Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of plotting to force children as young as 13 to carry Digital ID cards.

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, which is overseeing the rollout of Digital ID, said ministers will now consult on bringing in so-called ‘Brit Cards’ for children as young as 13.

Silkie Carlo, director of civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, said digital ID was “fast becoming a digital permit required to live our everyday lives”.

She added: “Starmer has sold his Orwellian digital ID scheme to the public on the lie that it will only be used to stop illegal working but now the truth, buried in the small print, is becoming clear.

“We now know that digital IDs could be the backbone of a surveillance state and used for everything from tax and pensions to banking and education.

“The prospects of enrolling even children into this sprawling biometric system is sinister, unjustified and prompts the chilling question of just what he thinks the ID will be used for in the future.

“No one voted for this and millions of people who have signed the petition against it are simply being ignored.”

The Prime Minister’s plan sparked fury from the British public, with more than 2.8 million signing a petition against Digital ID.

However, Sir Keir used his trip to India to confirm his Government is pushing ahead with his plan.

He said: “On Digital ID, let me be really clear – we have made a commitment to do whatever we can to stop people arriving illegally in the UK.

“One of the issues is the ability people have to work in our economy illegally. We have to do something about that – we can’t shirk that. We had a strong manifesto commitment to deal with it.

“The vast majority of people in the UK wants it gripped and we need to therefore take the measures necessary to grip it.”