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      How much will Donald Trump’s UK state visit cost taxpayers?

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      US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will arrive in the UK for an “unprecedented” second state visit, hosted by the King on Tuesday (16 September).The Princess of Wales will also play a significant role in the visit, including spending a day with Melania Trump at Frogmore Gardens to meet with Chief Scout Dwayne Fields and members of the Squirrels programme. Prince William and Kate will initially meet the US president and first lady at Windsor estate before they join the King and Queen for a carriage procession to the castle. The visit will include a state banquet at St George’s Hall and a day at Chequers with the Prime Minister. Trump’s first state visit in 2019 cost around £3.9 million, mostly on policing, with total expenses amounting to more than £5 million in today’s money. More

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      Voices: Is Trump’s state visit smart statecraft or a diplomatic disaster? Join The Independent Debate

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      Donald Trump is returning to Britain – and this time, the welcome could not be grander. The US president will be hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla for a two-day state visit, complete with a lavish banquet, carriage procession and even a Red Arrows flypast. The Prince and Princess of Wales will take a leading role in the programme, while Sir Keir Starmer will greet Trump at Chequers on the final day for bilateral talks.Downing Street has hailed the visit as a “historic opportunity” to cement ties with Washington. Palace insiders have stressed that the pomp and pageantry on display is no more than the customary treatment afforded to heads of state. Yet the decision to extend an unprecedented second state visit to Trump has split opinion sharply.Protests are already planned across the country, with campaigners accusing the government of legitimising a leader they say has fuelled division, weakened democratic norms and dismissed the urgency of climate change. For them, rolling out the red carpet for a convicted criminal diminishes Britain’s values and international standing.Others argue that diplomacy requires pragmatism. Whatever one thinks of Trump personally, they say, he remains president of the United States – a critical ally for trade, defence and global security. With tensions rising across Europe and the Middle East, some believe the UK can ill afford to alienate Washington, however controversial its leader.In our July poll, readers were clear: 76 per cent said Britain should not legitimise Trump with a state visit, while just 11 per cent felt it was good diplomacy. A further 8 per cent said the visit was acceptable, but the pomp was unnecessary.So where do you stand? Is hosting Trump smart statecraft – or a diplomatic disaster waiting to happen?Share your thoughts in the comments – we’ll feature the most compelling responses in the coming days. More

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      ‘Free speech’ row threatens to derail Starmer’s talks with Trump on state visit as government mired in chaos

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      An under-siege Keir Starmer is facing a showdown with Donald Trump over “free speech” in the UK, which could derail crucial talks during the US president’s state visit.Senior Washington sources have told The Independent that free speech is now top of the president’s agenda when he visits Chequers on Thursday for talks with the prime minister at the end of his trip.The issue could derail hopes by the UK government to get a deal to remove steel tariffs and will take up time they want to use to discuss the increasingly complex picture on the international stage, given the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.It will not, though, wreck an expected announcement on a major new tech partnership between the two countries, partly because insiders claim “Trump needs Britain to succeed”.And on Monday, Sir Keir will reveal a “landmark” deal to boost the building of nuclear plants in both countries, to be signed during Trump’s visit. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been struck by one scandal after another (Alberto Pezzali/PA) More

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      Primark owner delivers warning to Rachel Reeves over ‘mistaken’ rate changes

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      The head of Primark’s parent company has issued a stark warning to the government, branding proposed changes to business rates as “mistaken” and a significant burden on UK high street retailers.George Weston, the billionaire chief of Associated British Foods (ABF), told the PA news agency that the Labour Government “should not increase taxes on businesses any more” in the forthcoming November Budget.His comments come as Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces the daunting task of boosting Treasury revenues to address a potential £40 billion deficit in state finances. This financial pressure has intensified concerns that businesses could be targeted with further tax hikes, particularly given prior government pledges to avoid increasing taxes for working individuals.Businesses have already contended with a series of rising costs, including increases to national insurance contributions, the national minimum wage, and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging tax.“Increases to labour and packaging have already had an impact and it is important not to make it harder for businesses looking to invest and create jobs,” Mr Weston said.“My message to Government is that that should not increase taxes on businesses any more.”George Weston, the billionaire boss of Associated British Foods (ABF), has warned the Government that proposed business rates changes are “mistaken” and heap pressure on big stores on UK high streets More

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      Watering down Employment Rights Bill would threaten ‘once in a generation’ chance to close gender pay gap, ministers warned

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      The government has been warned against allowing amendments from the Lords to water down its flagship Employment Rights Bill, with seven leading women’s organisations arguing that this would hamper efforts to tackle gender inequality. In a joint letter to the new business secretary, Peter Kyle, seen by The Independent, the Women’s Budget Group, the Fawcett Society, Young Women’s Trust, Rights of Women, Women’s Resource Centre, Pregnant Then Screwed, and Maternity Action have warned that the measures included in the bill are “crucial to improving women’s material living conditions and to reducing the gender pay gap”. The letter is in response to a number of amendments made to the legislation in the House of Lords before the summer recess, including proposals to introduce a six-month qualifying period for unfair dismissal and to make the right to a guaranteed hours contract a right to request, rather than a right to be offered.Equalities minister Bridget Phillipson said the bill would be delivered in full More

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      Starmer says Britain must never surrender flag after London protest amid backlash over Musk

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      Sir Keir Starmer says the country should never surrender its flag to become a symbol of “violence, fear and division” following a huge protest organised by Tommy Robinson, as the backlash grows over Elon Musk’s remarks at the rally.In his first comments since more than 110,000 people joined the march in central London on Saturday, the prime minister also stated the government “will not stand” for assaults on police officers, after 26 were injured, four seriously.The demonstration, organised under the banner “Unite the Kingdom”, saw Whitehall filled with union flags and St George’s flags as the tens of thousands of protesters listened to speakers, including Mr Musk, who appeared on screens through a video link.But there was condemnation after clashes broke out between some protesters and police, as well as outcry over the Tesla and X owner, who called for the dissolution of parliament, while encouraging Britons to “fight back or die” over the “destruction of Britain” caused by “massive uncontrolled migration”.In a statement shared on social media on Sunday, Sir Keir wrote: “People have a right to peaceful protest. It is core to our country’s values.Keir Starmer has rejected the country’s flag being used as a symbol of ‘violence, fear and division’ More

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      Why Keir Starmer cannot survive as prime minister without this man

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      The name Morgan McSweeney may not be on the lips of people down in the pub or at the school gate but it is one that those in the Westminster bubble are obsessed with.Labour MPs are particularly aware of the Downing Street chief of staff’s power and importance, either as something they consider to be a toxic poison at the heart of government or the means of future preferment and promotion.So reports that Sir Keir Starmer was “screaming” at his chief of staff, telling him “you were supposed to protect me” over the Lord Mandelson debacle is a sign that this government is in incredibly serious trouble.Chief of staff Morgan McSweeney is a powerful figure More

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      Mandelson appointment ‘worth the risk’ despite Epstein ties due to his ‘singular talent’, minister says

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      A senior cabinet minister has admitted that “political considerations” about Peter Mandelson’s “outstanding singular talents” meant security concerns about the Labour peer being made ambassador to the US were ignored.Business secretary Peter Kyle repeated the claim on Sky News and BBC on Sunday morning that “new information” coming to light over Lord Mandelson’s relationship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein led to his sacking on Friday.Last week The Independent revealed that Sir Keir pushed through his appointment earlier this year despite failing security vetting by MI6. Mr Kyle refused to say if the prime minister spoke to Lord Mandelson directly to let him know he was sacked, nor whether the appointment had been a mistake in the first place.Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s representative in Washington on Thursday More