Overview

• An NSPCC-coordinated alliance hand-delivered a letter to No 10 urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to introduce a total ban on smacking in England.
• Support comes from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Barnardo’s, with signatories including Sir Michael Caine, Alan Shearer, Natalie Dormer and Samantha Morton.
• The push targets Section 58 of the Children Act 2004, which allows a case-by-case defence of “reasonable punishment” and leaves children with less protection than adults.
• A Department for Education spokesperson said the government is reviewing changes in Wales and Scotland but has no plans to legislate at this stage.
• Backers cite research and medical opinion on harm, including a 2024 UCL study on prevalence and Professor Andrew Rowland’s assessment of health risks.