Gillian Keegan announces phone ban in schools – despite most already having policy in place

Published

2 years ago

October 2, 2023

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The government will issue new guidance across England to ban mobile phones from schools, the education secretary has announced.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan made the announcement later today during the Conservative Party conference, which is being held in Manchester this week.

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She has recommended that the devices are prohibited not just in the classroom, but at break times as well.

In her speech, Ms Keegan said: “Today, one of the biggest issues facing children and teachers is grappling with the impact of smartphones in our schools.

“The distraction, the disruption, the bullying. We know that teachers are struggling with their impact and we know that they need support.

“So, today we are recognising the amazing work that many schools have done in banning mobile phones and we are announcing that we will change guidance so that all schools will follow their lead.”

However, the proposal has raised some eyebrows around the event, as many schools have already instituted a ban.

As it will just be guidance, the new rule would also not be enforceable, meaning it will still be up to individual schools to decide on their policy.

It is also unclear when the guidance will be published.

It is not the first time a Tory minister has suggested a ban, with schools minister Nick Gibb making the call for one in 2019 and Sir Gavin Williamson following suit in 2021.

But a consultation by the Department for Education on a ban in 2022 concluded most schools “have well developed plans in place” to tackle the issue, adding: “Further intervention from government isn’t necessary.”

The general secretary of teaching union NASUWT, Dr Patrick Roach, said: “The government needs to focus on properly supporting the work of teachers and headteachers rather than announcements designed to detract attention from more than a decade of policy failure.

“If the government introduces blanket bans that are unenforceable, this will make the behaviour crisis [in schools] worse, not better.”

The general secretary of the National Education Union, Daniel Kebede, echoed the sentiment, saying: “The government’s consultation exercise earlier this year concluded that most schools already have policies in place to deal with the problems of mobile phone use.

“We hope that Gillian Keegan will use her conference speech to announce positive measures that face up to the deep challenges in our schools, rather than distracting attention from them.”

Politics

MP Zarah Sultana who was ousted from Labour announces she is starting new political party with Jeremy Corbyn

Published

6 hours ago

July 3, 2025

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MP Zarah Sultana who was ousted from Labour announces she is starting new political party with Jeremy Corbyn

An MP who was ousted from the Labour Party has announced she is setting up a new political party with Jeremy Corbyn.

Independent MP Zarah Sultana said she and the former Labour leader will co-lead the new party, which she did not provide a name for.

She said other independent MPs, campaigners and activists from across the country will join them, but did not name anyone.

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Ms Sultana also said she was “resigning” from the Labour Party after 14 years.

She was suspended as a Labour MP shortly after they came to power last summer for voting against the government maintaining the two-child benefit cap.

Several others from the left of the party, including Mr Corbyn, were also suspended for voting against the government, and also remained as independent MPs.

However, Ms Sultana was still a member of the Labour Party – until now.

Mr Corbyn has previously said the independent MPs who were suspended from Labour would “come together” to provide an “alternative.

The other four are: Iqbal Mohamed, Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan and Adnan Hussain.

Mr Corbyn and the other four independents have not said if they are part of the new party Ms Sultana announced.

In her announcement, Ms Sultana said she would vote to abolish the two-child benefit cap again and also voted against scrapping the winter fuel payment for most pensioners.

Ms Sultana also voted against the government’s welfare bill this week, which was heavily watered down as Sir Keir Starmer tried to prevent a major rebellion from his own MPs.

On Wednesday, Ms Sultana spoke passionately against Palestine Action being proscribed as a terror organisation – but MPs eventually voted for it to be.

She said to proscribe it is “a deliberate distortion of the law to chill dissent, criminalise solidarity and suppress the truth”.

Ms Sultana said they were founding the new party because “Westminster is broken but the real crisis is deeper – just 50 families now own more wealth than half the UK population”.

She called Reform leader Nigel Farage “a billionaire-backed grifter” leading the polls “because Labour has completely failed to improve people’s lives.

The MP, who has spoken passionately about Gaza, added: “Across the political establishment, from Farage to Starmer, they smear people of conscience trying to stop a genocide in Gaza as terrorists.

“But the truth is clear: this government is an active participant in genocide. And the British people oppose it.

“We are not going to take this anymore.”

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “In just 12 months, this Labour government has boosted wages, delivered an extra four million NHS appointments, opened 750 free breakfast clubs, secured three trade deals and four interest rate cuts lowering mortgage payments for millions.

“Only Labour can deliver the change needed to renew Britain.”