UK Politics

Starmer pledges 81 per cent cut to UK emissions by 2035Your 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.CloseRead moreSir Keir Starmer has announced an 81 per cent cut to emissions by 2035 during a speech at Cop29, but vowed that he will not be “telling people how to live their lives”.The prime minister avoided saying what the cost would be to households, but said pledged that climate security offered a “huge opportunity for investment, for business, for British workers”. He refused to comment on the absence of other world leaders, stressing that the UK was at the UN conference to “show leadership”. His appearance comes amid a growing debate in the UK over the assisted dying Bill, which the prime minister said Labour MPs must “make their own mind up” on whether to vote in favour of the legislation.When asked if he is going to vote in favour and whether he has any concerns about potential coercion, he said: “Obviously a lot will depend on the detail and we need to get the balance right but I’ve always argued there will need to be proper safeguards in place.”The prime minister has previously supported assisted dying but has been careful not to express a view since the Bill was introduced. Sue Gray reportedly decided ‘she doesn’t want’ new job offer While reports in the guardian newspaper have suggested Downing Street were prepared to withdraw the offer, the Financial Times have instead claimed Ms Gray rejected the job. “Sue has taken a decision not to take the role. She’s going to focus on other things,” an ally of the ex-civil servant told the FT.They added: “She’s taken time to think about it properly, talking to stakeholders, but ultimately she’s decided she doesn’t want to do it.”Previous reporting suggested Ms Gray was negotiating over the terms of the job and her exit from Downing Street.Sue Gray reportedly decided against accepting the new role (Liam McBurney/PA) 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.CloseRead moreKeir Starmer has no plans to visit Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago on his way to a meeting of the G20 group of world leaders next week, despite at least one ally making the trip.Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei has been invited to see the US president-elect at his Florida club, amid speculation others will follow. A supporter of Mr Trump, Mr Milei celebrated his election win with a fireworks display and posts on social media.But while Sir Keir offered the Republican his “hearty” congratulations, there are fears Labour will struggle with the next occupant of the White House. The Trump campaign has accused the party of meddling in the US election, in a row over activists who travelled to help the Democrats. Sir Keir has also stood by his foreign secretary David Lammy, over comments from 2018 calling Mr Trump a “neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath”.Mr Lammy will remain in his post until the next election, Downing Street said last week just hours after Mr Trump’s victory was secured.Asked if he was considering a stop to see the president-elect in Florida on his way to the G20 summit in Brazil, the prime minister told reporters: “No, we’re going straight there as far as I know.”To be perfectly honest, next week is a long way off just at the moment but as far as I know we’re going straight there.”Milei will meet Elon Musk alongside Trump – the pair met at a Tesla factory in Texas on 12 April 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.CloseRead moreLib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has revealed that caring for his dying mother as a teenager convinced him against assisted suicide, as MPs prepare for a historic vote on the issue. In a moving interview, the former minister spoke of his fears that the terminally ill, those with disabilities and others “could feel under a real pressure psychologically to end their lives”.His mother had been in a lot of pain towards the end of her life, he said, revealing that she had a had a “very, very painful disease”. But he said it was being with her in those final days that “I came to the conclusion we should not have this … we should focus on better palliative care”. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey (Ben Birchall/PA) 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.CloseRead moreSir Keir Starmer has piled further pressure on Justin Welby amid growing calls for him to resign as the Archbishop of Canterbury, saying the victims of a Church of England-linked abuser had been “failed very, very badly”.A petition, started by three members of the General Synod – the church’s parliament – calling for Justin Welby to quit has received more than 11,500 signatures.While Sir Keir would not comment directly on Mr Welby’s position, saying it was a “matter, in the end, for the church”, he made clear that the victims had been let down.The independent Makin Review concluded that barrister John Smyth, who is thought to have been the most prolific abuser associated with the church, might have been brought to justice had the archbishop formally alerted authorities in 2013.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking at the Cop29 talks in Baku (Carl Court/PA) 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.CloseRead moreA terminally ill teacher has urged MPs to back Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill, saying the legislation would offer people choice “at their darkest hour”.Nathaniel Dye, who is suffering from terminal cancer, said the bill is a chance to “act with kindness”.It comes as the Labour MP behind the legislation said she expects assisted dying to be used by just hundreds of people each year. Ms Leadbeater said that evidence from around the world suggests between 0.5 per cent and 3 per cent of deaths would be covered by the legislation.MPs are preparing for a historic vote on the issue at the end of this month. Speaking at a press conference in Westminster, Mr Dye said: “I see this as a chance just to act with kindness and a choice for people at their darkest hour.Kim Leadbeater addresses a press conference in Westminster 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.CloseRead moreCloseFrustrated rail passengers will be able to check up on how well their local train company is performing through data available at each station across the country.Transport secretary Louise Haigh has announced the measure in a bid to open up transparency over delays and cancellations on the rail network in England.In a Commons statement, she told MPs: “We have to be clear-eyed about the problems. But we are committed to full transparency.“And I can announce today that we will be fully transparent with passengers by displaying performance data at stations to show demonstrate how the railway is working and allow the public to hold us to account as we deliver change.”Transport Secretary Louise Haigh (Danny Lawson/PA) 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.CloseRead moreCloseWinter surfers and swimmers are set to be the big winners in plans to crackdown on the pollution of official water bathing spots and provide year round protection.Ministers have today launched a consultation into England and Wales’s more than 550 official water bathing sites with a plan to increase the number to include areas popular for surfing.Currently, the sites on the coast and on British rivers and lakes are only protected for the summer months and there are longstanding concerns that they are becoming poluted at other times of the year.The consultation follows a crackdown on the water industry after a series of high profile cases of sewage being dumped into Britain’s waterways around the country including iconic sites like Lake Windermere.Britain’s official bathing water sites mapped More