UK Politics

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreMore than 1,000 sick and disabled benefit claimants died while waiting to receive vital payments last year, The Independent can reveal, laying bare the crisis in the welfare system.Department for Work and Pensions figures show that between November 2023 and October 2024, 900,000 people applied for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefits – the main support for those with an illness, disability or mental health condition.Applicants faced an average wait of almost four months to have their claims processed – but 1,300 died before receiving a final decision, figures released under Freedom of Information laws show.It comes as Rachel Reeves plans to slash the welfare bill by up to £5bn in her spring Budget and force people back to work, with reports on Friday suggesting the majority of the cuts will fall on those claiming PIP benefits.The figures come as Rachel Reeves prepares to take an axe to welfare spending More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreWhen Elon Musk had his epiphany in January and publicly endorsed Rupert Lowe to replace Nigel Farage as leader of Reform UK, I received a message within minutes.“That’s the end of Rupert. Nigel won’t tolerate that,” said a former ally of Mr Farage.Two months later, Mr Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth and former Southampton football club chair, finds himself suspended from the party. He is facing serious allegations of bullying towards female staff and claims that he made threats of physical violence against the party’s chair. Reform has even referred the matter to the police.In terms of timing, the ousting came after 48 hours of Mr Lowe creating headlines questioning Mr Farage’s leadership and complaining about the dysfunction in Reform UK.It did not take long for a number of senior former Reform figures who have been forced out in recent months, including ex-deputy leader Ben Habib and ex-London mayor candidate Howard Cox, to allege that Mr Lowe had been framed.While investigations will now determine the truth about Mr Lowe’s behaviour, the row has blown open a problem within Reform that has been bubbling below the surface for months now.Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe has been suspended from Reform UK More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreAs the world marks international women’s day, a top barrister has issued a new plea for the reputation of Christine Keeler, the model at the heart of Britain’s most notorious sex scandal, to be cleared.Felicity Gerry KC has been fighting the case to clear Ms Keeler’s name for the past five years and spoke to The Independent about how the young model best known for her brief relationship with former war secretary John Profumo may finally have her reputation restored.The Profumo scandal, often described as Britain’s first modern political sex scandal, saw the 1963 resignation of then secretary for war John Profumo after he lied to parliament about his affair with Ms Keeler. The model was later pursued in court on unrelated charges.“She was only 19 when all this happened and she had to live with it for the rest of her life with people saying and reporting what they wanted about her, most of it not true,” Dr Gerry said.Christine Keeler was the woman at the centre of the Profumo scandal More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreBritain and other European nations must be ready to take over Nato if Donald Trump carries out US threats to withdraw from the organisation.They must replace American military aid to Ukraine scrapped by Mr Trump and make sure Russian leader Vladimir Putin does not win the conflict.That was the powerful message delivered on Saturday by former Conservative defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace.“We are witnessing a new era where we cannot take for granted US security guarantees,” said Sir Ben.The former defence secretary said Britain and other European nations must be ready to take over Nato if president Donald Trump withdraws the US More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreThe Taliban issued a message on International Women’s Day, saying Afghan women live in security with their rights protected, even as the U.N. condemned ongoing employment and education bans.Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, they have barred education for women and girls beyond sixth grade, most employment, and many public spaces. Last August, the Vice and Virtue Ministry published laws that ban women’s voices and bare faces outside the home.The Taliban’s chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid released a statement on his official X account, without specifically mentioning International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on March 8.He said the dignity, honor, and legal rights of women were a priority for the Islamic emirate, the term used by the Taliban to describe their government.Afghan women lived in security, both physically and psychologically, he added.“In accordance with Islamic law and the culture and traditions of Afghan society, the fundamental rights of Afghan women have been secured. However, it should not be forgotten that the rights of Afghan women are being discussed within an Islamic and Afghan society, which has clear differences from Western societies and their culture,” said Mujahid.Also Saturday, the U.N. renewed its call for the Taliban to lift the bans.“The erasure of women and girls from public life cannot be ignored,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan. “We remain committed to investing in their resilience and leadership, as they are key to Afghanistan’s future.”Alison Davidian, special representative for U.N. Women Afghanistan, said the world could not accept a future for Afghan women that would never be tolerated elsewhere.“Our response to their erasure is a test of our commitment to women and girls everywhere,” said Davidian. “We must stand with Afghan women as if our own lives depend on it — because they do.”The Taliban remain isolated from the West — and without international recognition as the country’s official government — because of their restrictions on women and girls.On Friday in Paris, UNESCO hosted a high-level conference on women and girls in Afghanistan. Participants included Hamida Aman, the founder of the women-only station Radio Begum, Fawzia Khoofi, a parliamentarian from the former Western-backed government, and rights experts including Richard Bennett, who is barred from entering Afghanistan.In an apparent dig at the event, the spokesman for the Vice and Virtue Ministry Saif ul-Islam Khyber said recent international conferences held under the name of women’s rights exposed the hypocrisy of certain organizations and European Union foundations. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreReform UK has launched a probe into one of its MPs over allegations of “serious bullying” and “targeting of female staff”. Nigel Farage’s right-wing party announced the investigation into Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe just 24 hours after he publicly criticised his boss. The party also revealed it has reported Mr Lowe to the police, claiming he had made threats of physical violence against party chairman Zia Yusuf on at least two occasions. In a joint statement, chairman Zia Yusuf and chief whip Lee Anderson said: “It is with regret that we feel obligated to disclose that the party received complaints from two female employees about serious bullying in the offices of the Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth, Rupert Lowe. Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe questioned Nigel Farage’s leadership skills (Jordan Pettitt/PA) More