MP advises caution on social media use
Young people should “be careful” about posting “whatever pops into your head” on social media, an MP has advised as she re-stated an apology for a series of tweets she previously admitted deeply regretting making in her 20s, reports BritPanorama.
Lauren Edwards, leading the effort to legalise assisted dying after it ran out of time in the last Parliament, emphasized that online comments made without proper consideration can lead to significant issues, drawing from her own experiences.
Shortly after becoming an MP in 2024, she acknowledged making a “significant error of judgment” in previously posted remarks about Estonians and Parliamentary cleaners, which she has since deleted. In one of those posts, she used the term “retards.”
In a recent interview with the Press Association, Edwards reiterated her apology, stating, “I would just say the same thing that I said at the time and more recently, that I wholeheartedly apologise.” She noted that during her earlier years, “disablist language was really common in our society” and welcomed the progress made since.
Edwards now positions herself as an advocate for disabled individuals, emphasizing the need to listen to their perspectives. Reflecting on social media use, she advised young people to engage thoughtfully: “It’s important to live life in the present… if you don’t think it through properly can really store up problems.”
She further noted that many individuals, not just the young, are living excessively online: “I think certainly the pandemic showed the value of human experience and getting out there and making a change in your community.”
Edwards has distanced herself from social media since becoming an MP, stating she avoids reading about herself to maintain a balanced perspective. Asked about her role in the assisted dying Bill, she acknowledged the scrutiny it attracts and affirmed her commitment to the issue, stating, “We do need proper assisted dying laws in this country.”
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is set to return to the Commons on September 11, with Edwards expected to lead the debate.
