So they are just planning to "digitalize" the sterling. In another word, create a digital sterling and name it a cryptocurrency because it will use the blockchain technology. How it's going to be different?
Same money, same centralized sterling, same problems.
That's true, digital currency is not the same as cryptocurrency. This idea only changes the technology behind the same money. UK (and every other country) has already it's own digital money, it's the fiat on the bank accounts. People are already using this digital money (debit cards, credit cards, wire transfer, etc...). The current technology is based on the banks' systems (banks) and the VISA, MasterCard network (the card payment processors) and the SWIFT (international money transfer) so the digital fiat is already is in use.
If they change the system behind to blockchain, the money issuer (the central bank) and the banks will remain in the system, it's only the technology that changes. They want to steal the show from bitcoin...