Keir Starmer’s ‘Brit Card’ described as ‘dangerous’ for trans rights by ‘gravely concerned’ campaigners (EXCLUSIVE)
Charity Not A Phase and Trans Legal Clinic founder Olivia Campbell-Cavendish LLB speak to Attitude following the government's announcement
By Callum Wells
Keir Starmer’s government is facing mounting backlash over plans to introduce a compulsory digital ID, dubbed the ‘Brit Card’, with warnings it could put trans and non-binary people at risk.
Charity Not A Phase and Trans Legal Clinic founder Olivia Campbell-Cavendish LLB have told Attitude the proposals not only threaten privacy but will have a “monumental impact” on the right to disclosure.
Campbell-Cavendish warned that the proposals, alongside government plans to compel institutions to record sex assigned at birth, mark “a dangerous escalation in the erosion of civil liberties, human rights, and the fundamental right to privacy”.
“It effectively forces the outing of trans people” – Trans Legal Clinic founder Olivia Campbell-Cavendish LLB
She said, “Ever the chameleon, Keir Starmer, who self-identifies as a socialist, now appears to be donning the clothes of a nationalist with his government’s proposal to introduce a so-called ‘Brit Card’. This move looks like little more than an attempt to placate the histrionics of right-wing anti-migrant extremists currently sweeping the nation to outflank Nigel Farage. This is bizarre.
“For trans and non-binary people, however, these proposals mark a dangerous escalation in the erosion of civil liberties, human rights, and the fundamental right to privacy. They come in the wake of stark warnings from the Lemkin Institute of Genocide Prevention about the deteriorating state of trans rights in this country. Coupled with the government’s parallel plans to compel public institutions to record sex assigned at birth, it effectively forces the outing of trans people.
“Any system of digital identification must ensure that the gender in which a person navigates the world is accurately and lawfully recognised. This principle is not up for debate, it is enshrined in European and international law, and was recently reaffirmed by the European Court of Justice.”
“We should be gravely concerned” – Not A Phase
Not A Phase echoed concerns about the impact of digital IDs.
“It is concerning for the government to propose compulsory digital ID’s in order to work in the UK. Clearly, this would further surveil each of us in ways we as a nation do not wish to be monitored,” the charity said in a statement.
“For the trans+ community, despite making up 0.5% of the population, we’re in an era of turbulence and our future remains unclear on the other side of the current review of the EHRC’s drafted code which has the potential to impact all trans+ people in this country. If we’re hypothetically headed towards a future where trans people will be outed by the digital ID documents they possess, this could have a monumental impact on the right to disclosure every trans+ person deserves.
“We should be gravely concerned about any potential documentation which forces a person’s transness to be more broadly known. We all are each entitled to decide about our own privacy, particularly in a time with an increase in hate crimes (186% from 2018-2023) against trans+ people across the UK.”
Mandatory for all UK citizens and legal residents
Starmer’s government formally announced the compulsory digital ID scheme yesterday (25 September), intended primarily to combat illegal working and secure borders. The scheme will be mandatory for all UK citizens and legal residents as the means of proving their Right to Work by the end of the current Parliament.
The ID, which will be free of charge, is intended to be a secure digital credential stored on a person’s smartphone, building on the existing GOV.UK ‘One Login’ infrastructure. Data included will be name, date of birth, a photo for biometric security, nationality, and residency status, with a consultation planned on including address details.
The government also touts the ID as a way to streamline access to public services like welfare and driving licences.