Brit-Card No Thanks

Keir Starmer’s so-called “Brit-Card” proposal is yet another example of a Westminster government drifting towards centralisation and control. It is a scheme that has no democratic mandate, no respect for Scottish identity, and no place in a free society.

John Swinney has rightly pointed out that people should be able to go about their lives without being forced to prove who they are at every turn. The branding of the scheme is telling too – calling it a “Brit-Card” is an attempt to make every Scot declare themselves British. As John said: “I am a Scot.”

This wasn’t in Labour’s manifesto. Once again, we are seeing major policy proposals pushed forward without the consent of the people – proof, if more were needed, that Westminster doesn’t take Scotland’s voice seriously.

Pete Wishart summed up the absurdity of the idea when he mocked it as a circus act – “Roll up, roll up, Scotland. Get your Brit-Card here …” He’s right: this is a gimmick dressed up as policy, and it risks serious consequences.

Mandatory digital ID threatens privacy, civil liberties, and risks excluding the most vulnerable – those without easy access to technology, or people in unstable housing situations. It will do little to solve the problems it claims to address, and instead risks pushing people further into the shadows.

This is not the kind of future I want for Scotland. A mandatory “Brit-Card” is an unacceptable infringement on our freedoms and our right to self-determination. Scotland deserves the power to decide its own path – one that respects our democracy, our identity, and our liberties.