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More than 60 Labour parliamentarians have written directly to Keir Starmer, urging him to support a suggested prohibition on social media access for under-16s, prior to a key vote in the House of Lords this week.

Widespread Appeal Grows

The MPs backing the letter, including senior MPs, ex-ministers and representatives from both the left and right of the party, are aiming to apply pressure on the administration. This amid growing calls for the UK to emulate the approach of Australia, which implemented a comparable prohibition last December.

While Starmer has said he remains open to the idea, legislators within the House of Lords are attempting to bring the matter to a head through an amendment to the Children, Wellbeing and Schools Bill. This amendment would force the enactment of a prohibition one year of the act receiving royal assent.

“In all of our areas, we are told the same story: children are stressed and sad, and struggling to concentrate on learning. They are lacking the interpersonal skills needed to thrive.”

Worldwide Moves

The letter, coordinated by Labour MP Fred Thomas, adds that “Globally, governments are recognising the severity of this problem and acting.” It points to current or planned legislation in countries like Denmark, France, Norway, New Zealand and Greece.

“We believe the burden must be shifted to technology platforms, not parents, to stop access by minors,” the MPs write. “We would favour a framework similar to Australia’s that obligates companies to take significant action to enforce age limits.”

Implementation Concerns

This show of strength within the lower house adds further scrutiny on the Prime Minister. While he has earlier voiced scepticism about the workability of a ban, he recently informed MPs he was theoretically open to the proposal.

Nevertheless, recently, government figures have emphasised apprehensions that a ban could push children toward less-regulated online spaces. They have insisted on the need to see more evidence from the Australian experiment before deciding on a UK version.

“Theoretically, Keir is supportive of a ban. We can all see the risks and are concerned about what is happening to children and teenagers,” commented an insider. “But there are still big obstacles to overcome with putting it into practice. We need to move cautiously and make sure we get this right.”

Upcoming Vote

The Prime Minister's stance will face a practical test this week when peers vote on the proposed change by Conservative peer John Nash. This amendment to the children's wellbeing bill proposes enacting an minimum age one year after the bill's passage.

Although the Labour leadership has not stated its stance on the amendment, multiple Labour peers are likely to support it irrespective of any party whip.

Among them is ex-parliamentarian Luciana Berger, who has co-signed Lord Nash's amendment. She argued: “The proposal for increasing the social media age limit has significant public support – across the country and inside the Labour party. Social media is profoundly hurting children and we must move swiftly to protect them.”