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 moreSir Keir Starmer has refreshed a pre-election pledge to restore policing to Britain’s streets as he tries to relaunch his government just five months after winning the election.The prime minister will announce on Thursday that he plans to put “a named police officer in every neighbourhood” as he tries to win back the trust of voters after a difficult start to his time in Downing Street.His “plan for change” comes as the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) issues a report raising serious doubts over whether Sir Keir can succeed in his number one mission of creating economic growth.The prime minister will make a speech in the south of England with a pitch to voters that Labour is on the side of “hard-working British people and grafters” with support for his party plummeting in the polls.As well as addressing police numbers, it is understood Sir Keir will attempt to pivot his government’s economic policy away from growth and towards raising the standard of living.It comes after a bumpy start for Labour in which the prime minister, his ministers and even his wife were caught up in a freebies scandal; the departure of his first chief of staff Sue Gray; the forced resignation of a cabinet minister Louise Haigh; and a barage of criticism over a Budget with a record £40bn of tax rises.Keir Starmer prepares to reset his government 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 moreKeir Starmer’s plan to reset the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the European Union has suffered a blow with the loss of a key ally. French prime minister Michel Barnier lost a no-confidence motion after he pushed a controversial budget through without a vote.Mr Barnier will have to tender his resignation and that of his government to President Emmanuel Macron, making the politician, who was in post for less than three months, the shortest serving French PM in modern times. That would mark a setback for Sir Keir, who has worked with Mr Barnier since his time as the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator in the years after the UK voted to leave the bloc.Keir Starmer and Michel Barnier 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 moreBritain’s first female Sikh MP has brought forward a bill which she hopes will end decades of discrimination against Jews and Sikhs in the UK.Preet Kaur Gill, Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, tabled her legislation in the Commons in a 10-minute rule bill, aimed at forcing the authorities to start to recognise Jews and Sikhs as ethnic groups not just religious ones.Jews and Sikhs are two of the top three ethnic groups to experience hate crimes in the UK yet do not have data collected to help the police and other authorities tackle discrimination.Added to that there is a concern that the NHS is also not collating data of health issues related to the ethnic groups leading to worse outcomes. The issue became accute during the covid pandemic when data about other ethnic groups was being tracked by health services.Preet Kaur Gill brought forward a bill to end discrimination against Jews and Sikhs 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 moreKeir Starmer is under increasing pressure to scrap the controversial two child benefit cap after the SNP announced it will abolish the limit in Scotland. The move would lift 15,000 youngsters out of poverty, Scottish finance secretary Shona Robison said. Labour has so far stuck with the cap, one of George Osborne’s ‘austerity’ measures, but pledged to ‘do the sums’ on how much abolition would cost. But the policy, hated by many within Labour, triggered the first rebellion of his premiership earlier this year. Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure to scrap the controversial two child benefit cap 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 moreA Labour MP has become the first to break ranks and declare he would rebel against his party’s controversial ‘farm tax’. The move will increase pressure on the chancellor Rachel Reeves to U-turn on her inheritance tax raid, which critics say could sound the death knell for many family farms.Markus Campbell-Savours, the Labour MP for Penrith and Solway, said he was “not prepared to break my word” to farmers in his constituency. As MPs prepared to vote on a non-binding Conservative motion against the tax, he added: “If today was the real vote I would vote against the government’s plans.” Farmers protesting in central London over the changes to inheritance tax rules (Andrew Matthews/PA) 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 moreGreece and the British Museum are “still some distance” from a deal to send the Elgin Marbles back to Athens, George Osborne has said.The former chancellor, now chairman of the museum, confirmed it is looking at a deal that would see some of the sculptures returned to Athens in exchange for Greek treasures being displayed in London.But he said that, while the museum is being left to it in negotiations with Greek officials, any agreement is a long way off.George Osborne, pictured here with former prime minister David Cameron, said we are ‘still some distance’ from seeing a deal done 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 moreDavid Lammy urged European Nato members to ramp up defence spending ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January. The US president-elect has been highly critical of European states relying on American funding for their security, accusing European countries of free-riding on America’s promise of protection.Speaking at a meeting of Nato’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, Mr Lammy said Nato allies must “get serious” about the need to increase defence budgets. “The time to act is now,” the foreign secretary warned, as Europe faces growing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.However, the government is yet to set out its own plans for increasing spending on defence to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product.David Lammy pressed Nato members to ramp up defence spending 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 moreBritain’s entire Army would be destroyed in “six months to a year” in a major war, a defence minister has warned.Al Carns, the veterans minister, said the extremely high casualty rate currently being suffered by Russian forces in Ukraine – around 1,500 soldiers a day – highlighted the importance of rebuilding the UK’s reserves. His warning comes just weeks after the defence secretary said that Britain’s armed forces were so depleted that the country is not ready to fend off an invasion.In a damning assessment of the state of the UK’s defences, John Healey said that while the military could conduct operations “what we’ve not been ready to do is to fight”.Mr Carns, who is himself a reservist, delivered his warning at a conference on reserves at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London.Ukrainian troops training for their war with Russia More