Esther Ghey, the mother of Brianna Ghey, has accused the British government of ‘delaying’ the social media ban. Photo / Supplied
Esther Ghey, the mother of Brianna Ghey, has accused the British government of ‘delaying’ the social media ban. Photo / Supplied
Bereaved families in the UK have criticised British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for delaying a decision on whether to ban social media for under-16s.
Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, said it was “not enough” for Starmer to suggest that an Australia-style social media ban wasmerely one option being considered by ministers.
She has accused the British Government of kicking the issue into the long grass by launching a three-month consultation on a potential ban, saying it is “not clear what fresh information the government hopes to gather”.
In a letter to Starmer, signed by dozens of other campaigners, Ghey said: “Consultation is not action, it is delay, and while we wait, parents and teachers continue to struggle to protect young people and children are being harmed.
“You have talked of a social media ban as being an ‘option’ that can be considered; we know what this means, and it is not enough. The public now expects you to take action and the children that are being exposed to harm every day, including while at school, cannot wait any longer.”
Starmer is understood to want to wait to assess early evidence from Australia’s recent ban on under-16s accessing apps such as TikTok and Instagram, which came into force in December.
Ministers will respond to the findings from Labour’s consultation this summer, which will also consider stricter guidance for schools on phone use and tasking inspectors from Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) with checking how well this is implemented.
But MPs could be forced to make a decision on the matter much sooner, after the House of Lords backed a Tory-led move to push through a ban earlier this week.
By 261 votes to 150, peers voted to outlaw social media access for children, through an amendment to Labour’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The defeat for the government means the House of Commons will now have to consider the amendment.
Ministers have signalled that they will try to quell support for the move, but it is expected to prove tricky amid growing pressure from Labour backbenchers for tougher action from the Prime Minister.
Scale of the problem is ‘painfully clear’
Ghey urged Starmer to support the amendment and warned that “the scale of the problem is already painfully clear”.
She said: “Almost all children are affected, with 97% of 12-year-olds owning a smartphone and teenagers spending an average of 35 hours a week on their phones.
“Despite this, 79% of schools still only operate ‘out of sight’ policies. Incremental change is not enough. Every day that your government delays taking robust and swift action, more children will be let down.”
Brianna Ghey was murdered in Warrington, Cheshire, in 2023 by two teenagers, one of whom she believed to be her friend.
Brianna Ghey was murdered in 2023 by two teenagers, one of whom she believed to be her friend. Photo / Supplied
The pupil’s excessive phone use at school had led to her being excluded. Her mother previously claimed this meant she was “sucked away from society and into the online world where she was at risk of so many harms” instead of being at school with her peers.
Other signatories to the letter to Starmer included Ellen Roome, whose 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died taking part in a social media challenge.
‘Deeply disappointing’
Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, said it was “deeply disappointing that Labour could not bring itself to support” a social media ban for under-16s.
She said: “Instead, Keir Starmer is offering parents another consultation and yet more ‘guidance’ on smartphones in schools. This doesn’t represent action, it’s just more delay.
“We already know government guidance does not work. If we are to be serious about protecting children, we must legislate to ban smartphones in schools and get under-16s off social media … Labour are on the wrong side of this argument, and they continue to dig in.”
A government spokesman said: “We’ve been clear – we will take action to make sure children have a healthy relationship with mobile phones and social media.
“This is a complex issue with no common consensus and it’s important we get this right. That’s why we are launching a consultation to seek views from experts, parents and young people to ensure we take the best approach, based on the latest evidence.”
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