Keir Starmer's digital ID cards will not let Britons say if they are male or female

Christopher Hope
Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:00:02 +0000

Sir Keir Starmer's new digital identity cards will not say whether the holder is male or female, GB News can disclose.

The news led the Tories to claim that "having struggled for so long to define what a woman is, Labour have now decided it’s easier just to abolish the concept entirely", adding that "women deserve better than to have their existence erased".

The small print of the plans for the cards, which are due to be introduced by the end of the decade, makes clear that they will not say whether the holder is a man or a woman.

The decision will raise eyebrows as a person's sex is normally considered one of the most important characteristics.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

It has fuelled suspicions that ministers want to avoid starting further debate about the definition of men and women in the divisive trans debate.

The Prime Minister unveiled the plans for digital identity cards last September.

A Government's consultation on the plans said a person's sex is what is stated on a birth certificate, and their gender is "a broad term that is sometimes used interchangeably with sex" or refers to "social rather than biological differences between sexes".

However, it also stated that "information about sex and gender is not necessary for the intended purpose of the digital ID".

"Inclusion of this information would not enhance checks that the digital ID belongs to the person presenting it," the consultation added.

"Checks will be done programmatically and through biometric authentication, neither of which require specific sex or gender data".

Claire Coutinho MP, Shadow Minister for Equalities, told GB News: "Having struggled for so long to define what a woman is, Labour have now decided it’s easier just to abolish the concept entirely.

"For all the flaws in the Government’s digital ID plans, there can be no excuse for failing to accurately record a person’s biological sex.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Defence Secretary lashes out at Vladimir Putin in emergency press conference - 'We see you!'

France rejects Britain’s offer to intercept and return Channel migrants in blow to Shabana Mahmood

Keir Starmer accused of Chagos-style handover of Britain's electricity to the EU in Brexit betrayal

"Women deserve better than to have their existence erased to because Ministers are too scared to stand up for their rights."

Former Labour MP Rosie Duffield, who now sits as an independent, added: "This is ludicrous.

"Polls show that many people are against the concept of digital ID as they are concerned about the Government holding a huge amount of very personal data centrally without full accountability about the possible sharing of sensitive and potentially commercially valuable information.

"But the idea that one of the most fundamental and basic identifiers, a person's biological sex, would not even be recorded and used to identify them, makes a farce of the whole idea and renders it a completely pointless scheme."

A Cabinet Office spokesman told GB News: "We want our digital ID to hold as little personal data as possible.

"While we are listening to new ideas and use cases, we don’t think information about sex or gender is required for the current intended uses."

Sources told GB News that "including sex or gender information would not enhance the check that the digital ID belongs to the person presenting it".

"This is done through biometric authentication – like using your face to unlock your phone – which does not require specific sex or gender data," sources added.