Progress can arrive wearing a smile that conceals sharp teeth. The Government’s new plan for a nationwide digital identity scheme is such a moment.

The proposal sounds harmless: a single, secure way to prove who we are when dealing with public services, landlords, or employers. Yet behind this promise of convenience lie deep questions about privacy and price, freedom and fairness - questions that have not received nearly enough scrutiny.

The first and most troubling concern is privacy. Allowing the state to hold comprehensive digital records of our personal details - from address and employment to, potentially, biometrics - would create a database of unprecedented reach and power.

As trusted British institutions such as the Co-op, Marks & Spencer, and most recently Jaguar Land Rover have discovered, even the most sophisticated systems are vulnerable to attack. Cybersecurity is a global battleground. Whether the threat comes from hostile states, criminal gangs, or teenage hackers, a database of this scale would be an irresistible target. Once our digital identity is compromised, the damage can be lifelong and impossible to undo.

My second concern is freedom to choose. Ministers assure us participation will be voluntary. Yet if access to public services or employment depends on producing a digital ID, “voluntary” quickly turns into “mandatory in all but name.” It’s not compulsory to have a bank account either, but try functioning in modern Britain without one.

Then there is digital exclusion, something we in the rural South Cotswolds know well. Some older people find smartphones baffling. Many of our outlying villages still lack reliable internet. Are these citizens to be left behind - invisible to the state because they lack the latest device or connection? That notion offends our sense of fairness and community.

Costs matter too. Large government IT projects rarely arrive on time or on budget. When the NHS, local services, roads and schools are all desperate for funds, should vast sums be poured into an unproven digital ID scheme?

Finally, we must consider worst case scenarios. We may doubt the competence of this government, but we mostly trust its decency. Not all future governments may be so benign. Look at the US. A digital ID system could easily become a tool of control in less trustworthy hands.

Progress is welcome when it enhances, not diminishes, our lives. Technology must serve, not govern, us. In the South Cotswolds we value privacy, independence, and prudence - and will not surrender them lightly for a supposed digital convenience we may come to regret.

 
A few of the things I've done this week...

✅ On the subject of digital ID, I used my opportunity at PMQ to ask the Prime Minister if he would reverse his plans, or press ahead with a policy that puts our personal data at risk (video here 1:31 mins)

✅ Dropped in at a WASPI event to get an update on progress with the women’s fight for fair compensation

✅ Led an adjournment debate on social housing in the South Cotswolds, highlighting the need for affordable housing and essential infrastructure in our area, while also respecting the landscape, nature, and food production.

✅ Completed my NFU Fellowship – a year-long programme of visits to a wide variety of farms and food-related industries for MPs to learn about the industry. The final visit was to FareShare in Liverpool, where as well as learning about the valuable work they do redistributing food that would otherwise go to waste, MPs also did a Ready Steady Cook challenge James Naish and I won with our spaghetti carbonara!

✅ Took up a new role on the board of the Parliamentary Knowledge Scheme, an education programme for MPs, currently with 3 streams (Energy and Environment, Frontline Services, and Wellbeing and Sport, and with more coming down the pipeline)

✅ Hosted a Flood Summit at the RAU to feed back to constituents about what we’ve done since the two flood summits in the spring to follow up on their flooding issues and feed back local knowledge to inform better decisions on the part of Highways, Thames Water, and county councils. (Flooding resources on my website, or see Flood Mary for practical tips on flood-proofing your home, or sign our petition)

✅ Catchup with Gloucestershire County Council about local government reorganisation and plans for devolution

✅ Attended a very cool event at Brian Eno’s studio in West London, where I reconnected with the impressive Kumi Naidoo, former global head of Greenpeace and Amnesty International, who I’d last heard speak at COP15 in 2009 in Copenhagen.

✅ Helped a restaurant in Cirencester recover £37,700 after Uber Eats pay-out error. The owner said his "faith in the system has been restored" after we stepped in to help

✅ Votes on Chagos Bill and Sentencing Bill

 
And a reminder that you can check out sources of funding for local projects on our Stronger South Cotswolds website!

Noticeboard 

Cotswolds Menopause Fayre at the RAU on Friday 24th October

Parent of a child with SEND in Gloucestershire? Please fill out this survey for Gloucestershire County Council

Stay warm this winter and apply for the Warm Homes Local Grant to apply for energy saving home improvements

If you live in Gloucestershire and are aged 14-25, you may be eligible for a Free Travel Bursary. Apply here

 
Improve Flood Preparedness
 
Sign our petition, urging the Government to support improvements to flood resilience in the South Cotswolds, and to empower local communities to improve flood preparedness.

Sign our petition!
 
Quote of the Week
“To argue that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say”

— Edward Snowden

Have a great week!! 

Roz Savage MP