Starmer urged to back ban on smartphones in schools to stop children ‘doom-scrolling’
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
Labour MP Josh MacAlister is calling for a ban on smartphones in schools
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.
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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.
Cutting the annual allowance for cash ISAs could backfire in multiple ways, an influential group of MPs has warned the government.
For months, speculation has been growing that the chancellor may slash the yearly limit for tax-free savings – potentially from £20,000 to £10,000.
The government is hoping to encourage savers to invest in stocks and shares ISAs instead, which can offer greater long-term returns and improve financial health.
But according to the Treasury Committee, slashing allowances would be unlikely to achieve this – and could lead to higher prices for consumers.
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Chancellor faces tough budget choices
Building societies rely on cash ISA savings to fund mortgage lending – and a drop in deposits might lead to higher interest rates or fewer products on the market.
Committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier said “we are a long way” from achieving a culture where substantial numbers of Britons invest in the stock market.
“This is not the right time to cut the cash ISA limit,” she warned. “Instead, the Treasury should focus on ensuring that people are equipped with the necessary information and confidence to make informed investment decisions.
“Without this, I fear the chancellor’s attempts to transform the UK’s investment culture simply will not deliver the change she seeks, instead hitting savers and borrowers.”
Read more: How to get started with a stocks and shares ISA
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Govt ‘not satisfied’ after inflation sticks at 3.8%
The latest figures suggest two-thirds of contributions to ISAs in the 2023/24 tax year went to cash accounts – bringing total holdings to £360bn.
An estimated 14.4 million consumers solely save in a cash ISA, with the average balance standing at £6,993.
Surveys suggest that, if allowances were cut, consumers may move their cash to alternative savings accounts where they would have to pay tax on interest.
Skipton Group executive Charlotte Harrison previously warned: “Building societies, which funds over a third of all first-time buyer mortgages, rely on retail deposits like cash ISAs to fund their lending.
“If ISA inflows fall, the cost of funding is likely to rise, and that means mortgages could become both more expensive and harder to access.”
She claimed a policy change could end up “penalising savers who want low-risk, flexible options” – adding: “Cash ISAs work. Undermining them doesn’t.”
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “At the moment, often returns on savings and returns on pensions are lower than in comparable countries around the world.
“I do want to make sure that when people put something aside for the future, they get good returns on those savings.”
The committee’s warning comes amid speculation over whether Ms Reeves will raise income tax at next month’s budget – breaking a key Labour manifesto pledge.
Newspaper reports have suggested that the basic rate of income tax could be increased for the first time since the 1970s – up 1p to 21%.
This could raise about £8bn and help tackle a black hole in the country’s finances, but risks squeezing consumers further as a cost-of-living crisis continues.
A 1p rise to the higher band of income tax – taking that rate to 41% – is also believed to be under consideration, but this would only boost the nation’s coffers by £2bn.
Ms Reeves has refused to rule out such a move, telling Sky’s deputy political editor Sam Coates that she is looking at both tax rises and spending cuts ahead of her statement to the Commons on 26 November.
The Bank of England is worried that a rise in financiers’ lending to data center lending may cause an AI bubble reminiscent of the dot-com crash in the early 2000s.
The rumored nomination of Michael Selig follows the CFTC nomination process hitting a snag in September when Brian Quintenz was withdrawn.
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