Glastonbury and Street have recorded the highest levels of opposition in the area to Labour's proposed digital ID card system — with more than 4.4% of residents signing a national petition calling for the scheme to be scrapped.

In comparison, 3.99% of residents in Wells and Shepton Mallet have added their names to the same petition, which passed one million signatures nationally this week.

The proposed system would require citizens and legal residents to prove their identity and right to work using a government-issued digital ID, stored on smartphones or as a physical card. The scheme is due to become mandatory by the end of this Parliament.

Sarah Dyke, MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, has joined Liberal Democrat colleagues in launching a formal petition against the plans, warning they risk excluding older people, those without digital access, and vulnerable groups.

"It will potentially cost billions to implement, and for what?" she said. "People should not be forced to turn over their private data just to go about their daily lives."

The petition opposing the scheme was first launched in June and has gained momentum amid wider concerns over privacy and digital exclusion. It claims the plan would be a "step towards mass surveillance" and urges the Government to commit to abandoning any national ID system.

While Labour says the digital ID would simplify access to services and help crack down on illegal working, critics say the risks to civil liberties outweigh any benefits.

A Daily Mail poll found just 26% of respondents supported the move, with 74% against.

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