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 ThomasEditorThe EU has warned Sir Keir Starmer his attempt to repair relations with the bloc may fail if he does not meet a list of eight demands, it has emerged.The prime minister has made rebuilding ties with Brussels a top priority since the general election, after years of mistrust between the two sides over Brexit.And the European Commission has welcomed Sir Keir’s positive approach, but issued a list of tests through which the UK can “demonstrate real government commitment” to its withdrawal agreement with the EU.Brussels has issued a list of eight demands to the UK 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 ThomasEditorFormer security minister Stephen McPartland has suggested Russia could be behind a social media misinformation campaign which led to appalling scenes in Southport on Tuesday night as protesters rioted.It comes as sources in the Home Office have told The Independent that an investigation is being carried out on the origin of social media posts which fuelled the angry disturbance in the town. Security sources have pointed out that both China and Russia have large teams and networks working on disinformation campaigns which fuel social division and violence in the UK and other Western democracies.The riot came after a vigil for the children who were attacked by a 17-year-old in the seaside resort. Three girls who were at a Taylor Swift holiday dance club – Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine – lost their lives, while five children and two adults are still in critical condition.The disturbance began outside a mosque in the Merseyside town with bottles and rocks thrown and a police van set alight.Clashes between protesters and the police flared on Tuesday in Southport More

Rachel Reeves admits taxes will rise in first BudgetSupport 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 ThomasEditorShadow chancellorJeremy Hunt has accused the Labour governmento of plotting a “great tax betrayal” after Rachel Reeves accused the him of “lying” about the state of public finances.The Tory MP claimed the Sir Keir Starmer’s government were planning to raise taxes “all along” but “they just didn’t have the courage to tell you”.It comes as Rachel Reeves was accused of using the fierce attack that the Tories left £22bn hole in the public finances to justify tax rises. The chancellor admitted the increases will come in the autumn Budget and insisted the government would stick to its promise not to hike national insurance, income tax or VAT, but former Tory chancellor Lord Hammond said the fierce accusations could be “preparing the pitch” for ditching Labour manifesto pledges.Angela Rayner has removed the Tories’ beauty requirement from new planning rules for homes claiming that “beautiful means nothing really”. The housing secretary has set up a new towns taskforce to local recommend sites will “to help decide on the right places for these new towns, delivering more homes, jobs and green spaces” as part of her radical reform to the country’s housing planning system.Show latest update 1722437418Badenoch dismisses bullying claims as ‘smears’ amid Tory leadership bidKemi Badenoch has dismissed accusations that she bullied civil service staff while serving as business secretary as “smears”.The Conservative MP, now shadow communities secretary, is alleged to have created an intimidating atmosphere at the Department of Business and Trade in a report by the Guardian newspaper.“Let’s be clear: these allegations are smears from former staff who I sacked after they were accused of bullying behaviour, lying about other colleagues to cover up their own failures and general gross incompetence,” Ms Badenoch wrote on X, formerly Twitter.“Intolerable behaviour I would not stand for,” she added.The Tory former minister, among those running to be the party’s next leader, also claimed the Department of Business and Trade had confirmed there were no complaints and no investigations against her.She said the accusations would not “stop me or my campaign” and claimed her bid to be the next Conservative leader following the party’s general election rout had “spooked the lefties and now they’re coming for the one person they know can beat Keir Starmer”.Ms Badenoch, the MP for North West Essex, added: “The renewal of my party and the country is too important to let the Guardian, acting for the Labour Party, disrupt.”A spokesman for Ms Badenoch added that she has “high standards and expectations, and she has cultivated high-performing civil service teams who enjoy working with her”.Kemi Badenoch is the bookmakers’ favourite in the Tory leadership race (Lucy North/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 ThomasEditorSuella Braverman has dubbed Labour’s decision to scrap the European Scrutiny Committee the “beginning of the end” of Brexit.Commons leader Lucy Powell on Tuesday announced plans to abolish the select committee, which was established in 1973 to scrutinise the government on EU affairs. This came as part of a wider reform of some of the MP select committees.Select committees are small groups of MPs or members of the House of Lords that are set up to investigate a specific issue or policy in detail.Suella Braverman said the decision is “anti-democratic” and “lacking transparency” 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 government has been urged to pursue a youth mobility scheme with the European Union (EU) alongside the “new approach” to legal migration launched by Yvette Cooper.The home secretary on Tuesday launched a plan to boost the UK workforce’s skills before recruiting abroad in a bid to bring overall numbers down.In a swipe at the previous Conservative government, Ms Cooper said rising levels of legal migration in recent years reflected a “failure over many years to tackle skills shortages and other problems in the UK labour market”.And she said: “This is why we are setting out a different approach – one that links migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies – so immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems here at home.But experts called on the home secretary to pursue a mobility scheme with the EU which would let young people live, study and work across the bloc in exchange for Europeans being able to do the same in Britain.Dr Mike Galsworthy, chairman of the European Movement UK, said Ms Cooper is right that Britain needs to better train its citizens to fill gaps in the work force. But he told The Independent “this should not be used as a reason to penalise our own youth, universities, NHS, hospitality and small businesses – many which badly need opportunities opened right now”.Yvette Cooper faced calls to consider a youth mobility scheme with the EU after launching her ‘new approach’ to migration 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 ThomasEditorNigel Farage has been condemned for his response to the Southport stabbings, with the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox accusing the Reform leader of “inciting a riot”.Three young girls were killed on Monday in an attack which took place during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Eight other children suffered stab wounds and at least two are still in a critical condition, alongside two adults who are also still in hospital.In the wake of the attack, rioting broke out in Southport, resulting in 27 police officers being taken to hospital. Police have said they believe the men involved are part of the far-right English Defence League.Nigel Farage posted a video to social media responding to the attack, questioning why the incident not being treated as terror-related 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 ThomasEditorRachel Reeves has confirmed that Labour’s first autumn Budget will bring fresh tax rises as she says more needs to be done to fill the government’s shortfall in public finances.Her statement comes after she recently announced a slate of cost-cutting measures to grapple with the issue. These included scrapping the Winter Fuel Payment for millions of pensioners, alongside halting several in-progress infrastructure projects.The chancellor revealed that a Treasury report at the start of the week that showed the government is facing a £20bn ‘black hole’ in public finances.She has put the blame squarely on the previous Conservative administration, accusing her predecessor Jeremy Hunt of lying about ‘true state’ of government money.Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to explain the financial challenges the country faces 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 ThomasEditorChancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that her plans to means test winter fuel payments will not be possible because of ageing computer systems.Former pensions minister Guy Opperman, who ran benefits for pensioners between 2017 and 2022 and looked at means testing winter fuel payments, has issued a warning that the system in the Department for Workm and Pensions cannot cope with the changes Ms Reeves has proposed.The chancellor announced that she would save almost £3 billion by ending winter fuel payments of £200 for over-70s and £800 for over-80s who are not on pension credit.That means around 10 million out of the 11.5 million pensioners who received the payment will no longer get it and 7 milion of the 8.5 million households which received will no longer be entitled to the payment.Rachel Reeves has cut winter fuel payments More