Newborn babies could be assigned digital IDs alongside their “red book” of health records under plans discussed by ministers.

Parents may be given the option to sign their baby or young child up to the identification system, which would act as a universal access to public services.

The government is aiming to publish a consultation on digital IDs in early February, and the idea is said to have been raised in meetings between Josh Simons, the Cabinet Office minister, and civil society groups last month.

Critics have accused Labour of planning a “cradle to grave digital file” by considering the inclusion of children.

Sir David Davis, the former Conservative cabinet minister, said the plan was “creeping state surveillance”.

“The idea that we should allocate children ID at birth is frankly an affront to centuries of British history, and is being put out by stupid ministers who really don’t understand the technology they are playing with,” Davis told the Daily Mail, which first reported the story.

“They think they are being clever and modern, but a large number of people will be outraged by this.”

• Digital ID cards can be a ‘massive success’, insists Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer first announced the intention to create a digital ID for Britons in September, saying it would become compulsory for right-to-work checks in an attempt to deter illegal immigration. Polling has historically shown a majority of Britons support the concept of a digital ID card scheme, although this support appeared to drop after Starmer’s announcement.

Ministers are trying to make a broader case for the technology’s ability to give British citizens more control over their data and how they interact with the government.

Parents are having to fill in the same form several times to access certain services, the government said

ALAMY

Estonia, where a digital identity is created for every newborn child by assigning them a unique number, was raised as a potential model during the meeting. The number is used by parents to manage child benefits, healthcare records, and nursery applications online, while later in life it becomes an adult identification used to access public services.

• Software giant Palantir snubs ‘undemocratic’ digital ID scheme

“We hear lots of parents having to fill in the same paper form hundreds of times,” a government source said. “There’s potential for voluntary use cases and at what age you’d start that was the question under discussion. It would be a quick form of identification or proof of who you are, a login to get digital access to public services.”

Julia Lopez, shadow science, technology and innovation secretary, called the scheme a “gimmick” that had been “rushed out without answering the most basic questions about privacy, scope, or control.”

She said: “Digital ID should be voluntary, limited, and built around consent. It should never force people into a single system just to live their everyday lives.

“If Starmer wants to improve his dismal popularity, he should drop this idea now. Because voters don’t want a government-issued digital pass for daily life, and they don’t trust Labour to keep it within bounds once it’s built.”

A government spokesman said: “The only mandatory area of the programme will be for digital right-to-work checks. Only people starting a new job will need to use the scheme.”