The Government will consider changing the law on the age of consent, a cabinet minister has said.
Work and Pensions Secretary, Pat McFadden, told Sky News: “I think the whole country last week has been appalled by the abuse of power by powerful men.
Asked specifically on the idea of a staggered age of consent, McFadden said “we probably will consider it”, adding: “What we’ll definitely do is think about whatever we can do to help people at the wrong end of these abuses of power.”
It comes after Russell Brand was jailed for rape and sexual assault on Monday.
One of his alleged victims, Mia Latter, who has waived her right to anonymity has called for a staggered age of consent to prevent adults exploiting 16- and 17-year-olds. She said she had a relationship with and was sexually abused by Brand when he was 30, and she 16.
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Shadow minister says staggered age of consent is an ‘interesting idea’
Tory shadow secretary of state for work and pensions, Helen Whatley, has weighed in on the campaign for a staggered age of consent, which the Government has said it may consider.
She said: “I found myself thinking about it, I have a 16-year-old daughter.
“And I know that one sort of thinks as a parent, well, if you’re if your teenage daughter comes home with spending time with somebody who’s in their 40s or my age, we’re like, oh, there’s something funny going on here.
“So I think it’s an interesting idea, I can’t say more than that because I haven’t had time to think through what the potential consequences are of legislating on that.”
Minister rallies Labour MPs ahead of Neets report
Work and Pensions Secretary, Pat McFadden, has called for support for welfare reforms which are likely to come in the wake of the Milburn report.
The highly anticipated report into young people outside of work and education is set to come out this week.
It is widely thought that the government will bring in welfare reforms in response to its findings.
“It’s really important that people don’t have benefit changes before support is in place,” McFadden said. “So we want to put the support in place – that’s the right way round to do this.”
He added : “It is not as though the status quo is leading to a good life.”
After Keir Starmer was forced into an embarrassing U-turn over reforming PIP payments last year, Mc Fadden was keen to emphasise “we are the party of work”.
Cabinet minister says staggered age of consent needs ‘proper consideration’
The Government is considering implementing a staggered age of consent in the wake of the Russell Brand case.
Cabinet Minister Louise Haigh told the Sunday Times that the proposal deserved “proper consideration and scrutiny”.
It comes after Mia Latter, 37, who waived her right to anonymity, revealed herself as one of Brand’s victims to campaign for the law on the age of consent to be changed to protect 16- and 17-year-olds.
“We need to listen to Mia and other victims like her who have been through these experiences, because it’s really important that as lawmakers their experience is at the heart of what we consider,” Haigh said.
Brand was sentenced to ten and a half years in prison after a jury found him guilty of one count of rape and three sexual assaults.
Work and Pensions Secretary, Pat McFadden, told Sky News this morning: “Look, I think the whole country last week has been appalled by the abuse of power by powerful men.
“And a big age gap can be part of that, can be a factor in that. So, I think what we’ve seen over the last week has certainly raised that question.”
Burnham facing first major ‘rebellion against Rosebank oilfield’
Andy Burnham faces his first major rebellion as Prime Minister as up to 75 MPs are prepared to rebel over possible drilling at the Rosebank oilfield, it has been reported.
According to , up to 75 MPs have signed a letter opposing the move and there are hopes it could reach 100.
The Government approved the Jackdaw site last month and is due to announce a decision on the proposed Rosebank site in the coming weeks.
One parliamentary private secretary to a Cabinet minister, who is prepared to resign over the site, said: “I think they underestimate how strongly people feel about climate change. For a generation of us it’s as central to our politics as equality or tackling poverty.”