Bereaved mum claims PM 'ignoring' meeting request

A bereaved mother calling for stronger protections for children online claims Sir Keir Starmer has "ignored" her request for a meeting.

Ellen Roome has been campaigning since the death of her 14-year-old son Jools in 2022, which she believes was the result of an online challenge gone wrong.

Speaking on Wednesday, Roome said she and 27 bereaved parents had asked in March whether they could discuss the issue with the prime minister but he "won't meet us". She did receive a response from the Technology Secretary.

A Downing Street spokesperson said Sir Keir shared Roome's "determination" on the issue and a consultation into tighter social media protection had been launched.

"As [the prime minister] has said before, this is not a question of if we act, but how," they added.

Roome had called for a change in the law because she believed her son's social media accounts - which she was unable to access - could have held information which would confirm her suspicions an online challenge led to his death.

The government has now amended the Crime and Policing Bill to introduce Jools' Law, which automatically preserves a child's social media data within five days of their death.

This means coroners now have to notify Ofcom, triggering a data preservation notice to ensure crucial online evidence is not deleted during investigation.

Following the success of her Jools' Law campaign, Roome - from Cheltenham - said she wanted to raise awareness of "harmful algorithms".

Speaking after she was given an MBE for services to children's safety on Wednesday, the campaigner said she received a reply from Technology Secretary Liz Kendall to a letter asking for a meeting with Sir Keir, but her request was "ignored" by the prime minster.

"We handed in a letter to Downing Street and then the following day [the prime minister] had a meeting with all the tech companies and you think 'why does he not want to hear our lived experience?'," Roome said.

"I don't have any other children to save or make a difference for but I want to share our stories to make a difference to the children that are still here," she continued.

Roome is due to meet Wes Streeting - who was health secretary until he resigned earlier - to discuss the issue in June.

Roome's MBE was presented to her by the Prince of Wales, who the campaigner said was "massively passionate" about children's safety.

"At the very end he said 'please do contact me if I can do any more to help', which was very nice," she said.

When asked about Roome's claim that her request for a meeting had been ignored, a government spokesperson said Roome and other bereaved parents had been "powerful voices in calling for a safer online world for children".

"That's why we have launched a consultation looking at everything from age limits and safer design features to a social media ban.

"We've also launched pilots with hundreds of UK families, and are engaging with parents, children and experts - to ensure we take the best approach," they said.

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