Labour MPs Intensify Pressure on Starmer Over Social Media Restrictions for Minors
More than sixty Labour MPs have formally written to party leader Keir Starmer, urging him to publicly endorse a comprehensive ban on social media access for individuals under the age of sixteen. This significant internal pressure comes as the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has openly criticised the government's approach, describing any delay in implementation as a dereliction of duty that is actively harming children's mental wellbeing.
Cross-Party Calls for Immediate Action
Badenoch has directly challenged Prime Minister Starmer to "just get on" with enacting the proposed ban, arguing that prolonged consultation periods are unacceptable given the scale of the issue. Her comments follow the government's announcement that it would consult on a potential social media ban for under-16s by the summer. Badenoch insists that action must be taken more swiftly, regardless of the practical challenges involved in enforcement.
The Conservative leader's intervention adds considerable weight to the growing political momentum behind the policy, particularly as peers prepare to vote on a crucial amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill this Wednesday. This amendment, tabled by Conservative peer Lord Nash and supported by crossbench peer Baroness Kidron, would mandate the implementation of a ban within one year of the bill receiving royal assent.
Government Caution Versus Public Demand
It is understood that the government prefers a more measured approach, wishing to assess evidence from Australia, where a similar ban came into force in December. However, Badenoch, writing in a national newspaper, dismissed this as procrastination. She argued that the UK is fostering a generation of children with diminished attention spans and heightened anxiety due to unchecked social media exposure.
"We have long-established limits on alcohol, the age of consent, and rigorous safeguarding in schools to protect children during their critical developmental years," Badenoch stated. "Yet, we have suspended that logic entirely when it comes to social media platforms. We will not be placated by vague promises of a 'national conversation'. The Prime Minister must outline a clear plan with definitive timelines."
Labour's Internal Push for Policy Change
The letter from the Labour MPs, organised by Fred Thomas, the MP for Plymouth Moor View, represents a substantial internal challenge to Starmer's current stance. Signatories include select committee chairs, former frontbenchers, and MPs from across the party's ideological spectrum. They collectively warn of a crisis in children's mental health and social development directly linked to social media use.
"Across our constituencies, we consistently hear the same distressing message," the MPs' letter states. "Children are increasingly anxious, unhappy, and struggle to focus on their education. They are not developing the essential social skills required to thrive, nor are they experiencing the formative activities that prepare them for adult life."
Broad Coalition of Support Emerges
Support for a ban extends beyond Westminster. A separate letter from campaigners, also sent to parliament this week, features signatories including actors Hugh Grant and Sophie Winkleman, and Esther Ghey, the mother of the murdered teenager Brianna Ghey. This campaign cites national polling by the charity Parentkind, which found that 93% of parents believe social media is harmful to children and young people.
The campaigners' letter asserts that no other proposed amendment on this topic commands equivalent cross-party support or would deliver the necessary change with similar urgency. "The consensus has decisively shifted," Badenoch argued, noting alignment among campaigners, clinicians, parents, and experts against allowing under-16s access to these platforms.
A Potential Trade-off: Child Protection and Adult Freedoms
In a notable argument, Badenoch suggested that robust restrictions for children could paradoxically lead to greater online freedoms for adults. "By effectively restricting social media use for children, we aren't just safeguarding the young. We can also grant more liberties to adults online," she proposed. "We would no longer need to distort digital spaces to be universally 'child-friendly', or impose broad, blanket restrictions on speech and content merely because children might encounter it. If we cease treating children like adults, we can stop treating adults like children, too."
She emphasised that while her party champions personal freedom, the capacity for making sound choices is not fully developed in children, who lack the necessary impulse control, emotional regulation, and risk assessment abilities.
The political landscape is now set for a pivotal clash, with pressure mounting from within the governing party, the official opposition, and a vocal public campaign, all demanding decisive action on what is rapidly becoming one of the most contentious social policy issues of the moment.
