Ministers have embarked on a concerted lobbying operation to prevent a backlash from the Trump administration to the under-16s social media ban announced by Keir Starmer on Monday.In terms of the practical substance, it's above my paygrade. But I can make a judgement on the politics as well as the next man. Weaky Starmer, it isn't.
Officials said they have spent weeks trying to reassure senior Trump officials and the US president himself that the restrictions were not specifically aimed at US technology companies.
The ban on platforms including X, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok, makes the UK the second country in the world to put sweeping limits on social media for children, after Australia did the same earlier this year.
But British officials are aware of the risk of retaliation from Trump, whom Starmer will meet at the G7 summit in Evian this week, and who has previously threatened the UK with “a big tariff” if the government does not drop its digital services tax.
Crabcakes wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2026 7:18 pm It would doubtless need to be redefined in part because times have moved on, but it was in part about unlawful and improper behaviour in press organisations, and to make recommendations for the future.Fair point, the remit was broader than I remember.
Crabcakes wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2026 7:14 pmI'm afraid that's pie in the sky. Won't happen, and wouldn't work if it did.Malcolm Armsteen wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2026 5:49 pm So what's your answer?To begin, stronger education for children in how to recognise misinformation and analyse what they see and hear, the dangers of social media (rather than just “no!”), greater investment in youth services, Leveson 2 (and further) and a properly funded and independent press regulator with real power that also covers output on social media platforms, remove all government services from
X to set an example of not engaging with poorly regulated services.
That would be a start, but it is a long, complex and difficult issue to deal with. Which is why I’m sure a simplistic blanket ban on a population with limited voice and influence seems an appealing solution.
“It feels like all ideas are on the table again,” said one MP. “When you think about the legacy of this Labour government, whether this government likes it or not in 20 years people are not going to be speaking about breakfast clubs – but they will remember if we significantly boosted paternity leave and gave families time together in those critical early days.”I was skeptical about breakfast clubs, but they're actually a good example of spending a relatively small amount of money to get benefits beyond that one thing. Kids who might not attend school or turn up late are there, having a free breakfast. Kids who don't particularly like school get a bit of less formal time to ease themselves in. They're an excellent idea.
I think the new Chair might be an improvement.*A* chair (of the wooden kind) would be an improvement...
Boiler wrote: ↑Tue Jun 02, 2026 7:53 pmEastenders used to be called "the programme that saved the BBC", I recall. That was putting it a bit strongly, but it must have helped keep the Thatcher Government quiet. At least until The Monocled Mutineer was on. I don't get the fuss about that. Saying it was a true story, when it was just based on some true events? That's bad if it's a fairly recent event, but the First World War had ended nearly 70 years earlier.Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Tue Jun 02, 2026 7:01 pm If anyone had an umbrella at my school, one of us would open and close it repeatedly and say "Doctor Who monster!" We probably weren't the only people to make that joke. This was coincidentally about the time that Michael Grade was Controller of BBC1.And gave us Eastenders instead.
Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2026 8:12 pmAs an ex-teacher it was always a bloody obvious way of improving the achievement, especially of working class kids. That's why we started it in the 80s.“It feels like all ideas are on the table again,” said one MP. “When you think about the legacy of this Labour government, whether this government likes it or not in 20 years people are not going to be speaking about breakfast clubs – but they will remember if we significantly boosted paternity leave and gave families time together in those critical early days.”I was skeptical about breakfast clubs, but they're actually a good example of spending a relatively small amount of money to get benefits beyond that one thing. Kids who might not attend school or turn up late are there, having a free breakfast. Kids who don't particularly like school get a bit of less formal time to ease themselves in. They're an excellent idea.
If Labour has MPs who can't be arsed to make the case for them, I don't think we'll miss them too much if they lose their seats.
Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Mon Jun 15, 2026 8:32 pm I see Michael Grade is still going. People who objected to shit pumped out by GB News only want "Islington" views, apparently. Clown. I think the new Chair might be an improvement.Handy cut-out step-by-step guide for media illiterate media types:
- By The Weeping Angel
- By RedSparrows