Starmer promises to tackle ‘addictive’ social media platforms after peers inflict fresh defeat on government – UK politics live | Politics

Keir Starmer He said it was “exaggerated” to suggest that the theft of the former chief of staff’s mobile phone was somehow linked to the subsequent pressure to release documents related to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador. Ben Quinn reports.

Good morning. It will be a busy political news day, but potentially a very messy and messy one. Keir Starmer He is in Helsinki for the meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (Northern European military pact – Nordics, Baltics, Netherlands and UK) and is currently speaking to the media. In the House of Commons, this is the last day before the Easter recess, meaning “litter day” – in this case the litter are government announcements that must be reported to parliament (so they cannot be announced during the recess), but are held back because they are moderately embarrassing (or sometimes too boring). There are 24 written ministerial statements (full list) Here). Few of these are likely to make major headlines, but there should be a lot here for people interested in the workings of government.

And with the parliamentary session also about to end soon (the new king is expected to speak) It will take place on Wednesday, May 13th), the government is also trying to get all its bills on the statute book. And last night he faced a new problem after his peers voted for a second time to add a clause to the bill that would see the government impose an Australian-style social media ban on under-16s.

The government has already launched a consultation on a ban case and is including provisions in the child welfare and schools bill that will allow the ban to be implemented very quickly, so the gap between what the Lords have requested and what the government has already proposed is quite narrow. However, Starmer does not want a complete ban on social media for people under 16, as he thinks other options may be more effective.

Speaking to reporters in Helsinki, Starmer said he was determined to do more to combat “addictive features in social media” and that he would make further statements on this issue tomorrow. Asked about the Los Angeles case in which Meta and YouTube were held accountable for deliberately designing addictive products, he said he thought the public should call for more aggressive oversight of social media companies. He continued:

Obviously we will review this decision very carefully, but I am absolutely clear that we need to go further.

The current situation is not good enough. We need to do more to protect children.

For this reason, we consult on issues such as banning social media for people under the age of 16.

I’m very keen that we do more about the addictive aspects of social media.

We’ve already got the powers so when we get to the end of the consultation we don’t have to wait years to implement it.

But I want to be really clear, not if things will change, but things will change. The question is; how much and what will we do?

And that’s what we’re working on. I’ll talk more about this tomorrow.

Here is the agenda of the day.

9.30: The Department for Work and Pensions publishes annual poverty figures. The Ministry of Energy Security and Net Zero also publishes fuel poverty figures.

10am: Reform UK Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick held a media event at a Dover petrol station to support the party’s call for VAT on petrol to be halved for three months.

10am: Scotland’s first minister John Swinney has launched the SNP’s 2026 election campaign. Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar launches his party’s Holryood election campaign at 10.30am, and at 1.30pm Scottish Conservative Party leader Russell Findlay launches his campaign.

11.30: A lobby briefing is being held in Downing Street.

After 11.30: Pensions Minister Torsten Bell is expected to make a statement in the House of Commons. The inability of the National Savings and Investments to pay its debts to the families of the dead people.

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