UK

A generation of young people will be lost to poor mental health if safeguards on digital technology are not brought forward, a top paediatrician has warned.Baroness Hilary Cass said the impact of smart devices on children’s sleep, attention span, and education is “not just a moral problem but an economic timebomb”.The independent crossbencher called for teachers to receive dedicated training on the issue, in addition to education for parents, as peers debated the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.Then-Dr Hilary Cass previously led a landmark review into gender services for young people, which found children had been let down by a lack of research and evidence on the use of puberty blockers and hormones.Speaking during the Bill’s second reading debate on Thursday, she told the Lords: “Any legislation addressing the subject of safeguarding children, and opportunity, and safety in schools, cannot possibly ignore the impact of digital technology on the lives of children and young people.”Lady Cass argued it’s not just “deliberate harm”, such as cyber bullying, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation and grooming that children are at risk of.“That’s just the tip of the iceberg, there are multiple other risks associated with digital technology that have been discussed in this House, including adverse affects of learning, attention, sleep, educational attainment and mental health.“And addictive apps are particularly a problem, especially for boys,” she said.Lady Cass continued: “This is not just an issue of whether we ban smartphones in schools, there’s a wide array of possible actions that can be part of a strategic, multi-faceted approach to the problem.“For example, RSE (relationships and sex education) is compulsory in schools, and yet there is no requirement to teach young people how to manage the digital technology that occupies so many hours of their lives.“Nor indeed to include appropriate training for the staff that are teaching our infants or older children.“There’s insufficient consideration of the impact of loss of safe place spaces, which would give children alternative recreational activities to spending time on their digital devices.“There’s no focus on providing education and advice to parents on how to manage access to technology so that they can facilitate their children’s learning and development.“So I very much hope that the Government will be receptive to a range of amendments that will address these deficits in the Bill, and thus gift our children with a safer, healthier future.“Without such measures we are looking at losing a generation to poor mental health and to even more young adults being unable to contribute to the workforce.“So this is not just a moral problem, but an economic timebomb that we can ill afford.” More

A former Tory MP was “wrong” to not declare millions of pounds worth of loans from a major right-wing donor, the Commons’ sleaze watchdog has found.Andrew Bridgen, who was expelled from the Conservative Party for comparing the Covid jab to the Holocaust, should have informed parliament about the £4.47m interest-free loan from Jeremy Hosking.Mr Hosking, a backer of the Reclaim Party Mr Bridgen later joined alongside divisive former actor Laurence Fox, offered the loan to support the MP with private legal fees relating to his family’s potato business.Andrew Bridgen was kicked out of the Conservative Party More

A children’s rights campaigner has warned over ministers’ “evangelical” backing for the use of technology in the classroom as she highlighted the risks to pupils’ welfare and education.Filmmaker Baroness Kidron told Parliament that pupils were being wrapped “in a world of digital products” that normalised screen time over human interaction with no proof of the benefits.The independent crossbencher, who has championed children’s online safety, also signalled her support for a statutory ban on smartphones in schools, arguing that legally binding rules rather than current Government guidance would relieve pressure on teachers.Lady Kidron made her comments as peers debated the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which proposes wide-ranging measures, from increased support for care leavers to free breakfast clubs in primary schools and a new register of all home-schooled children in England.It would also curb the freedoms of academy schools, including a requirement to follow the national curriculum.Schools in England were given non-statutory Government guidance in February last year intended to stop the use of phones during the school day.But urging a stronger stance to improve children’s welfare, Lady Kidron said: “One of the easiest and cheapest things we could do is give them a break from the well-documented intrusions of digital tech whilst at school.”She added: “Evidence that I will bring … is showing that restrictions are helpful to school communities not only for learning but for peace in the school community and for friendship and human flourishing.“The current guidance, which is excellent, puts pressure on teachers that statutory rules could relieve.”Lady Kidron went on: “But while ministers are slow on smartphones they are increasingly evangelical about bringing EdTech (education technology) into the classroom.”Although recognising such tech could benefit children with disabilities or special needs, she argued there was no such evidence for many youngsters.Lady Kidron said: “There is no oversight, no pedagogical criteria, no understanding of its efficacy, no proof of learning outcomes.“Some tech is wonderful, some is benign, some we know is in our schools stealing children’s data and stealing their opportunity to learn.“And yet we are rapidly wrapping pupils in a world of digital products that isolate and normalise screen over human with no proof of the benefits.”She went on: “There are many wonderful uses of technology but we have to make sure that schools are a place of privacy, safety and learning for our children.” More

Starmer and Badenoch clash on local elections eveVoters across England are going to the polls for local elections and the Runcorn and Helsby by-election today in the first major test for Sir Keir Starmer’s government.They will also be an important test for Nigel Farage and Reform UK to see if their high poll ratings since last summer translate into real votes.The Tories are also set for a difficult day defending more than 900 council seats across the country while lagging behind both Labour and Reform in most polls.A total of 1,641 council seats are up for grabs in 23 local authorities across England, with the Tories defending 954 of them.A key test for all parties will be in the six mayoral contests for the West of England, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, North Tyneside, Doncaster, Greater Lincolnshire, and Hull and East Yorkshire.And maybe the biggest test of all will be the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, called because of the departure of former Labour MP Mike Amesbury after his conviction for assault.Polls will be open from 7am until 10pm.Analysis | Tories facing biggest challenge in today’s electionsHere is some analysis from our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin: It is the Conservatives who face the most difficult challenge in today’s local elections. The last time this particular set of council elections was held was at the height of Boris Johnson’s “vaccine bounce”. Since then, Partygate and a series of other scandals have reversed the party’s fortunes, leaving it out of power in Westminster for the first time since 2010.But Labour could also struggle in certain seats. Despite its momentous rise to power at the general election last summer, the party has made a series of controversial decisions since then, including scrapping winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners and sweeping welfare and international aid cuts, that could trigger a backlash from voters.Andy Gregory1 May 2025 15:31Reform’s candidate for Doncaster mayor leaves polling stationReform’s mayoral candidate in Doncaster, Alexander Jones, was pictured leaving the polling station.( More

A top lawyer has claimed that the assisted dying bill breaches the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), because of inadequate safeguards for people with disabilities.Tom Cross KC’s review of the legislation comes as the government is expected to publish the impact assessment of the bill, which is due to have its final stages debated in the Commons on 16 May.Mr Cross, who is one of the counsel for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and fellow barrister Ruth Kennedy have warned that the bill breaches Article 14 of the ECHR – the provision that everyone’s rights are protected equally – and would unfairly discriminate people with conditions such as autism, bipolar disorder and depression.Kim Leadbeater has brought forward the assisted dying legislation More

Sir Keir Starmer has been dealt a fresh blow as a second Labour grandee hit out at the party’s policies as polls opened in the local elections.After Sir Tony Blair criticised western governments for failing to do enough to tackle climate change earlier this week, former education secretary Alan Johnson warned Britain’s world class universities are “under threat” as Labour plans a crackdown on immigration. Mr Johnson said the higher education sector is facing a “worrying” situation and urged ministers not to “make the mistake” of trying to cut net migration with measures that could “ruin or close” universities. Former education secretary Alan Johnson warned the government ahead of its expected immigration crackdown More

Nigel Farage has called for an end to the NHS being funded through taxes, but refused to say how it would be paid for instead. The Reform UK leader sparked fresh fears that patients would be charged for accessing the health service if he won a general election, arguing the current model “does not work”. In an interview on the eve of the local elections, Mr Farage said: “I do not want it funded through general taxation. It doesn’t work. It’s not working. We’re getting worse bang for the buck than any other country, particularly out of those European neighbours.” Nigel Farage said he no longer wants an NHS funded through general taxation More

Welcome to an exclusive Ask Me Anything session with me, John Rentoul, The Independent’s chief political commentator.Keep scrolling for more. If you want to jump straight to the Q&A, click here.England’s local elections on 1 May are shaping up to be the most consequential in a generation – a pivotal test for all the major parties, and perhaps a glimpse into the future of British politics.In an exclusive interview with The Independent, polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice said less than half of voters are telling pollsters they will vote for one of the two main parties, in a historic shift in voting patterns.Labour, fresh from its return to government last summer, is under pressure to consolidate its gains, but faces discontent in key heartlands after a string of controversial policy decisions. The Conservatives, battered by years of scandal and now out of Westminster power for the first time since 2010, are fighting to hold their ground in councils they have dominated for decades. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK hopes to convert its surge in national opinion polls into real-world wins, with targets ranging from mayoral races in Lincolnshire and Hull to Labour’s Doncaster stronghold.With dozens of councils, mayoralties and a high-stakes parliamentary by-election in Runcorn and Helsby up for grabs, the results could reshape the political map in ways that will reverberate far beyond Thursday night.So, which seats really matter? How much trouble are the Tories in? Can Reform turn headlines into votes? And how fragile is Labour’s new electoral coalition?Join me live at 12pm BST on Friday, 2 May, as I answer your questions on all the key contests, party strategies, and what the results tell us about Britain’s fast-changing political landscape.Submit your questions in the comments below. If you’re not already a member, click “sign up” in the comments section to participate. For a full guide on how to comment, click here.Don’t worry if you can’t see your question right away – some may be hidden until the Q&A starts. See you at 12pm! More