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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 ThomasEditorThe cronyism row engulfing the Labour Party has continued to escalate over the weekend, with the prime minister’s ethics adviser being urged to investigate the chancellor over the appointment of a party donor to a civil service job.Ian Corfield, who has donated £20,000 to Labour politicians over the last decade, was made a temporary director of investment at the Treasury last month after a stint as the party’s senior business adviser.In a letter to the prime minister’s independent ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus, shadow Treasury minister Laura Trott urged him to open an investigation into the chancellor for a potential breach of the ministerial code.She said: “I know you are committed to upholding the very highest standards in public life and will share my belief that the growing scandal of cronyism, linked to political donations, is injurious to those standards.”Shadow Treasury minister Laura Trott said there was a ‘clear conflict’ between Ian Corfield’s donation and his appointment as a Treasury civil servant More

Labour minister Pat McFadden has told pensioners concerned about plans to restrict winter fuel payments that it is “not a decision (Labour) wanted to take”.Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Sunday (25 August), Mr McFadden said: “When we came into office we found billions of pounds of unfunded spending commitments… so we had to make a very difficult decision.“It’s really important that people know that if they’re entitled to Pension Credit they’ll still get this benefit. There are an estimated almost 900,000 pensioners who are entitled to Pension Credit who don’t currently claim it.“We will do everything we can to encourage people to claim this. We want people to claim things they’re entitled to.” 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 ThomasEditorSir Keir Starmer will warn the British public that things will get worse before they get better in his first keynote speech since walking into Downing Street.Speaking on Tuesday, the prime minister will say the government has also taken on a “societal black hole”.It will come after chancellor Rachel Reeves claimed the government inherited a £22bn black hole in the public finances from the previous Conservative administration last month. “Things are worse than we ever imagined”, he will warn, adding: “And that is why we have to take action and do things differently. Part of that is being honest with people – about the choices we face. And how tough this will be.“Frankly – things will get worse before we get better.”The warnings come as the government prepares for its first Budget, to be unveiled on 30 October, which will force the Treasury to take tough decisions on spending and taxation.Promising to make “unpopular decisions now if it’s the right thing for the country”, Sir Keir will also accuse the Conservatives of not being honest about the state they left the country in.He will say: “They haven’t recognised what they’ve cost the country and they haven’t apologised for what they’ve cost you.”Rachel Reeves is preparing for his first Budget on 30 October 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 ThomasEditorSir Keir Starmer has issued a statement of support as Ukraine marks 33 years since it declared independence from the Soviet Union.The prime minister told Ukrainians the UK will back them “today and always”, offering a “crystal clear” message of solidarity to the war-torn nation.Ukraine’s supreme soviet agreed the state should leave the Moscow-based Soviet Union on 24 August 1991, a decision backed by Ukrainian voters at a referendum in December that same year.Sir Keir said: “My message to all Ukrainians, whether on the front line or here in your second home in the UK, is crystal clear: we are with you today and always.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July 19 (Benjamin Cremel/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 ThomasEditorKemi Badenoch has been handed a boost in the race to take over from Rishi Sunak as leader of the Conservatives, after a new poll of party members indicated she would beat all five of the other contenders if she reaches the final two.A YouGov survey published on Friday saw Mrs Badenoch beat James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat, Dame Priti Patel and Mel Stride in head-to-head votes.The poll, which spoke to 903 party members between Aug 6 and 15, saw 47 per cent of members say they would back Mrs Badenoch in a contest against Mr Cleverly, who was picked by 38 per cent.The former business secretary beat Mr Jenrick by 48 per cent to 33 per cent, Mr Tugendhat by 49 per cent to 31 per cent, Dame Priti by 55 per cent to 26 per cent and Mr Stride by 61 per cent to 14 per cent.Kemi Badenoch began to set out her stall as a leadership contender (Lucy North/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 ThomasEditorSir Keir Starmer has been urged to review his decision to scrap winter fuel payments for 10m pensioners after the regulator Ofgem announced household energy bills will rise by £150 in October.The prime minister has been warned the double hit will lead to disaster for pensioners on low and modest incomes or living in vulnerable circumstances due to ill health. Analysis shows energy bills this winter will be the highest on record for older people who previously received the winter fuel payment, worth up to £300.Campaigners and charities, as well as Tory and Labour politicians, have called on the PM to change course.The PM is under pressure to reverse a decision to make the winter fuel payment means tested 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 ThomasEditorThe Metropolitan Police has dropped its investigation into betting on the date of the general election, saying the bar for misconduct in public office had not been met.The probe was launched after it emerged senior Tory officials and one of Rishi Sunak’s aides had placed bets shortly before the date of the election was announced, allegations which engulfed the Conservative election campaign in June. The Conservatives eventually withdrew support for Mr Sunak’s former parliamentary private secretary Craig Williams as their candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, along with Bristol North West candidate Laura Saunders, who was also alleged to have placed a bet.Craig Williams, who was an aide to the prime minister in the last Parliament, is alleged to have placed a £100 bet on a July election three days before Rishi Sunak announced the date 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 ThomasEditorThousands of steelworkers are set to be laid off just before Christmas after British Steel brought forward plans to close its blast furnaces in Scunthorpe.In a move unions say will be devastating for the local community, at least 2,500 jobs are set to be put at risk by the early closure.British Steel has previously announced it would be building an electric arc furnace (EAF) as part of its decarbonisation plans, replacing the carbon-intensive blast furnaces at the Scunthorpe site.The British Steel steelworks in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire (Danny Lawson/PA) More