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More than 60 Labour parliamentarians have written directly to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging him to champion a proposed ban on social media access for children under 16, prior to a key vote in the House of Lords this week.

Cross-Party Support Emerges

The signatories, including select committee chairs, past shadow ministers and representatives from across the party's spectrum, are looking to ramp up pressure on the prime minister. This amid increasing demands for the UK to adopt a similar policy of the Australian government, which enacted a parallel restriction in December.

While Starmer has said he remains open to the idea, legislators within the House of Lords are seeking to bring the matter to a head by means of an proposed change to the current schools bill. This amendment would require the enactment of a ban one year of the act receiving royal assent.

“In all of our areas, we hear the same message: children are stressed and sad, and unable to focus on learning. They are not building the necessary skills needed to flourish.”

Global Precedent

The letter, coordinated by Labour MP Fred Thomas, also states that “Around the world, governments are acknowledging the seriousness of this problem and taking action.” It points to existing or pending legislation in nations like New Zealand, Greece, Denmark, France and Norway.

“We believe the burden must be placed on technology platforms, not parents, to prevent children from accessing their sites,” the MPs write. “We would back a framework akin to Australia’s that obligates companies to take concrete measures to uphold age limits.”

Practical Hurdles

This show of strength within the lower house places further focus on the Prime Minister. Although he has previously expressed reservations about the practicality of a ban, he recently told MPs he was open in principle to the concept.

Yet, over the past few days, administration sources have stressed worries that a ban could unintentionally drive children toward more dangerous parts of the internet. They have insisted on the need to assess further information from the Australian policy before committing to a UK version.

“Theoretically, Keir is supportive of a ban. We can all see the risks and are anxious about what is happening to children and teenagers,” stated an associate. “But there are still big obstacles to overcome with execution. We need to take our time and make sure we get this right.”

Upcoming Vote

The Prime Minister's approach will face a practical test this week when peers vote on the amendment by Conservative peer John Nash. This amendment to the children's wellbeing bill proposes introducing an minimum age within a year the law is passed.

While the Labour leadership has not stated its official position on the amendment, several Labour peers are expected to support it despite any instructions from whips.

Among them is former MP Luciana Berger, who has backed Lord Nash's amendment. She stated: “The proposal for raising the social media age limit enjoys significant public support – nationally and within the Labour party. Social media is profoundly hurting children and we must act now to shield them.”