King as Britain’s prime minister before travelling to Downing Street, where he will make his first official address to the nation.
Mr Burnham is spending the weekend firming up his Cabinet, with Shabana Mahmood expected to be made Chancellor. Louise Haigh, his top aide, has been lined up for the role of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Ed Miliband is mooted to be the next Foreign Secretary, while Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner are expected to be handed senior roles.
Several Starmer loyalists, including Steve Reed, the current Housing Secretary, and Lord Hermer, the Attorney General, will be sacked.
Some supporters of Mr Burnham have reportedly become concerned that his transition into No 10 has been marred by indecision, a policy vacuum and a power grab by his inner circle.
A falling-out with Mr Miliband and dissatisfaction among the soft-Left wing of the Labour Party have led to strains within his supporters, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Mr Burnham’s move to scrap digital ID cards also marks a departure from Sir Tony Blair’s position. The former prime minister has long argued in favour of ID cards, which he says would help to tackle illegal migration.
Last year, Sir Keir announced the digital ID card scheme, billing it as a major immigration crackdown that would “make it tougher to work illegally in this country”.
But following a public backlash against the move, ministers abandoned the plans to make digital ID mandatory for right-to-work checks. Instead, the Government proposed that while digital right-to-work checks would be mandatory by the end of the parliament, a government-issued ID card would no longer be required for this purpose.
Sources close to Mr Burnham said the decision reflected his “central mission” to “reset priorities and focus on the daily priorities facing people across the country”.
They added: “This reprioritisation of public resource shows a change in direction towards improving everyday life and strengthening local economies over expensive national government schemes.”
However, Mr Burnham said he intended to go ahead with various digital plans, including digital driving licences, a government app, OneLogin and Government Wallet.
Critics argued that the schemes being kept were the most costly, and that no taxpayer funds would be saved by the move to axe digital ID cards.
Burnham chasing ‘vibe policies’
Julia Lopez, the shadow technology secretary, said: “Labour have wasted millions of pounds on this project and now Andy Burnham is trying to pretend he’s riding to the rescue.
“After pressure from the Conservatives, mandatory ID was already apparently off the table. Andy Burnham now needs to explain whether that was untrue, or whether he is simply claiming credit for a decision that had already been taken.
“Andy Burnham should stop the political theatre and be clear about what exactly he is scrapping.”
Mr Burnham has instructed several of his advisers to come up with “vibe policies” he can announce during his first few weeks as prime minister.
He plans to embark on a blitz of “feel-good” proposals to ensure that the early days of his premiership start on a positive note.
During the Labour webinar, Mr Burnham said: “We’ve got a really positive agenda, and it’s something that I know will mean something to you. We can make sure that we win a second term at Labour government.”
The positive strategy is intended to contrast with Sir Keir’s first weeks in Downing Street, when ministers blamed the previous Tory government’s “black hole” in finances to justify a cut to the winter fuel allowance.
Andy Burnham will scrap Sir Keir Starmer’s plan for digital ID cards, pledging to redirect the resources towards “people’s everyday priorities”.
Mr Burnham, who will become prime minister on Monday, has said he wants his government to focus on giving power to communities rather than “hoarding it in Whitehall”.
Scrapping ID cards is part of a package of measures he is preparing to unveil during his first weeks in No 10, aimed at tackling the cost of living.
Mr Burnham and his team are also drawing up plans to give children aged 11 to 16 free bus travel and to cut household energy bills.
New government ‘will get people’s bill’s down’
Outlining plans to axe the digital ID scheme, a spokesman for Mr Burnham said: “One of the first things this government will do is put its focus where people need it right now: creating breathing space and delivering change they can feel in their everyday lives.
“That means all the time and resource that was going to be spent on a national ID scheme will go instead to where it’s most needed, such as helping with the cost of living.
“This government is determined to bring power back to communities, instead of hoarding it in Whitehall. We will work every day to lift this country back up to where it belongs, with growth in every postcode, and hope in every heart.”
At a webinar for Labour members on Friday night, Mr Burnham pledged to introduce policies to “reduce the cost of living” and get “people’s bills down”.
Referring to Bev Craig, Labour’s candidate to replace him as Greater Manchester mayor, Mr Burnham said: “She’s just made a commitment to give free travel to 11- to 16-year-olds. So you know, why can’t other areas go on that journey? In fact, I want to support other areas to go on that same journey.
“Just help people with the cost of everyday living and that will be a big theme for the government from here.”
Mr Burnham is set to announce plans to fast-track oil and gas drilling in the North Sea after entering No 10.
He expected to uphold Labour’s 2024 manifesto pledge not to issue new licences. However, it is thought that he could pledge to speed up existing plans to drill in the North Sea.
He is also understood to be considering plans to cut household energy bills by £130 a year by removing green levies and abolishing the gas standing charge.
The energy proposal, drawn up by the think-tank Nesta and being examined by Mr Burnham’s team, would change the way household gas is charged and remove some policy levies from bills, at a cost of £3.2bn a year.
Over the longer term, he is also looking to overhaul the social care system, having opened the door to imposing a death duty on taxpayers to help fund a “national care service”.
On Monday morning, Sir Keir will formally resign and Mr Burnham will be appointed by the King as Britain’s prime minister before travelling to Downing Street, where he will make his first official address to the nation.
Mr Burnham is spending the weekend firming up his Cabinet, with Shabana Mahmood expected to be made Chancellor. Louise Haigh, his top aide, has been lined up for the role of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Ed Miliband is mooted to be the next Foreign Secretary, while Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner are expected to be handed senior roles.
Several Starmer loyalists, including Steve Reed, the current Housing Secretary, and Lord Hermer, the Attorney General, will be sacked.
Some supporters of Mr Burnham have reportedly become concerned that his transition into No 10 has been marred by indecision, a policy vacuum and a power grab by his inner circle.
A falling-out with Mr Miliband and dissatisfaction among the soft-Left wing of the Labour Party have led to strains within his supporters, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Mr Burnham’s move to scrap digital ID cards also marks a departure from Sir Tony Blair’s position. The former prime minister has long argued in favour of ID cards, which he says would help to tackle illegal migration.
Last year, Sir Keir announced the digital ID card scheme, billing it as a major immigration crackdown that would “make it tougher to work illegally in this country”.
But following a public backlash against the move, ministers abandoned the plans to make digital ID mandatory for right-to-work checks. Instead, the Government proposed that while digital right-to-work checks would be mandatory by the end of the parliament, a government-issued ID card would no longer be required for this purpose.
Sources close to Mr Burnham said the decision reflected his “central mission” to “reset priorities and focus on the daily priorities facing people across the country”.
They added: “This reprioritisation of public resource shows a change in direction towards improving everyday life and strengthening local economies over expensive national government schemes.”
However, Mr Burnham said he intended to go ahead with various digital plans, including digital driving licences, a government app, OneLogin and Government Wallet.
Critics argued that the schemes being kept were the most costly, and that no taxpayer funds would be saved by the move to axe digital ID cards.
Burnham chasing ‘vibe policies’
Julia Lopez, the shadow technology secretary, said: “Labour have wasted millions of pounds on this project and now Andy Burnham is trying to pretend he’s riding to the rescue.
“After pressure from the Conservatives, mandatory ID was already apparently off the table. Andy Burnham now needs to explain whether that was untrue, or whether he is simply claiming credit for a decision that had already been taken.
“Andy Burnham should stop the political theatre and be clear about what exactly he is scrapping.”
Mr Burnham has instructed several of his advisers to come up with “vibe policies” he can announce during his first few weeks as prime minister.
He plans to embark on a blitz of “feel-good” proposals to ensure that the early days of his premiership start on a positive note.
During the Labour webinar, Mr Burnham said: “We’ve got a really positive agenda, and it’s something that I know will mean something to you. We can make sure that we win a second term at Labour government.”
The positive strategy is intended to contrast with Sir Keir’s first weeks in Downing Street, when ministers blamed the previous Tory government’s “black hole” in finances to justify a cut to the winter fuel allowance.