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A group of 60 members of the Labour Party have sent a joint letter to Keir Starmer, urging him to champion a potential ban on social media access for those under 16, prior to a key vote in the House of Lords this week.

Cross-Party Support Emerges

The MPs backing the letter, who include select committee chairs, past shadow ministers and representatives from both the left and right of the party, are looking to ramp up pressure on the prime minister. This comes as mounting pressure for the UK to follow the lead of Australia, which enacted a parallel restriction recently.

Although Starmer has indicated he is open to the idea, members of the House of Lords are looking to force the issue via an proposed change to the Children, Wellbeing and Schools Bill. This amendment would require the implementation of a age restriction one year of the bill becoming law.

“Across our constituencies, we hear the same message: children are worried and distressed, and finding it hard to focus on learning. They are lacking the social skills needed to succeed.”

International Action

The communication, coordinated by Labour MP Fred Thomas, also states that “Internationally, governments are acknowledging the severity of this issue and taking action.” It notes existing or pending legislation in nations like Denmark, France, Norway, New Zealand and Greece.

“We believe the onus must be assigned to technology platforms, not parents, to prevent access by minors,” the MPs argue. “We would back a framework like Australia’s that obligates companies to take significant action to uphold age limits.”

Practical Hurdles

This demonstration of support within the lower house places further pressure on the Prime Minister. Although he has earlier voiced reservations about the effectiveness of a ban, he recently told MPs he was theoretically open to the proposal.

Yet, over the past few days, officials have stressed concerns that a ban could unintentionally drive children toward the dark web. They maintain on the need to see more evidence from the Australian policy before committing to a UK version.

“Theoretically, Keir is supportive of a ban. We can all see the harms and are anxious about what is happening to children and teenagers,” stated an associate. “But there are still significant hurdles to overcome with implementation. We need to move cautiously and make sure we implement it correctly.”

Upcoming Vote

The Prime Minister's stance will face a key test this week when members of the upper house vote on the proposed change by Conservative peer John Nash. This amendment to the schools bill proposes enacting an minimum age within 12 months the act is approved.

Although the Labour leadership has not yet declared its stance on the amendment, multiple Labour peers are expected to support it despite any party whip.

Among them is former MP Luciana Berger, who has co-signed Lord Nash's amendment. She stated: “The plan for increasing the social media age limit commands significant public support – throughout the UK and inside the Labour party. Social media is catastrophically harming children and we must take immediate action to protect them.”