Starmer urged to back ban on smartphones in schools to stop children ‘doom-scrolling’

Published

5 hours ago

October 16, 2024

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Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to support a new law to ban smartphones in schools to stop children “doom-scrolling” – after Number 10 refused to back the plan.

New Labour MP Josh MacAlister is calling for the government to make legal changes to make social media and smartphones less addictive for children and to “empower” parents and teachers to curb screen-time.

The former teacher introduced his Safer Phones Bill on Tuesday which has received backing from cross-party MPs as well as education unions, charities and current and former children’s commissioners.

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One of the key tenets is legally banning smartphones from schools but Sir Keir’s spokesman said the government has “no plans to legislate” that as headteachers can already ban phones from classrooms, although they have no legal backing.

Sir Keir’s spokesman said the bill “won’t go ahead”, but Health Secretary Wes Streeting separately indicated some support for the bill as he said “this is a really timely debate”.

Mr MacAlister said he is not perturbed and told Sky News: “This is a campaign of persuasion.”

As part of the bill, he is calling for:

• Raising the age of “internet adulthood” (the minimum age to create social media profiles, email accounts, etc) from 13 to 16
• Legally banning smartphones from classrooms
• Strengthening Ofcom’s powers to protect children from apps designed to be addictive
• Committing government to review further regulation if needed of the design, supply, marketing and use of mobile phones by children under 16

Current guidance to schools in England intended to stop the use of mobile phones during the school day is non-statutory, and was introduced earlier this year by the previous Tory government. The bill would make it a legal requirement.

Mr MacAlister, who chaired an independent review of children’s social care for the former government, said there was a “huge public health problem” with children around the world having increasing levels of mental health problems, issues with sleep and being impacted by phones in school.

“I’m only interested in one thing, which is making sure we can change the law to protect children and reduce screen time and get them back to having a healthier childhood,” he said.

“Parents are saying they’re facing an impossible choice between either keeping their kids off smartphones and ostracising them or letting children get on these phones and seeing all the harmful effects that it can cause.

“And we need to shape some collective rules that help parents and teachers make better choices for children.

“Children themselves are recognising the harm that comes with all of the doom-scrolling.”

Doom-scrolling is the act of spending an excessive amount of time online consuming negative news or social media content, often without stopping.

Mr MacAlister denied imposing a law would turn the UK into a “nanny state”, saying governments “do have a role to play” to set the rules for big tech companies.

And he said if the government fails to act, calls for a complete smartphone ban for children “will only grow”, which will make it tougher for the tech industry.

“So I’d say to them directly, get on board, engage with this, shape the regulation, help protect children and you will be operating in a UK market, which means you can keep the public onside with all the brilliant work that the tech industry does do without putting children at risk,” the MP said.

Politics

Cabinet ministers write to Starmer in urgent attempt to soften spending cuts in budget

Published

2 hours ago

October 16, 2024

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Cabinet ministers write to Starmer in urgent attempt to soften spending cuts in budget

Cabinet ministers are writing to the prime minister in an urgent attempt to soften some of the spending cuts being demanded ahead of the budget.

The main measures for the budget have to be decided by the end of Wednesday and sent to the Office for Budget Responsibility before the Treasury shuts up for the evening.

Sky News can confirm letters from cabinet ministers complaining about the budget have gone over the head of Chancellor Rachel Reeves to Sir Keir Starmer and Number 10.

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Some of these letters are believed to have gone in over the last couple of days.

After today, only small changes can ordinarily be made to the budget, typically around involving items of tens or hundreds of millions rather than billions. The existence of the letters was first reported by Bloomberg.

Some cabinet ministers are deeply concerned about the scale of the cuts being demanded in some areas to fund pay rises and spending increases elsewhere.

It is understood that Number 10 has received complaints from four government departments: the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Transport, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Ministry of Justice.

Not all of these complaints were made through the medium of a letter.

It is understood the call for an intervention by Number 10 has helped soften a small portion of the cuts for some cabinet ministers’ departments.

But largely the shape of the budget, which is for the most part wrapped up tonight, has remained unchanged – and so have the nerves about how it will land in two weeks.

At the weekend, Sky News revealed one cabinet minister said: “The briefing doesn’t match the reality. It’s pain this year, and pain next year. We’re simply going to be digging a hole which we end up filling in later in the year.”

Ms Reeves will loosen the borrowing rules in the budget in order to give herself more room for spending, along with raising up to £40bn in tax rises and welfare cuts in order to relieve pressure on budgets.

But the cost of significant public sector pay rises, which are still going to have to be found from within departmental budgets, mean cuts this year and next are still being demanded by the Treasury.

Some ministers believe the cuts are unsustainable, while some have pointed to the first round of spending reductions announced before the summer – including the winter fuel allowance changes – as evidence more input from Number 10 is needed ahead of the budget and spending review on 30 October.

One government source told Sky News: “The whole of Number 10 is focused on the budget at the moment and there isn’t much bandwidth for anything else.”

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Government figures insist that letters voicing concern are routinely sent at this point in a spending review process and that this is all normal.

Both Sir Keir and Ms Reeves are out of the country next week, the week before the budget. However, only smaller changes can typically be made after today to the shape of it.