More people in the UK support the introduction of digital IDs than oppose it, according to new polling published by a prominent think tank.
According to a poll of more than 2,000 UK adults published by the Tony Blair Institute, 43% of respondents were said to support the technology, compared with 37% who oppose it.
While this still suggests a degree of divisiveness, the Tony Blair Institute claims that the findings contradict opponents of the technology who claim that the UK public is strongly against digital IDs.
The Tony Blair Institute, founded by the former prime minister, has been ardently in favour of the technology, having published numerous reports citing the benefits that have been found in countries like Estonia, where digital IDs are commonplace.
Blair himself has written a number of opinion pieces, including some alongside his old foe the former Conservative Party leader William Hague, urging the UK to accelerate a planned rollout.
The newly published figures, which come from a poll conducted by Yonder, actually found support had dropped slightly compared with figures gathered in March 2024.
Around a fifth of respondents are undecided and the think tank claimed that net support increased when undecided people were presented with credible use cases.
Supposedly, many respondents struggle to identify the benefits of digital IDs unprompted and are more likely to articulate risks. Among the benefits that were named were greater efficiency and stronger immigration control.
“The louder voices in this debate do not represent the whole country. The real challenge is not overcoming hostility but earning trust in delivery,” said Alexander Iosad, director of government innovation policy at the Tony Blair Institute.
“Much of the public continues to hold the common-sense view: open-minded, but cautious. People want digital ID to deliver value-for-money, a modern experience and better interactions with government – supported by a secure system with clear safeguards.
“If those conditions are met, digital ID can become the bedrock of a new generation of public services. The government should use the recently-launched consultation to build a broad, durable national consensus on a British model of digital ID as a common-sense solution to everyday problems – it is an opportunity that must not be missed.”