Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government planned to bar children under 16 from social media, following similar efforts in Australia and elsewhere.

The U.K. seems to be following Australia's lead in banning a wide swath of social media for teens.

Sir Keir Starmer is set to ban under-16s from 10 major social media platforms, including X, but not Bluesky, the Left-wing app.

The post Starmer to Ban Under-16s From 10 Social Media Apps, Including X, but not Bluesky appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

John Healey has resigned as defence secretary over Sir Keir Starmer’s defence investment plan, accusing the Prime Minister of failing to "meet the moment" over his long-delayed proposals to boost military spending.

The post John Healey Quits as Defence Secretary Over Starmer Military Funding Failure appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Can anyone or anything stop Andy Burnham becoming PM now, asks Mark Littlewood in his latest Political Betting column as he contemplates breaking his usual rule and taking the 2/5 odds-on bet.

The post Can Anyone or Anything Stop Andy Burnham Now? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Months after Australia banned social media for everyone under 16, the British government is considering new policies to keep children safe online.

Starmer wants to ban children from social media. Jack Watson, 17, argues the Government is making a serious mistake – in his experience, the benefits of social media outweigh the costs.

The post As a 17 Year-Old Who Has Spent my Entire Life on Social Media, I Think the Benefits Outweigh the Costs appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Starmer is set to ban under-16s from social media altogether within days – with fines for mobile phone manufacturers that don't comply.

The post Starmer Poised to Ban Under-16s From Social Media in ‘Australian-Plus’ Crackdown appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

While Westminster’s attention is focused on Andy Burnham and Makerfield, another pivotal byelection is taking place in Scotland’s north-east

The coming byelection in Makerfield, from where Andy Burnham aspires to make rapid progress towards Downing Street, is perhaps the most consequential in British political history. But the decision by the Scottish National party’s former Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, to relocate to Holyrood means that another pivotal contest is taking place more than 350 miles to the north. If Makerfield is a test case for Mr Burnham and Labour’s ability to see off Reform UK, Mr Flynn’s old constituency of Aberdeen South is on the frontline of the increasingly fraught politics of North Sea oil.

Labour, despite finishing second in the 2024 general election thanks largely to anti-Tory tactical voting, will not be expecting much this time round. The ramifications of Donald Trump’s reckless war in Iran have exposed Britain’s ongoing vulnerability to fossil-fuel-related energy shocks, highlighting the practical benefits of moving to a green economy. But the knock-on effects of the closure of the strait of Hormuz have also been a gift for the Scottish Conservatives and Reform, who are framing the byelection as a local referendum on reviving oil and gas production beyond Westminster-imposed limits.

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© Photograph: Iain Masterton/Alamy

© Photograph: Iain Masterton/Alamy

© Photograph: Iain Masterton/Alamy