Bereaved mum issues social media ban for kids plea ahead of fresh Lords clash

Peers are gearing up for a fresh clash on banning social media for under-16s on Monday as a bereaved mum called on the Government to act now. Tory peer Lord Nash will lead another push to force ministers to commit to an Australia-style ban within a year, after MPs rejected the proposal less than two weeks ago. Ministers tabled an amendment on Friday committing to action within three years, which is understood to be designed as a backstop to ensure a future Government can't derail the plans. But Lord Nash urged peers to reject it and to vote for his amendment instead. The row threatens the passage of the flagship Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill into law before Parliament rises this week. The Government has not supported the amendments as it is consulting on a range of online safety measures, including a social media ban, curbing addictive features on apps and overnight curfews. Keir Starmer told the Mirror last month that he was "open minded" on the idea of a ban, but he was absolutely committed to tackling the social media wild west. Lord Nash, a former schools minister, said: "This week, Parliament has a final chance to reject the Government's shamefully inadequate approach and vote for my amendment, which would put a commitment to raising the age to 16 on the face of the Bill. "As this Bill reaches its final stages, let no one be in any doubt: I will not stop until we have that commitment." Ellen Roome, who believes her son Jools, 14, died after a social media challenge went wrong, said: "How many more children will be harmed every day by the catastrophic effects of social media? How many more children will we lose while the Prime Minister gives himself the option of doing almost nothing? "How does any of this square with the language we were given - that it would be months, not years before action?" Australia restricted access for under 16s at the end of last year, while other European countries including Spain and Greece have similar plans. Research by Opinium recently showed more than seven in 10 (72%) British parents want under-16s to be blocked from having social media accounts. But not all bereaved parents and online safety charities support the idea. Ian Russell, whose 14-year-old daughter Molly took her own life in 2017 after being inundated with harmful content, has said it would be better to enforce existing laws. A Government spokesperson said: "We've been clear that we will take action to make sure children have a healthy relationship with social media. This isn’t a question of whether, but how we will act. "This is a complex issue with no overall consensus. That's why we have launched a consultation looking at everything from age limits and safer design features to a social media ban, as well as pilots with hundreds of UK families, to ensure we take the best approach, based on the latest evidence. "We know parents and children want us to act fast, and through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill we have taken new legal powers to do exactly that - so we can move quickly once the consultation concludes."