Before he became prime minister, Tony Blair famously promised to be “tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime”. Now he is convinced that technology will allow Sir Keir Starmer to be tough on populism and tough on the causes of populism. With Nigel Farage and his Reform party snapping at Labour’s heels in dozens of parliamentary constituencies, Blair is urging the government to introduce a national digital ID system and roll out live facial recognition cameras to tackle illegal immigration, drive down crime and deal with benefit fraud.