AT Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, MPs from across the political spectrum were seen wearing blue ribbons on their lapel.
The purpose of the ribbon, worn by politicians on the Tory, Labour, and SNP frontbenches, has been made clear by Labour MP Luke Pollard.
Pollard, the representative for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, wrote on Twitter: "You’ll notice a lot of MPs wearing blue ribbons at #PMQs today.
"It’s part of an anti-bullying initiative. Don’t face it alone."
You’ll notice a lot of MPs wearing blue ribbons at #PMQs today. It’s part of an anti-bullying initiative. Don’t face it alone. #SpeakOutAboutBullying @DianaAward @AntiBullyingPro pic.twitter.com/4NlwNvz0pY
— Luke Pollard MP (@LukePollard) June 22, 2022
The anti-bullying campaign day, which falls on June 22, is coordinated by the Diana Award. Named after the late princess, these awards honour young people who work to improve the lives of others.
The campaign's website states: "Thousands of young people experience bullying behaviours every day. They often don’t speak out about it because they are scared of what might happen or they are unsure about who to tell or how to report it online.
"We want to change this by showing young people that they deserve to be heard and that help and support is available."
The drive is supported by tech giants including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok.
The campaign was raised at PMQs in the final question asked of the Prime Minister.
Tory MP Dean Russell (above) asked Boris Johnson to join him “in encouraging any young person experiencing bullying to speak up and speak out”.
In reply, the Conservative leader said: “I think everybody understands that bullying is an absolutely appalling experience and something that we should not tolerate in our society.
“I’m delighted to see so many colleagues, so many honourable members, wearing their blue ribbons today, Mr Speaker, we should all speak out against bullying. We should also make sure that we give everybody the courage to speak out against bullying."
Showing her support for the campaign, SNP MP Joanna Cherry wrote on Twitter: "I know what it’s like to be bullied in your place of work and it’s horrible. Bullying is unacceptable and nobody, especially children, should have to face it alone.
"Find out what you can do to help: http://dontfaceitalone.com"
