How do Labour MPs feel after another government U-turn?

"Politics is a game of compromise. Labour MPs know that to get the bits they like, they might have to put up, possibly even publicly defend, the things they don't. But another government U-turn, this time on digital ID for right-to-work checks, has left them privately wondering if they should bother in future. As one North East MP, elected for the first time in 2024, put it, Labour MPs now have "a choice between loyalty and dignity"."

"For my show on BBC Radio 5 Live, I have been in touch with dozens of Labour MPs and ministers since it was announced that Sir Keir Starmer was dropping plans to force people to sign up to its digital ID scheme in order to prove their right to work in the UK. Some were disappointed that an idea they supported had been ditched."

""I'm probably one of the few Labour MPs who supports digital ID," said one. "I think we sold it badly though from start." Another said: "Why are we U-turning on this? Pick what you think is right and argue for it. It's all 12-dimensional chess. We're too simple to understand. Problem is everyone else is too." Others were pleased. A minister said: "It was unpopular and expensive. It should never have been announced without being costed first.""

Labour MPs are frustrated and facing a credibility dilemma after a government U-turn on requiring digital ID for right-to-work checks. MPs worry that publicly defending leadership policies risks embarrassment when those policies are reversed, creating tension between loyalty and dignity. Reactions are mixed: some MPs supported digital ID but conceded it was poorly sold; others welcomed the reversal as costly, unpopular, or a mis-targeted appeal to Reform-leaning voters. Ministers criticised the announcement for lacking costings. The U-turn has prompted calls for clearer decision-making and firmer commitments before public promotion of complex policies.

Read at www.bbc.com