Britons could face immediate driving bans under new Labour proposals

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New laws are being considered to close a loophole in the legal system that would result in tougher punishment for unlicensed drivers.

A Labour MP has tabled a draft bill that would see an unlicensed driver who has never held a valid driving licence and who causes the death of another person automatically convicted of a criminal offence.

Will Stone MP, representing Swindon North, introduced the Road Traffic (unlicensed drivers) Bill to parliament on Tuesday.

He referred to it as the 'Harry Parker Bill' under the name of the 14-year-old school boy from his constituency who was killed by an unlicensed driver in 2022.

Last year the Crown Prosecution Service told Harry's parents that charges had been dropped against the motorist - who was unlicensed, uninsured and left the scene without stopping - due to a lack of evidence reasonably showing they had driven carelessly resulting in the death of their son.

Using the Ten Minute Rule Bill - a motion to seek MPs' permission to introduce a bill to make the case for a new law - Stone told parliament that the current law is 'failing' and there is a need to 'close dangerous gaps in our legal system to impose real world consequences' for those who drive without valid licences.

New laws are being considered by government that would close a loophole in the existing legal system and result in tougher punishment for unlicensed drivers

The bill would make causing death while driving without a licence or insurance a specific criminal offence after previous legislation became effectively redundant. 

It would require an updated to section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Those convicted of careless driving offences face between three and nine penalty points on their licence, an unlimited fine, and an automatic ban from driving depending on the severity of the case.

Will Stone MP, representing Swindon North, introduce the Road Traffic (unlicensed drivers) Bill to parliament on Tuesday

'The law in its current form is failing,' Mr Stone told fellow MPs on Tuesday, with Harry's parents Adam and Kelly Parker also in the chambers.

'A person who does not hold a valid licence has no business being behind the wheel of a car. And when they do so, they put lives at risk.

'I cannot bring back Harry, nor can I give Adam and Kelly the justice that they deserve. 

'No legislation, no speech, no court ruling will ever be able to ease their pain. 

'What we must do is ensure that no other family has to endure what they have been through.

'The Harry Parker Bill seeks to close the dangerous gaps in our legal system and impose real world consequences on those who choose to drive without a license. 

'Those who choose to drive without a valid license will be deemed careless.'

MPs on Tuesday voted to progress the bill to be debated as part of the next stage of the parliamentary process in what has been labelled a landmark with backbench Ten Minute Rule Bill proposals rarely becoming legislation. 

However, it is reported that government is pushing to adopt the bill as part of Labour's new Road Safety Strategy to tackle the number of fatalities on Britain's roads.

The bill will return to Parliament for its second reading on 13 June. 

If approved, it would proceed through further parliamentary stages before potentially becoming law.

The bill would make causing death while driving without a licence or insurance a specific criminal offence after previous legislation became effectively redundant

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It comes almost two decades after the last Labour government introduced a new offence of causing death while driving without a licence or insurance, punishable by up to two years in prison.

However, due to the way the 2006 legislation was worded, its effectiveness was rendered redundant.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that prosecutors still had to prove that careless driving had resulted in the fatality as judges were concerned that otherwise faultless unlicensed drivers would face prison sentences when they were not at fault - for instance, if a drunk pedestrian fell in front of their vehicle.

There is no current national data on the number of unlicensed drivers.

However, past research by the Department for Transport estimated they commit almost one in ten of all motoring offences. 

The government department believes there could be as many as 470,000 people driving on the road without a valid licence in the UK.

Speaking to Sky News, a DfT spokesperson said: 'Every death on our roads is a tragedy and our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Harry Parker.

'The government takes road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the number of those killed and injured on our roads.'