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    Rachel Reeves accused of making Britain uninvestable as she insists there is no alternative to tax hikes

    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 moreRachel Reeves has been accused by business chiefs of making it hard to invest in Britain, prompting her to insist there was no alternative.Directly facing her critics at the CBI conference after weeks of negativity about her autumn Budget, a defensive chancellor pledged that businesses in the UK will not have to suffer another one like it before the next election.Squaring up to her detractors, she told them: “I have heard a lot of feedback about my Budget but not any alternative suggestions.”Ms Reeves insisted that the government had provided a “rock of stability” so that industry could be confident in their future planning.Businesses have not held back their anger on the increase in national insurance contributions, which has been branded a “jobs tax”.Rachel Reeves insisted to the CBI that she had provided a rock on which industry could build More

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    New Downing Street cat Prince being kept apart from No 10’s chief mouser Larry, Keir Starmer reveals

    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 revealed his new family kitten, Prince, has not yet met Downing Street’s famous mouse catcher Larry the cat.The Starmer family adopted their new pet Prince, a Siberian kitten, shortly after moving into Downing Street, meaning Larry faced fierce competition as No 10’s chief mouser.The prime minister previously revealed he let his children get the kitten after “a long summer of negotiations”, though they originally pleaded with him to get a dog. Larry the cat – whose title is chief mouser to the Cabinet Office – is Downing Street’s most famous feline occupant, often appearing in photographs and video amid important political moments.Since the Starmer family moved in, Larry has been joined by their rescue cat Jojo and now Prince.Prince is a Siberian kitten. Stock image More

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    Watch live: Rachel Reeves delivers CBI speech as chancellor insists ‘no alternative’ to tax rises

    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 live as Rachel Reeves delivers her CBI speech on Monday (25 November) as the chancellor insists there is “no alternative” to tax rises.Earlier today, the chancellor was accused of catching firms “off guard” and undermining investment and jobs, the head of one of Britain’s leading business groups said.Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said profit is “not a dirty word” because it underpins firms’ ability to invest, but the Government’s actions have hampered that.The Chancellor is expected to tell the organisation there is “no alternative” to tax rises as she holds firm against criticism of the £25 billion increase in firms’ national insurance contributions (NICs).Ms Newton-Smith welcomed the new political and economic stability offered by the government after the turbulence of the Conservative years, but condemned the way firms have been blindsided by the increase in NICs and the lowering of the threshold at which they start to be paid.She warned it will make it more difficult to achieve the economic growth sought by Ms Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer. More

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    Who are the 2 million people demanding a general election? Crunching the numbers behind the viral petition

    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 ruled out calling a general election after a petition calling for another vote was signed by more than two million people.“I would like there to be another general election,” the petition reads.“I believe the current Labour government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead-up to the last election.”Sir Keir says he’s not surprised many people want an election re-run More

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    Keir Starmer issues defiant response to petition calling for general election

    Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed an online petition calling for an immediate general election.Appearing on ITV’s This Morning on Monday (25 November), the prime minister brushed off questions about his popularity.“I remind myself that very many people didn’t vote Labour in the last election,” he told hosts Cat Deeley and Andi Peters.“That isn’t how our system works. What I focus on is the decisions that I have to make every day.”Questions have been raised on the legitimacy of the petition’s signatures. More

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    Kemi Badenoch admits Tories lost support of business – when she was business secretary

    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 moreKemi Badenoch has admitted that the last Conservative government lost the support of business, despite having served in it as the party’s business secretary.In her first major speech since succeeding Rishi Sunak, Ms Badenoch said she was not surprised at how many bosses flocked to meet Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves before the general election.“I know it is because you thought that we didn’t understand what your needs and concerns were, and you knew we were going to lose,” she told leaders at the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) annual conference in London.Kemi Badenoch said business lost faith in the Conservative Party while she was business secretary More

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    Trump’s team concerned Starmer will complete Chagos Islands deal before inauguration

    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 moreDonald Trump’s team are seeking assurances that the controversial deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius will not be completed before his inauguration in January.The Independent recently revealed that the president-elect is looking for ways to veto the agreement because of concerns over its security implications in the Indian Ocean with the crucial joint UK/US base on Diego Garcia.There are also concerns that the deal struck by Sir Keir Starmer and foreign secretary David Lammy will allow China access to the islands to build their own rival base.The deal, which has the blessing of outgoing US president Joe Biden, was not meant to be completed until the spring. But the UK prime minister’s envoy Jonathan Powell, who is set to be the national security adviser, is flying to Mauritius today for talks with its prime minister to complete the deal.Chagos islanders protest against the deal More