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.CloseRead moreCutting winter fuel payments for pensioners will drive 100,000 more into poverty by 2026, the government has admittedTens of thousands more pensioners will fall into relative poverty next year as a result of Labour’s decision to means test the payment, worth up to £300, government estimates have shown. The change, unveiled by Rachel Reeves in July, will strip winter fuel payments from around 10 million pensioners. Rachel Reeves unveiled the change in July 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 said he has “no plans” to join the Bluesky social media platform.The Prime Minister told reporters that “at the moment” there are no plans to establish official Government accounts or a personal one in his name.He said it is “important for a government” to be able to communicate with “as many people as possible”.What’s important for a government is that we’re able to reach as many people and communicate with as many people as possible and that’s the sole test for any of this as far as I’m concernedSir Keir Starmer The number of users on the site has surged in recent weeks, with the official Bluesky account announcing earlier this week that the platform had passed 19 million users.Asked whether he had any plans to join Bluesky personally, or for Government departments to open official accounts, Sir Keir told reporters: “No plans at the moment, we’re obviously still using Twitter.”He added: “What’s important for a government is that we’re able to reach as many people and communicate with as many people as possible and that’s the sole test for any of this as far as I’m concerned.”He made the comments to journalists who attended the G20 summit in Brazil.Bluesky was developed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey in 2019 but user numbers have surged in recent months, with around one million accounts signing up in the week following Donald Trump’s re-election as US president. Mr Dorsey stepped down from the board in May 2024.Twitter was bought by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, in 2022 and renamed X, but both the platform and the billionaire businessman have faced increased scrutiny since the takeover, prompting several high-profile account-holders to leave.Mr Musk championed the Trump presidential bid and has been named co-head of the new administration’s department of government efficiency.Several MPs have joined Bluesky, with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Treasury minister Darren Jones and local government minister Jim McMahon among those setting up accounts. 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 moreMichael Gove has backed Labour peer Peter Mandelson over former Tory leader William Hague in their bid to become the next chancellor of Oxford University.The contest for the prestigious role has come down to a battle between the two political heavyweights.Mr Gove – who previously served in David Cameron’s cabinet alongside Lord Hague – showed his support for Lord Mandelson on social media, reposting a campaign video from the Labour veteran.It is not the first time the Mr Gove has abandoned a former cabinet colleague, having turned on Boris Johnson in the 2016 leadership election and effectively thwarting his bid to become prime minister. His support comes days after Lord Hague hit out at Lord Mandelson, arguing that the role was “not compatible” with the Labour peer’s current hopes of also becoming the UK’s ambassador to the US. Michael Gove reposted a video from Lord Mandelson on social media 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 moreLord Peter Mandelson has urged Sir Keir Starmer to use Nigel Farage as a bridge between Donald Trump’s incoming administration and the UK.The Labour peer, who is the favourite to be named as the next British ambassador to the UK, also warned that his party needs to end its feud with Trump ally and X (formerly Twitter) boss Elon Musk.It comes after Mr Musk continued his social media assault on Sir Keir’s government this week by backing protesting farmers and likening Britain to a Stalinist state. He has previously attacked the Labour government over free speech and backed far right rioters over the summer.In September, The Independent revealed that Peter Kyle, the cabinet minister responsible for social media and information technology, had not even spoken to the owner of X although the two had in effect communicated through intermediaries.Farage wants to be an envoy to the US and Mandelson agrees with the idea More

Jeremy Clarkson joins farmers’ ‘tractor tax’ protest in WestminsterYour 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 moreThe Metropolitan Police have said tractor drivers who ploughed through barriers at the farmers’ protest in Westminster will be reported. Scotland Yard said that they had been engaging with those driving the vehicles but said that driving through a no entry sign was “not acceptable”.Taking to the stage, Jeremy Clarkson urged Rachel Reeves to admit her proposed inheritance tax hikes for farmers was a “mistake”, as he described it as a “hammer blow” to the agricultural community. Speaking to protesters on stage in Whitehall, the TV presenter said: “For the sake of everybody here, and all the farmers stuck at home today paralysed by a fog of despair by what’s been foisted upon them, I beg the government to accept this was rushed through, wasn’t thought out, and was a mistake.”First unveiled in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget, the plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1m have sparked fury among rural communities, who have contested the government’s assertion that small family farms will not be impacted by the changes.National Farmers’ Union president Tom Bradshaw said an estimated 75 per cent of commercial farm businesses “were caught in the eye of this storm” of a policy which will “rip the heart of family farms”.Farmer’s daughter says family farm will be lost over Budget changes A farmer’s daughter said the changes to agricultural inheritance tax will prevent her and her brother from taking over their family farm.Jen, from Yorkshire, who did not give her surname, told the PA news agency after a protest in central London on Tuesday: “I’ll be seventh generation on our farm and essentially, if the Budget goes through, then that means that I won’t be able to take her over my family farm because between me and my brother we would have to sell up to be able to pay the tax.“It’s something we’ve both been passionate about from when we were little kids, ever since we could walk, always been involved – it’s a lifestyle.”The 24-year-old said they would have to pay approximately £1.2 million if the Government does not scrap the tax changes.“We have spoken to our accountant, solicitors, and once something happens to our parents – unless there is some change, unless there’s something we can do – then it’s not possible for us,” she said.“The logistics of it for us to keep going just isn’t financially viable at all, even with an outside job, you still wouldn’t be able to bring in enough money to be able to pay that off.”Jen, 24, said she would have to sell her family farm in order to pay off the taxes 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 moreThe general secretary of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has hinted that more extreme action could be taken if the government does not backtrack on its plan to extend inheritance tax to agricultural properties.Asked “what happens next” following Tuesday’s planned events – which has seen an estimated 20,000 people descend on Westminster to urge the government to backtrack on the levy – Tom Bradshaw said: “I think you’ll have all seen the media reports about what farmers across the United Kingdom think they should be doing next.”It comes as farmers have threatened the government with “militant action” over the policy, which they argue will cause food shortages and the breakup of family farms.First unveiled in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s October Budget, the plans to impose the duty on farms worth more than £1m have sparked fury among rural communities, who have contested the government’s assertion that small family farms will not be impacted by the changes.”The ball is in the government’s court”, Mr Bradshaw warned. “They have to be the ones that now decide how they react to this.”Speaking to journalists at the NFU’s mass lobby event in Westminster, which saw union members lobby around 150 members of parliament, he added: “I don’t want any of our customers any of our consumers not able to get the food they desperately need. But I also understand why emotions are running so high.NFU president Tom Bradshaw said 75 per cent of farms would be affected 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 moreWatch live as David Lammy marks 1,000 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.The foreign secretary has warned that the UK will “never let up” in backing Ukraine as questions lingered over whether British-supplied missiles could be authorised to hit targets within Russia.Mr Lammy, who spoke at a UN Security Council session on Monday, warned that faith in international law may “never return” unless Vladimir Putin fails.It comes after speculation that the UK could follow the US after Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to use American-supplied weapons to strike sites in Russia after months of pressure from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.Sir Keir Starmer has declared that the UK’s commitment to Ukraine remains “ironclad.”The Kremlin marked the anniversary of the invasion by lowering the threshold at which Russian forces could use nuclear weapons.The Russian president signed a revised nuclear doctrine declaring that a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country. 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 moreLabour has been warned by some of the UK’s biggest retailers that shop closures, job losses and price rises may all be “inevitable” due to changes made in the October Budget.In a letter to chancellor Rachel Reeves, more than 70 companies including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Marks & Spencer warn that the “sheer scale” of rising business costs will have a “harmful effect” on customers and the high street.It marks the first time that many of these household names have expressed concerns over the Budget. The letter was organised by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), with its publication reportedly discouraged by the Treasury.Other business signatories include Amazon, Boots, Aldi, Lidl, Ocado, Morrisons, Greggs, Currys, B&Q, Burberry, JD Sports, Holland & Barrett, Oliver Bonas and Specsavers.Over 70 big retailers have warned against Budget changes (Andrew Matthews/PA) More