2026: Week 25 - Heatwaves and Social Media

I can’t talk about the past week without mentioning the heatwave that hit Britain.  We all tried to manage as best we could but it was three days of extreme temperatures and very uncomfortable nights.  I cannot understand how we are still seeing climate change deniers, when it is very evident that we are beginning to see hotter summers, wetter winters and unpredictable extreme weather events.

This latest heatwave hasn’t just affected the UK, Spain and France have been equally affected with Paris recording record temperatures over 40 degrees, and Northern Spain, which is usually a lot cooler, has seen high temperatures more usually associated with the Southern part of the country.

It is time for the Government to urgently address the fact that UK infrastructure is woefully inadequate to cope with the new weather conditions were are seeing. We need to make new houses more able to keep cool in extreme heat, schools, workplaces and other public buildings should be updated to ensure that everyone using those spaces are able to do so comfortably, whatever the weather.

Up in Westminster, I was chosen in the ballot for Prime Minister’s Questions, and I took the opportunity to ask the Prime Minister about the ban on social media and whether the Government were going to go further in their efforts to hold the tech companies to account. 

Currently they are classified as platforms, and that classification means that they are not directly responsible for the content they host on their “platform”.  However, in recent years, the increase of sophisticated algorithms which decide what a user is shown on their feed, there is a very strong argument that these social media companies are no longer platforms, but publishers of content.  If they are classified as publishers then they are immediately responsible for the content on their sites, and then would be beholden to the laws of whatever country they are in.

As is often the case, the Prime Minister didn’t really answer my question, but I will continue to raise this issue and ensure it is highlighted in Parliament.  Everyone deserves to be safe online, regardless of age.

Closer to home I was privileged to be invited to the launch of Young Devon’s new Youth Enquiry Service right in the middle of the constituency in Newton Abbot!

The space used to be The Change Academy, but Young Devon have given the building a fresh new look to make it even more welcoming and young person friendly.

Newton Abbot YES will provide a safe, supportive drop-in space where young people can access counselling, join group sessions, get advice, or simply pop in for a chat.

The launch event was also a celebration of everything Young Devon does for young people across the county. It was brilliant to see young people taking over the decks and DJing throughout the event and getting involved.

If you’re in the area, pop in and meet the team. They would love to show you around, tell you more about YES, and chat about how they can support young people in the community.