Fred Thomas MP

Social media is intentionally addictive & actively harming young people. That’s not just my opinion. It’s now been found by two juries in the US. These cases are the first of many. And I hope they continue to build the case here to finally ban social media for under 16s.

BBC have spoken to Meta and TikTok whistleblowers who describe recent direction deliberately prioritising engagement over user safety. We should protect children from harmful content. I will be watching Inside The Rage Machine when it comes out tonight. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Our personnel in the Middle East are not “hanging around”. They are protecting British bases, British personnel and British interests. Political point scoring that insults their service is deeply disappointing.

We don’t just need to spend more on defence - we need to spend differently. Why are we using millions of pounds of missiles to shoot down Iranian drones worth only thousands? We’re helping Ukraine build cheaper counter-drone capability. It’s time we built it at home too.

Read full story here - theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/f…

“Every day that goes by with children being harmed is one we will regret. We must help parents protect under-16s by removing their access to this addictive, dangerous content." Pleased to give a quote to @kiranstacey @guardian on the prospect of an u16s social media ban 👇

The UK, US and Australia are all fully committed to this historic partnership. And all agreed that the focus must be on delivery. Full steam ahead delivering cutting-edge equipment to help advance shared defence priorities. More to come.

As global instability rises, the success of AUKUS is critical to British security. It strengthens deterrence, integrates our industrial bases, and shows that the UK, US and Australia are serious about our long-term partnership.

A real pinch-me moment to step aboard an operational American hunter-killer nuclear submarine USS Vermont with the Defence Committee in Australia last year. Not somewhere many people get the chance to go. Steel, silence, and hugely impressive design.

Last week the Defence Committee held a session on undersea activity. I was pleased to recommend Brett from MSubs to appear before the Committee. Based in Plymouth, MSubs are a fantastic example of a successful British SME designing and building cutting-edge submersibles.

Thank you to the people of the United Kingdom, @Keir_Starmer and @JohnHealey_MP for the new and timely air defense package worth over £500 million. I am also grateful that the UK has joined the PURL program with a substantial contribution of £150 million, which will allow us to purchase additional American-made weapons, primarily air defenses. Russian attacks on our people, energy, and other life-sustaining infrastructure continue unabated, and each strike can inflict significant damage. Therefore, such leadership and support are especially vital now, amid the winter cold. Thank you!

A pleasure to knock on some doors in Gorton and Denton for our fantastic candidate Angeliki Stogia! Lots of honest but positive conversations with folks up there. Looking forward to getting home to Plymouth now for lots of visits and a surgery to see out the rest of the week.

Great to be out campaigning on a sunny day in Plymouth! @PlymouthLabour

Great to meet with the Polish Defence Committee yesterday. Very interesting discussions about the future of European defence, and the shared challenges we face. @CommonsDefence @PolishEmbassyUK

Social media is robbing children of their childhoods. I want to see a ban for U16s as soon as possible. It’s good to see countries like Spain and France taking decisive action, whilst public support in the UK continues to grow. I asked the Government how quickly we can act👇

“Today our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone ... We will protect them from the digital Wild West.” ^ Good to hear from Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez, announcing a social media ban for under 16s this morning.

There is overwhelming and conclusive evidence that algorithmically addictive social media content is causing a public health crisis, and parents, educators and children need Government to step in and protect children. (3/3)

I am confident that consultation and evidence gathering, including from young people themselves, will show what I believe is crystal clear 👇 (2/3)

I would welcome a Government amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill enabling the UK to remove access to social media for under 16s through secondary legislation, based on consultation. (1/3)