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 ThomasEditorNigel Farage says it was right he travelled to the US to support Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention and hit back at the suggestion the trip was a disservice to his new constituents. After he was elected as Clacton’s MP two weeks ago, the UK Reform party leader attended the King’s Speech on Wednesday morning before quickly flying out to Milwaukee in Wisconsin for the event.Mr Trump is set to give his acceptance speech at the convention on Thursday evening, five days after surviving an attempted assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania at the weekend.Writing for the Daily Telegraph, Mr Farage announced he was attending the convention in support of his “friend” Mr Trump ahead of the election in November.But on Wednesday evening, in Milwaukee, he was asked again by News Agents host Emily Maitlis during an awkward interview.Questioned on why he was at the convention, Mr Farage replied: “It’s been a busy day, kings speech this morning, and here… well I had to come, Trump, I’ve been friendly with him all these years and he’s just survived an assassination attempt so I thought I’d come and say hello.”For updates on US politics, including pressure on Biden to quit, go to our live blog by clicking hereNigel Farage questioned by Emily Maitlis on his appearance at the Republican National Convention 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 ThomasEditorVolodymyr Zelensky has urged European leaders to channel Winston Churchill’s “bravery” in the fight against Russian aggression. The Ukrainian leader made his call as he spoke in the former prime minister’s birthplace, Blenheim Palace, during only his third visit to the UK since Russia’s full-scale invasion. It is his first trip to the UK since Sir Keir Starmer entered Downing Street. Mr Zelensky is also due to meet with King Charles during the visit. The Ukrainian leader told a summit of European leaders: “Bravery made Churchill Churchill. Bravery won the greatest battle of his life. It was the battle for Britain.“Now our bravery and cooperation must achieve no less so that the children of our nations can someday look back at us, at what we have done, at what we have chosen, what we have promised, and see the pillars of their peace, their security and their prosperity just as we see it when we look back at the most famous person from Blenheim.”Sir Keir greeted Mr Zelensky in the grand entrance of Blenheim Palace near Oxford, where the prime minister is hosting the European Political Community (EPC). The pair exchanged pleasantries before heading inside the building. Sir Keir Starmer touched Mr Zelensky’s shoulder as he highlighted the Ukrainian leader’s comments calling for more air defences to protect children as they return to school 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 new foreign secretary David Lammy clashed with BBC breakfast host Naga Munchetty as he tried to avoid directly answering questions about his past comments on former president Donald Trump.Ms Munchetty pointed out that Mr Lammy had described Trump as “a neo Nazi sympathising sociopath” and a “tyrant in a toupet” among other brutal attacks on X (formerly known as Twitter) when he was president.But Mr Lammy, who started reaching out to Republicans and rightwing think tanks in America once he became shadow foreign secretary before Labour won the election, insisted that he had not been alone in making comments about the current Republican nominee.He said: “You are going to struggle to find any politician who has not had things to say about Donald Trump in his first term particularly on Twitter.Lammy clashes with Naga Munchetty More

Nigel Farage has defended his decision to fly to the US just weeks after being elected in Clacton, to support Donald Trump after the former president survived an assassination attempt.When asked by Emily Maitlis on The News Agents if he was giving all his time to his new constituency, the Reform UK MP responded: “I’m allowed to come to America on a trip like this, particularly in these circumstances.”In a speech after his general election victory, Mr Farage pledged that he would “speak up” and provide a challenge in government.Mr Farage wrote in the The Telegraph that he would travel to Milwaukee to support his “friend” Mr Trump “as we head into the later stages of an era-defining election.” 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 UK government’s failures to properly prepare for a pandemic are expected to be laid bare on Thursday as the UK Covid-19 Inquiry publishes its first report.Inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett will report on how well the UK was able to face a deadly outbreak in the run-up to 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic swept across Britain.The report is expected to highlight the UK’s focus on preparing for a flu pandemic instead of a coronavirus pandemic.Lady Hallett may highlight how austerity measures led to public health cutbacks.She could also comment on preparations surrounding personal protective equipment (PPE) and a government focused on Brexit.Key politicians, scientists and health experts appeared as witnesses during the first module of the inquiry – which is titled Resilience and Preparedness.Former health secretaries Matt Hancock and Jeremy Hunt were put under the spotlight during oral evidence sessions, alongside former prime minister Lord Cameron and former levelling up secretary Michael Gove.Matt Hancock was put under the spotlight More

Labour MP John McDonnell urged Sir Keir Starmer to scrap the two-child benefit cap and “lift 300,000 children out of poverty”.Addressing the Commons on Wednesday (17 July), the Hayes and Harlington MP said: “I was in this House when the Tories introduced it, it was introduced as part of the stigmatising of all those on benefits. “I did a speech, I actually think I said I’d swim through vomit to vote against this piece of legislation, and some of the nauseous speeches from the Tories at the time almost meant I would have to.“It was (an) appalling form of attack on the poorest within our communities. I think we just need to lift that stigma, lift that impact, but we need to do it quickly. 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 new Labour government confirmed its commitment to uphold plans for a UK smoking ban in the King’s Speech on Wednesday.The measure, which will raise the legal smoking age by one year, every year, means anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be able to purchase tobacco legally.It will also impose limits on the sale and marketing of vapes.While the policy was first introduced by former Tory prime minister Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to see it through to legislation.The bill gained cross-party support when it was first introduced by Sunak and has been dubbed the “greatest piece of public health legislation in a generation”.MPs voted in favour of the bill by 383 votes to 67 in April. However, the bill was dropped as the general election was called before it could make its way through the legislature.Following the King’s Speech, here we take a look at the current British smoking laws and how they could change:People currently under the age of 14 will never be able to smoke legally under new proposals More

Sir Keir Starmer repeated President Joe Biden’s words and called for the temperature of democracy to be lowered as he paid tribute to late MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess.The prime minister said he had shared his “revulsion” with Donald Trump during a phone call, after a gunman tried to assassinate the former US president.Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday (17 July) Sir Keir said: “While our thoughts at this time are of course with President Trump and the American people, we cannot think that this is something that only happens elsewhere.“We must heed the words of President Biden to lower the temperature of our democracy, work across our disagreements and find each other’s common decency.” More