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MPs have voted against a proposal to ban under-16s from using social media.
The Conservatives had pushed for the move via an amendment to the government’s flagship education legislation currently going through parliament: the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
It had been backed by the House of Lords, but was defeated in the Commons on Monday night by 307 votes to 173.
Calls for a ban have gained traction after Australia became the first country in the world to enforce one back in December. Since then, other nations – including in Europe – have been flirting with the idea.
Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of “dither and delay” by announcing the UK government will consult on a possible ban, without committing to one.
In a statement after the Commons vote, the Liberal Democrats said his stance was “not good enough” and “families need concrete assurances now”.
During the debate, shadow education secretary Laura Trott described the situation as an “emergency”, as she cited polling which suggested 40% of children are shown explicit content on smartphones during the school day.
“No more guidance, no more consultations. Legislate, do something about it,” she said.
Government leaves door open to action
Some 107 Labour MPs abstained on the amendment to the education bill, including Sadik Al-Hassan, who told the Commons parents were…
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