This week we have seen landmark child protection legislation threatened by a post-truth social media operation. One where individuals can spread lies across the world with the click of a button. Where proper fact checking is pared back and opinion takes centre stage – whether informed or not. Where people jump on issues with little or no understanding about the context. And where ego trumps public service.

Is it a coincidence that on the day Labour prepared to announce major, positive reforms to child welfare, the Conservatives, after a conspicuous absence, revisited an emotive debate about child grooming – which took place on their watch?

Those appalling events were investigated thoroughly. A seven-year inquiry made recommendations – and the Conservatives, in power for the last 14 years, did not action a single one. I can hardly believe they have the nerve to hijack our excellent Children’s Bill, then somehow blame Labour for their own failings.

Unlike the Conservatives, we do take this report seriously and are taking immediate action to support victims and stop this from ever happening again.

Another key player in this was world’s richest man – who has not been elected, has unclear interests in the UK, and who does not live here. He has paired up with divisive figures and convicted felons to spread misinformation.

It can be argued that this situation went beyond party politics, and entered the realm of challenging democracy.

Whichever side of the political spectrum people sit on, surely no-one can condone the subsequent personal attacks on individual MPs such as Jess Phillips, who has done more to help victims of abuse than the vast majority of people in the UK. There have also been disgusting threats of violence made to many of my back bench colleagues which we cannot ignore.

We are not part of a cover-up. The appalling grooming events were reported extensively, including on the front page of The Times.

We’ve seen a similar ‘post truth’ situation with immigration – where the Conservatives failed to address the issue for 14 years, wasted £700-million on the Rwanda scheme which didn’t return a single migrant – and now blame us – the party that has returned 16,400 illegal migrants and foreign offenders since the election - the highest six-month total since 2018.

But then, these forces don’t let facts stand in the way of a good story.

In contrast, Labour has implemented the landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which will deliver the biggest child protection reforms in a generation, funding of breakfast clubs and capping the number of branded school uniform items to save £500 per child, driving high standards in schools and breaking barriers to opportunity so all children can thrive. This means that where you come from doesn’t determine where you end up and if you work hard, you should be able to get on in life.

I will be sharing more on that once the climate is right to have a more grown-up conversation.

Noah Law

Labour MP for St Austell and Newquay