UK Politics

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 ThomasEditorWater bosses are to be told today that new laws will mean they face prison if they continue to pump filth into Britain’s lakes and rivers.Environment secretary Steve Reed will warn executives from the industry directly at a major speech in Putney, London where he will unveil details of the new Water (Special Measures) Bill to end sewage and other pollutants being pumped into the country’s waterways.Among the new measures announced in the crackdown will be the loss of bonuses, potential prison sentences for industry executives and a duty for the water companies themselves to pay the cost of enforcement.Mr Reed will tell them: “The public are furious that in 21st century Britain, record levels of sewage are being pumped into our rivers, lakes and seas. After years of neglect, our waterways are now in an unacceptable state. Environment secretary Steve Reed says water comapany executives will face prison if they break the law 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 ThomasEditorA major fire in Dagenham last month which had the same cause as the Grenfell Tower tragedy proves that fire fighters and the public are still at risk from a major blaze, a union boss has warned.Matt Wrack, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), told The Independent that his members have been betrayed in the aftermath of the Grenfell disaster as well as in the events leading to the tragedy.It comes after the London Fire Brigade was severely criticised for its lack of preparation for the disaster in the report presented by Sir Martin Moore-Bick.The FBU general secretary called on the Government to ‘fundamentally alter’ building safety regulations (James Manning/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 ThomasEditorUnion leaders have backed Keir Starmer’s planned ‘reset’ of Brexit and predicted that it will help save the British car industry.In an interview with The Independent, Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), said he “absolutely” believed the policy would keep manufacturing and other jobs in the UK and prevent them being moved to the continent.Mr Nowak also urged the new Labour government to deliver the “change” he said the public had voted for. And he called for an urgent new ‘workforce commission’ to plot a way to repair the UK’s public services, as a new poll reveals that nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of voters think they are deteriorating.Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the TUC, predicted the Brexit ‘reset’ would help keep jobs in the UK (Peter Byrne/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 ThomasEditorThe Conservatives’ latest leadership contest is underway after Rishi Sunak led the party to its worst election defeat in history. A string of senior figures have thrown their hats in the ring to succeed the former PM and lead the party through the next five years in opposition. Robert Jenrick has emerged as the frontrunner among to take leadership of the party as former home secretary Dame Priti Patel was eliminated from the contest.Former immigration minister Mr Jenrick picked up 28 votes in the first ballot of MPs, with bookmakers’ favourite Kemi Badenoch in second place on 22.Shadow home secretary James Cleverly was one vote behind on 21, shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat on 17 and shadow work and pensions secretary Mel Stride on 16.Dame Priti picked up just 14 votes and so was knocked out at the first stage of the race to replace Rishi Sunak.The shortlist will be whittled down gradually until a final four are paraded in front of the party faithful at October’s Tory conference. The Independent looks at the runners and riders to take the reins from Mr Sunak. Who has officially declared? James Cleverly Former home secretary James Cleverly avoided losing his seat, unlike many of his cabinet colleagues 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 ThomasEditorSeven in 10 children aged between nine and 13 say they have been exposed to harmful experiences or content online, according to new research.Figures also show that a fifth of children in the same age group have been contacted by a stranger.The data, released on Thursday by charity Internet Matters in partnership with Opinium, found 17% of nine to 13-year-olds have seen content that promotes online stunts or challenges.Other harmful online experiences reported by children in this age group include coming across hate speech (13%), coming across mis/disinformation (15%) and one in ten have seen violent content or content that promotes violence.The children were also reported to be spending 23.2 hours online each week, two hours more than their parents realise.Internet Matters warned parents were “underestimating” the amount of time their children spend online, “which unknowingly may further expose and leave them open to further risks”.The study is based on research conducted between May and June among 1,000 children aged nine to 17, 2,000 parents of children aged three to 17 and a further 1,000 parents of children aged five to 17.The group said it chose to research this age group as it is a time “where many may be getting their first smartphone and have increased access to the digital world”.About three-quarters (74%) of parents surveyed said they do not use browser safe search settings or filters, potentially leaving children just a few clicks away from accessing harmful content – even if they are not intentionally searching for it.Meanwhile, about two-thirds (67%) of parents do not use parental controls on their home broadband.In a bid to help parents, Internet Matters has launched a Government-supported “ABC online safety checklist” which covers a series of actions for parents to take.The ABC checklist is:Activate parental controls – Use the controls and tools available from broadband providers, online platforms and apps to install safe search settings, block inappropriate content and prevent contact from strangers.The Online Safety Act will introduce major obligations to protect children from harmful content online and we are committed to getting these protections in place as quickly as possibleBaroness Jones, minister for online safetyBalance screen time – Agree a good balance for your children’s screen time, taking education and leisure content into account. Explore whether your child’s screen time is more passive than active and consider setting limits for the total hours spent online each day.Check and chat – Check which apps your children are using and the relevant age limits for each platform. Talk regularly about online safety and what they might come across – it might seem daunting , but your children will benefit. Reassure them that you can work together to manage any risks and make their online experiences as positive as possible.Baroness Jones, minister for online safety, said: “Creating a safer online world is vital for children and the health of our wider society.“The Online Safety Act will introduce major obligations to protect children from harmful content online and we are committed to getting these protections in place as quickly as possible.“It is also important parents are supported to make informed choices about their children’s social media use and resources like Internet Matters’ online safety checklist will help parents get the online balance right for their families.”Rachel Huggins, co-chief executive of Internet Matters, said: “With technology constantly evolving, there’s so much to think about when it comes to online safety that parents and carers are quite simply overwhelmed. We want to help them protect their children online while still enjoying all the benefits the internet has to offer.“Thinking about online safety comes on top of all the jobs parents already have, so the ABC checklist gives them a place to start with some actionable tasks that can make a real difference and give them added peace of mind.” 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 ThomasEditorWater bosses are to be told today that new laws will mean they face prison if they continue to pump filth into Britain’s lakes and rivers.Environment secretary Steve Reed will warn executives from the industry directly at a major speech in Putney, London where he will unveil details of the new Water (Special Measures) Bill to end sewage and other pollutants being pumped into the country’s waterways.Among the new measures announced in the crackdown will be the loss of bonuses, potential prison sentences for industry executives and a duty for the water companies themselves to pay the cost of enforcement.Mr Reed will tell them: “The public are furious that in 21st century Britain, record levels of sewage are being pumped into our rivers, lakes and seas. After years of neglect, our waterways are now in an unacceptable state. Environment secretary Steve Reed says water comapany executives will face prison if they break the law 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 ThomasEditorRobert Jenrick has won the first round of voting in the race to be the next Conservative leader as Dame Priti Patel was eliminated. The former immigration minister took 28 votes, beating the favourite Kemi Badenoch into second with the backing of 22 Tory MPs. The other contenders are former security minister Tom Tugendhat, ex-home secretary James Cleverly and Mel Stride.Next week the group will be whittled down again, to just four.Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, Mel Stride, James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat and Dame Priti Patel (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 ThomasEditorWatch as the result of the first round of voting in the Conservative leadership contest to select a successor to Rishi Sunak was held on Wednesday, 4 September.The first ballot begins the process of narrowing the list of the current six candidates – Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, Mel Stride, James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat and Dame Priti Patel.More voting will take place throughout September in order to select four hopefuls who will set out their positions to Tory members at the party’s conference in October.MPs will then take part in further rounds of voting to select two final candidates for party members to choose between, with the result announced on 2 November.Priti Patel was eliminated from the process on Wednesday.Several candidates have officially launched their campaigns as MPs returned to Parliament.Mrs Badenoch, widely tipped as a favourite to win, has sought to position herself as someone who will govern further to the political right, claiming that the Tories “talked right but governed left, sounding like Conservatives but acting like Labour”. More