Starmer promises to tackle ‘addictive’ social media platforms after peers inflict fresh defeat on government – UK politics live

The government has launched a consultation on banning social media for under-16s but peers voted to move faster

• House of Lords pushes for Australian-style social media ban for under-16s

Yesterday Steve Reed, the local government secretary, announced that 15 new councils will be created in the south and east of England as part of the government’s local government reorganisation. Patrick Butler has the story here.

James Cleverly, the shadow local government secretary, responded with a statement saying:

This is outright gerrymandering from a Labour government desperate to shore up its collapsing support.

Reorganisation should be bottom-up, informed by and reflecting local priorities and voices. Instead, Labour are imposing top-down decisions on communities while claiming to be empowering them.