“Darren Jones would be well-informed about the DigitalID programme’s funding if he said it was unfunded.”

**Key findings:** 1. **Darren Jones's role with Digital ID**: Multiple sources confirm Darren Jones was the minister in charge of the Digital ID programme. The Manchester Evening News states "Mr Jones, who was the minister in charge of the digital ID scheme." PoliticsHome describes him as someone "who led on digital ID while in government." A gov.uk press release shows Jones personally convened the advisory group for Digital ID delivery. 2. **Darren Jones's seniority**: He was appointed Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister on 1 September 2025 (a Cabinet-level role), and previously served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury — the department responsible for government spending and budget allocation. 3. **The funding question**: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), in its fiscal outlook at the last budget, stated that "no specific funding has been identified" for the Digital ID programme, estimated to cost £1.8bn. The OBR explicitly characterised this as an "unfunded cost." While the government (while Jones was still in office) said it "did not recognise" the OBR's figures and insisted costs would be met from existing departmental budgets, no specific savings had been identified. 4. **Jones's public statement**: After being sacked by Burnham on 20 July 2026, Jones posted on X: "But the Digital ID program was unfunded. The government will have to set out how it will pay for its new policies at the budget." 5. **Burnham's funding claim**: Burnham announced he would fund a VAT cut on electricity bills (£850m) by cancelling the Digital ID programme — but as the OBR noted, no specific funding had been allocated to Digital ID in the first place. **Assessment:** The claim that Darren Jones would be well-informed about the Digital ID programme's funding is well-supported. He held three relevant positions: (a) the minister directly in charge of the Digital ID programme, (b) Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister (a senior Cabinet role overseeing government delivery), and (c) former Chief Secretary to the Treasury (the department that controls public spending). Any one of these roles would give him direct knowledge of the programme's funding status; all three together make him exceptionally well-placed to comment. Furthermore, his statement that the programme was "unfunded" aligns with the independent assessment of the OBR, which stated no specific funding had been identified. The government's own position was that funding would come from unspecified "reprioritisation" within existing departmental budgets — meaning no concrete funding had been allocated. The claim is accurate. Darren Jones's combination of roles — programme lead, Cabinet minister, and former Treasury chief — means he would indeed be well-informed about the Digital ID programme's funding status, and his characterisation of it as unfunded is consistent with the OBR's independent findings. Sources: - GOV.UK, "The Rt Hon Darren Jones MP" — https://www.gov.uk/government/people/darren-jones - GOV.UK, "Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister" — https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state--197 - GOV.UK, "Business and civil society leaders brought together to help build digital ID system" — https://www.gov.uk/government/news/business-and-civil-society-leaders-brought-together-to-help-build-digital-id-system-that-works-for-the-public - City AM, "Unfunded Digital ID will not free up new cash for Burnham's cost of living plans" — https://www.cityam.com/digital-id-cut-may-not-free-up-new-cash-for-burnhams-cost-of-living-plans/ - PoliticsHome, "Confusion In Whitehall Over Burnham Plan To Scrap Digital ID" — https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/confusion-in-whitehall-over-burnham-plan-to-scrap-digital-id - Manchester Evening News, "Andy Burnham's £850m energy bills tax cut faces questions over funding" — https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/andy-burnhams-850m-energy-bills-34325762 - PublicTechnology, "Government 'does not recognise' OBR figures of £1.8bn 'unfunded cost' for digital ID regime" — https://www.publictechnology.net/2025/12/16/economics-and-finance/government-does-not-recognise-obr-figures-of-1-8bn-unfunded-cost-for-digital-id-regime/ - GOV.UK, "Andy Burnham's first speech as Prime Minister: 20 July 2026" — https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/andy-burnhams-first-speech-as-prime-minister-20-july-2026