Senior Labour figure Harriet Harman has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to implement a blanket ban on smartphones in schools, joining growing demands for government action against harmful online content. The former deputy Labour leader, recently appointed as the UK’s special envoy for women and girls, argued Westminster should mandate the prohibition to prevent schools from having to “battle it out” with parents over device policies.
Harman’s intervention comes after Starmer met with children’s charities and screenwriter Jack Thorne to discuss how online misogyny influences young boys. “Is [the Prime Minister] going to side with parents who are terrified and want this content off their children’s phones,” Harman questioned, “or accept the tech bros’ resistance to change?”
The push aligns with Conservative plans announced last month by Kemi Badenoch, who admitted existing guidance under Rishi Sunak had failed to curb classroom phone use. Education experts warn unrestricted smartphone access exposes students to harmful material and disrupts learning, though some schools have resisted outright bans over implementation challenges.
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