Markus Andrews

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorRachel Reeves has ditched the Conservative’s “absurd” onshore windfarm ban as she vowed to reboot the UK’s flatlining economy. In one Labour’s first major shakeups since taking power, the party scrapped the de facto ban in England which has been in place since 2015.Ms Reeves also said Labour would look at whether to class onshore wind as a nationally significant infrastructure – a move that would allow large farms to get planning approval more quickly.Only a small number of onshore wind farms have been built since David Cameron’s Government introduced restrictions in 2015 (Danny Lawson/PA) More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorRachel Reeves has said Labour’s economic inheritance is the worst since the Second World War and ordered civil servants to compile a dossier on the state of the economy after 14 years of Conservative rule.The chancellor said she had repeatedly warned about the dire state of the public finances during the general election, and “what I have seen in the past 72 hours has only confirmed that”.“Our economy has been held back by decisions deferred and decisions delayed… political self-interest put ahead of the national interest,” Ms Reeves said at her first press conference as chancellor.Chancellor Rachel Reeves giving a speech at the Treasury in London (Jonathan Brady/PA) More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorFollowing Labour’s landslide general election victory, Sir Keir Starmer’s new government has wasted no time in signalling its intentions to improve upon the current Brexit deal negotiated by Boris Johnson.In a visit to Edinburgh on Sunday, the new prime minister said work had already begun to build closer ties with the European Union as he told reporters “that we can get a much better deal than the botched deal that Boris Johnson saddled the UK with”.Writing in The Local Europe, foreign secretary David Lammy – who could attend the September meeting of the EU foreign affairs council – added that the new government would “reset relations with Europe as a reliable partner, a dependable ally and a good neighbour.”And Irish prime minister Simon Harris said Brussels would be willing to offer the UK a new deal on post-Brexit issues, suggesting there was “space” to work more closely with Britain as he pledged that Ireland would be an ally in any negotiations.Here The Independent takes a look at what Labour has said about different aspects of the UK’s relationship with the EU.Freedom of movementFollowing the UK’s departure from the EU, the rights of British to travel and work within the bloc – and vice versa – were restricted.This has had a huge impact on the music, travel and other industries, while passport queues could be set to get even worse in the months ahead if Brussels implements its much-delayed automated EU Entry/Exit system, which will see biometric photos and fingerprints required for Britons to enter into the Schengen area.Britons rights to work in the EU have been restricted More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorWatch as chancellor Rachel Reeves sets out her plan for the economy in a speech on Monday 8 July.The UK’s first female chancellor will make kickstarting economic growth a “national mission” with major changes to speed up infrastructure projects and unlock private investment.In her first major speech, Ms Reeves will vow to take “difficult decisions” because there is “no time to waste”.Labour will “fix the foundations” of the British economy, she will say, arguing that 14 years of Tory rule had cost £140 billion in lost growth.Sir Keir Starmer’s administration has made faster economic growth, and the tax revenues that would flow from it, a key plank of its strategy to fund public services which are struggling for cash.The Labour manifesto committed to wholesale planning reforms to make it easier to build and a greater focus on driving through key infrastructure projects which have become mired in delays and boost housebuilding.The manifesto pledged to “immediately” update the National Policy Planning Framework to undo changes made by the Conservatives, including restoring mandatory housing targets.The party also plans to allow building on some greenbelt land, promising to take a “more strategic approach” to “build more homes in the right places”. More