Graham Stringer has predicted that Sir Keir Starmer’s plans for digital ID “won’t be implemented” as he handed down his scathing verdict on the rollout.

Speaking to GB News, the Labour MP for Blackley and Middleton South declared that the Government has flown “a number of kites” since coming into power, but this policy will be “on the ground”.

Highlighting that the plans were “not in the manifesto”, Mr Stringer told Britain’s Newsroom: “I’m agnostic when it comes to ID cards.

“When the Blair Government was thinking of bringing them in, I was veering towards being against because the cost was so high and there enough buy-in from the public.”

He added: “But in principle, nearly everybody carries around ID in our pockets, so I can’t work up a lot of anger or enthusiasm for being against it.

“But this current proposal was not in Labour’s manifesto, the details are unknown, and there’s not been any consultation, any white papers about it.”

Echoing concerns from campaign groups that the push to digital identification will exclude certain groups such as the elderly, Mr Stringer stated: “It depends on people having smartphones, not just old people, but other people.

“It depends on people being able to use smartphones, and even some people who have smart phones only use them as telephones, they don’t really know how to use all the other facilities on it.

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“So I’m not a fan, and I have veered to being against it because there’s been we don’t know what it means, and the public don’t like the idea.”

Asked by host Miriam Cates if he believes the plans could be “quietly dropped” by the House of Lords, Mr Stringer agreed, declaring she is “absolutely right”.

The Labour MP explained: “Unfortunately the Government have flown a number of kites over the last few months. This is one kite which I suspect will end up on the ground and will not be implemented by the time of the national election. And I suspect it will not be in anybody’s manifesto at the next election either.”

Dismissing the Prime Minister’s claims that the ID would “tackle illegal immigration” and those working illegally, Mr Stringer told GB News he “doesn’t see how it’s going to work”.

He said: “By definition, if they’re working illegally, they’re not going to hand over their ID card, should they have one.

“There is no evidence that this would have any impact on people who risk crossing the Channel to come here, who badly want to be here for a whole series of different reasons. I think they’d keep on coming and join the black economy.”

Criticising the decision further, Mr Stringer accused the Prime Minister of moving from “one fashionable idea to another”.

He concluded: “I think the Government is moving from one new smart idea, one new fashionable idea to another, because we’re not doing as well as I would want us to do.

“I’m hoping that we will have a serious, deep debate about the economy and where the Government is going around the Budget, because we are surely going to have to make some very tough decisions if we don’t have that debate.”

The Government announced in September that the scheme would be rolled out across the UK.

They say it will help combat illegal working while making it easier for the vast majority of people to use vital Government services.

It will become mandatory for Right to Work checks, and critics fear it could easily become a tool for Government overreach.

Sir Keir Starmer remains determined to push through the policy despite the Labour Government still facing questions as to how its implementation will look.