UK Politics

A robot mine sweeper is being trialled by the British Army to eventually clear explosives on the front lines.It is hoped the device, called WEEVIL, will replace current mine-clearing methods that require a three-person crew to operate in hazardous areas.The new technology can be operated via remote control by a single person from several miles away and is fitted with a mine plough to clear a safe path.The prototype was successfully tested in Newcastle on a surrogate minefield, and the technology is now being passed to the British Army for further development.Luke Pollard, minister for the armed forces, said: “It won’t be a moment too soon when we no longer have to send our people directly into harm’s way to clear minefields.“This kit could tackle the deadly threat of mines in the most challenging environments, while being remotely operated by our soldiers several miles away.”The robot was developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and Newcastle-based firm Pearson Engineering.The Ministry of Defence said there are no current plans to provide it to Ukraine.DSTL military adviser Major Andrew Maggs said: “WEEVIL is the perfect combination of tried and tested technology and modern advancements.“By enhancing existing vehicles with new capabilities, we’re able to maximise their potential and give our troops a much-needed advantage, particularly in missions where time and safety are critical.” More

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to approve a major nuclear power plant alongside a slew of mini reactors in a bid to boost Britain’s stagnant economy. The prime minister will approve investment for the construction of the Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk before the June spending review, The Times reported, as well as unveiling plans for a fleet of small modular reactors (SMRs) across the UK. Sizewell C is expected to be up and running in 2035 and will provide 7 per cent of Britain’s energy demand at a cost of £20 billion.More nuclear power plants will be approved across England and Wales, the Prime Minister has said (Chris Radburn/PA) More

Nigel Farage earned £40,000 speaking at an event hosted by a company that helps the super rich move to other countries in order to reduce their tax bills. The Reform UK leader and MP for Clacton, who made his name being highly critical of illegal migration and promoting British nationalism, gave a keynote speech at an event held by Nomad Capitalist in Kuala Lumpur in September. Nomad Capitalist bills itself as a company which creates “bespoke, holistic strategies for successful investors and entrepreneurs to legally reduce their tax bills, diversify and protect their assets, become global citizens and maximise their freedom”. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaking in Northampton earlier in April (Joe Giddens/PA) More

Gordon Brown has called for an “economic coalition of the willing” to tackle the impact of Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, arguing the UK should go much further in its post-Brexit cooperation with the EU. The former prime minister called for impacted countries to adopt coordinated economic policies, including a reduction of interest rates, as well as urging Britain to go even further in renewing its ties with the EU and collaborate in a way that is “even more extensive than removing post-Brexit trade barriers”.He called for a “Europe-wide, off-balance-sheet, special-purpose defence and security fund” in order to release resources elsewhere, saying that to “build back better” following the tariffs the UK must work “ever more closely with the EU”. Gordon Brown is calling for Britain to adopt closer ties with the EU More

Patients are facing a “postcode lottery” for GP appointments with one in 10 people waiting more than a month to be seen in some areas, new research shows. The number of month-long waits hit a record high last year and in almost 95 per cent of areas there was an increase in people waiting 28 days or more.The figures, compiled by the House of Commons Library, demonstrate the uphill battle facing Labour as it ramps up recruitment of family doctors in a bid to cut waiting times and ease pressure on the NHS. Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced on Tuesday that an extra 1,503 GPs have been recruited since October, with the health secretary prioritising services closer to patients’ homes.But the number of general practitioners per patient has fallen drastically in the past decade, leaving the system under significant strain.Below, The Independent has mapped the regions where most patients are facing waits of a month or more for appointments: The House of Commons Library research showed that 100 out of 106 sub-Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) saw the number of 28-day or longer waits for GP appointments jump in 2024 compared with a year earlier. The starkest rise was in Sunderland, where there was a 51 per cent increase in month-long waits, followed by North East Lincolnshire with a 46 per cent jump and North Cumbria which saw a 38 per cent spike. The research, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, found Kent and Medway was the area with the most month-long waits in the country, with 781,000, rising by more than a fifth from 2023’s level. Derby and Derbyshire had the second highest number of month-long waits, with 722,000, up 14 per cent from a year earlier. Meanwhile, more than one in 10 patients was forced to wait more than a month to see a GP in areas including Gloucestershire, Chorley and South Ribble, Derby and Derbyshire and Dorset last year.Regionally, the south west had the highest portion of patients waiting 28 days or more for an appointment, with 7.7 per cent. Second worst was the north east and Yorkshire, followed by the east of England and the south east. The Liberal Democrats said the figures revealed a “reveal a stark postcode lottery that is leaving people in vast swathes of the country without the care they deserve”. They called for patients to have a legal right to see their GP within seven days or 24 hours if in urgent need. The party said this could be done by recruiting 8,000 additional GPs. Wes Streeting said 1,503 GPs have been recruited since October More

There are more than three times as many local election candidates named David as there are Sarahs, shock new figures laying bare the level of gender inequality show. A breakdown of those standing to become councillors next month reveals the 11 most common names are all male, while just two of the 30 most common names are female. Overall, just a third of local election candidates are women, a slight drop from the 34 per cent of candidates last year. There are three times as many Davids as Sarahs standing for council seats in next month’s elections More

After days of panic on financial markets, Donald Trump abruptly backed down on much of his tariff plan on Wednesday by announcing a 90-day pause for dozens of countries – but he escalated his tit-for-tat trade war with China by imposing additional duties of 125%.The president said he pulled back on tariffs for more than 75 nations because people “were getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid.”It came barely 48 hours after a White House spokesman dismissed reports of a 90-day pause as “fake news” and followed intense political pressure from fellow Republicans and some of the president’s own billionaire backers. And it came only 12 hours after Mr Trump boasted at a fundraising dinner: “These countries are calling us up, kissing my a**” to negotiate deals.”The US Treasury said a blanket 10% levy on all imports to the US will remain in place, meaning Britain’s position is effectively unchanged – although the hiatus does give Sir Keir Starmer’s government more breathing space to negotiate a trade deal with Washington.Downing Street said on Wednesday night that Britain will continue talks: “We don’t want any tariffs at all, so for jobs and livelihoods across the UK, we will coolly and calmly continue to negotiate in Britain’s interests.” Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday after announcing a 90-day pause on tariffs for ‘more than 75’ nations More

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey took a novel approach to highlighting the state of roads and “failure” to tackle potholes as he skidded down a steep slope in a rubber ring.Joined by fellow Lib Dem MPs, councillors, and candidates, the stunt at the Gloucester Ski Centre aimed to draw attention to what he called years of neglect by the Conservative party at Gloucestershire County Council.“We’re having a bit of fun, we’re campaigning, but there is a serious message, always a serious message, and that is about having services that are smooth, that people can go over,” Sir Ed Davey said. “The parallel analogy is with our roads.“Around the county, the roads are a real mess, a lot of potholes, and the Conservatives have been running Gloucestershire for a long time now, often, mostly with the Conservative Government, have failed to fix the potholes.“That’s what people are asking us on the doorstep when we’re knocking on doors and chatting to people, they’re saying, ‘Please fix the potholes in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire’.”The Lib Dems underscored their point with government data, claiming that one in four main roads in the South West are deteriorating and require maintenance. Sir Ed called out the years of neglect of roads and highways during a local election visit to Gloucestershire More