The UK government’s decision to consider changing the age of consent is a meaningful policy response to a live public debate, but it is not yet a promise to legislate. The immediate task for ministers is to turn a broad expression of sympathy into a transparent examination of what any new rule would cover and how it would protect young people.
Louise Haigh, described by the Guardian as the de facto deputy prime minister, said calls for change deserved “proper consideration and scrutiny” after Mia Latter publicly alleged that Russell Brand raped her when she was 16 and he was 30. Brand denied Latter’s allegations when they were first reported in 2023, according to the Guardian. The Metropolitan Police says its investigation into her allegation remains ongoing.
The legal baseline is stark. Under current UK law, adults of any age may legally have sex with 16- and 17-year-olds. Latter has called for a staggered age of consent that would make relationships between adults and teenagers of those ages unlawful. The report does not say that the government has adopted that model, opened a consultation or committed to a bill.
That distinction matters. A government review could examine whether age gaps, authority or dependency should carry legal consequences, and whether close-in-age relationships need different treatment. But a new boundary without clear exemptions, enforcement plans and routes to support could produce avoidable harm as well as protection. Earlier debate reported by the Guardian included warnings that a change alone may not reduce exploitation and could make some young people less willing to seek contraception or support.
Haigh’s intervention therefore deserves to be treated as the start of a policy test, not its conclusion. Ministers should set out the evidence they will use, the safeguards they would consider and whether they intend to consult publicly before presenting any legislative answer.
Sources
- The Guardian · UK · Source date: 2026-11-15
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-15
Staggered age-of-consent calls: a three-year rule needs safeguards as well as protection