Markus Andrews

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreStrike threats by the unions representing teachers and nurses have been joined by other public sector workers as disquiet over a cap on pay rises increases.The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) general secretary Matt Wrack, a former Trades Union Congress (TUC) president, has made it clear that his members could also go out on strike if demands for a 5 per cent pay settlement are not met next year.Unions representing teachers and nurses are upset at the plans to only award their members 2.8 per cent next year as chancellor Rachel Reeves tries to keep a handle on ballooning public spending.Already the chancellor has put up taxes by £40 billion in her first Budget and she has now told departments they need to find 5 per cent of savings.Rachel Reeves called for every government department to cut costs by 5 per cent (Dan Kitwood/PA) More

Tractor procession begins in Westminster as farmers continue inheritance tax protestYour support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreThe president of the National Farmers’ Union fought back tears as he explained the impact of tax changes on farmers to MPs, as a noisy protest by farmers took place nearby.Tom Bradshaw appeared emotional as he told the Commons Environment Committee of the “more severe human impacts” the policy could have, including the risk of farmers taking their own lives.Under the changes to inheritance tax in Rachel Reeves’ Budget, a 20 per cent levy will be charged on agricultural assets worth more than £1m. Mr Bradshaw said: “It’s not money. This is a lifetime of work, its the heritage and the custodianship of their farm.”He gave evidence as hundreds of farmers gathered in Westminster with their tractors in a second protest in as many months against Labour’s plan. Whitehall was blocked with the parked tractors before a slow procession took place of Westminster as part of the day of action organised by Save British Farming and Kent Fairness for Farmers.But Sir Keir Starmer appeared resolute on Labour’s policy when questioned during prime minister’s questions. The prime minister said: “In a typical family case, the threshold is £3m so the vast majority of farms will be unaffected, despite the fear mongering of the party opposite.”More pictures from today’s protest( More

Sir Keir Starmer compared Kemi Badenoch to “an arsonist complaining about the person putting the fire out” in a heated immigration debate during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 11 December.Attacking his record as Director of Public Prosecutions, the Conservative leader said the prime minister backed criminals instead of law-abiding British people, arguing that Sir Keir voted against more than 100 migration control measures and said it was wrong when the previous government revoked Shamima Begum’s citizenship.Sir Keir defended his record by declaring he “dedicated 5 years of his life to law enforcement” and described Ms Badenoch’s accusations he has not done anything were like “an arsonist complaining about the person putting the fire out.” More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreFormer Europe minister Denis MacShane has blamed Yvette Cooper’s Home Office for holding up important concessions needed to reset Britain’s relationship with the EU.The former Labour MP was responding to European affairs minister Nick Thomas-Symonds indicating to peers on Tuesday that the government could be open to agreeing a youth mobility scheme dependent on the proposal brought forward by Brussels.Until now, Keir Starmer’s government has been opposed to agreeing the proposal because the prime minister does not want to cross any of the red lines in his manifesto including allowing any form of free movement of people with the EU.Former Europe minister Denis MacShane lashed out at the Home Office on XIn a first hint of compromise, Mr Thomas-Symonds, who will be leading the Brexit reset talks next year, told the Lords’ European affairs committee: “It’s for the EU to finalise proposals it wants to put on the table. It depends on what precisely you mean by youth mobility.”But Mr MacShane, who is visiting Brussels, believed that Mr Thomas-Symonds was being “ultra-cautious” and blamed the Home Office for hold ups in the talks.He posted on X (formerly Twitter): “I fear Nick Thomas-Symonds sticking to an ultra cautious line – up to EU to spell out what they want. They have on youth mobility. “It’s the Home Office obstructing. Under Tony Blair the Treasury sabotaged closer work with the EU. Now it’s the Home Office.”European affairs minister Nick Thomas-Symonds will be leading the Brexit reset talks next year More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreWatch as Sir Keir Starmer faced Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 11 December, as protesting farmers descended upon Westminster.Hundreds are expected to bring their tractors to the streets around the House of Commons as rural communities continue to express anger over Labour’s changes to inheritance tax.The “RIP British Farming” demonstration, organised by Kent Fairness for Farmers and Save British Farming, is in response to the Budget which included changes to inheritance tax for agricultural businesses and a faster phaseout of EU-era subsidies in favour of environmental payments.It comes after around 13,000 people rallied in Westminster against the Budget last month in a similar protest.Tractors are expected to travel into the capital from Exmoor, Shropshire, Somerset and the home counties, for the latest action. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreMost family farms will not be able to benefit from a loophole that is used by the super rich to avoid inheritance tax, meaning smaller estates are likely to be hit especially hard by the government’s tax raid. In order to avoid being hit with the levy, a widely used tactic by people facing inheritance tax is to pass down assets seven years before death – but many family farms will be unable to do so as a result of the ‘gifts with reservation’ clause.The clause means that if a farmer passes down their estate but still benefits from it by either living on the property or using the returns to fund their lifestyle, they will still be taxed on it.However, wealthy investors who have bought up farmland are unlikely to be living on the property, meaning they can pass down the assets and benefit from the loophole. It comes despite the government claiming the changes to inheritance tax were introduced to discourage wealthy figures, like entrepeneur James Dyson and TV personality Jeremy Clarkson, buying up agricultural land to bypass inheritance tax.Hundreds of farmers arrive in Westminster to protest the inheritance tax changes More

Labour’s plans for fast-tracking prison building would involve overruling the objections of local authorities, justice secretary Shabana Mahmood appeared to accept.When asked by BBC Breakfast if the government would override the objections of local people and local councils, the MP for Birmingham Ladywood replied: “Yes, so our manifesto commitment was that we consider prisons to be of national importance.“These are critical infrastructure projects, they are absolutely necessary to make sure the country doesn’t run out of prison places.”In the future, a new prison building would take place according to the crown development route and the decision would go to Angela Rayner, the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, Ms Mahmood explained. More

Nigel Farage squirmed in a heated interview as he was questioned on a Reform UK MP’s assault conviction for kicking his former girlfriend 18 years ago.The party leader described James McMurdock as someone who has “picked himself up from a terrible situation and made a big success.”The former investment banker did not publicly disclose his conviction for assault before being elected and claimed he had “pushed” his partner.The Times later obtained information about his sentencing from the courts, which said he was locked up for 21 days in a young offenders’ institute for kicking the victim “around four times” in 2006 when he was a teenager.Mr Farage dismissed the “discrepancy” between Mr McMurdock’s comments about the incident and the official record as an issue for constituents. More