Rayner Warns Farage’s Reform UK Could ‘Fail a Generation of Young Women’ in Online Safety Row

Published: 17 August ‘2025 | The English Chronicle Desk

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has issued a stark warning to Nigel Farage and Reform UK, claiming their pledge to repeal the Online Safety Act could endanger a generation of young women by removing critical protections against abuse, including revenge porn. Rayner demanded that Farage clarify how his party would safeguard women and girls online if the current legislation were scrapped.

The Online Safety Act, introduced in late July, requires social media platforms and search engines to prevent children from accessing harmful material, including pornography and content encouraging suicide. Reform UK has promised to replace the law with an alternative approach, but has yet to specify how such protections would be enforced.

Labour figures have repeatedly defended the act, citing the risks posed by online abuse. Rayner highlighted the severity of intimate image abuse, noting that under the legislation, revenge porn is considered among the “most severe online offences.” Citing the charity Refuge, Labour estimates that one million young women have experienced revenge porn, while a total of 3.4 million adults have been affected.

Critics of the act, including Farage, have framed it as a threat to free speech and an example of government overreach. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle countered these claims, warning that opposition to the act could embolden those seeking to exploit children online. In response, Farage demanded an apology, while insisting a “tech answer” exists to protect young users, although details remain unclear. He also argued that children can bypass age-verification rules using VPNs, complicating enforcement.

Rayner stressed the urgency of the issue, saying: “Nigel Farage risks failing a generation of young women with his dangerous and irresponsible plans to scrap online safety laws. Scrapping safeguards and having no viable alternative plan in place to halt the floodgates of abuse that could open is an appalling dereliction of duty. It’s time for Farage to tell women and girls across Britain how he would keep them safe online.”

Reform UK representatives have pushed back against Labour’s claims. Westminster councillor Laila Cunningham criticized the government’s record on women’s safety, calling for public debates and accusing Labour of misleading voters. She stated, “Women are more unsafe than ever before thanks to Labour. Starmer has released thousands of criminals back onto the streets early with no regard for women’s safety. I am calling on Jess Phillips to debate me on women’s safety – she ignored the grooming gangs scandal and now she’s wilfully deceiving voters on this issue.”

The debate over the Online Safety Act continues to ignite strong reactions across the political spectrum, balancing concerns over free speech, technological enforcement, and the pressing need to protect vulnerable users from online harm.