Andy Burnham, the incoming UK prime minister and new Labour leader, plans to cancel Keir Starmer's digital ID card scheme and shift its funding toward cost-of-living measures, The Guardian and the Financial Times reported on July 18, 2026.
Burnham's team described the move as a "reset of priorities." The scheme had been described as unpopular, and no specific figure was given for the resources to be reallocated.
Burnham is set to enter Downing Street on Monday, July 20, 2026.