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 moreThe head of online safety regulator Ofcom has defended the Online Safety Act, saying the “very ambitious” rules will help protect children.Some campaigners have suggested the incoming online safety laws do not go far enough to regulate big tech platforms and stop young people seeing harmful content.But speaking to LBC’s Nick Ferrari at Breakfast programme as part of the station’s Online Safety Day, Dame Melanie Dawes said the new laws would require sites to remove illegal content as well as limit and restrict other harmful content.“So, what the law does, is it says that content that’s illegal, so that’s things like terrorist material, also abusive images of children and so on, that must just not be allowed on platforms, and if anything gets through, it needs to be taken down quickly,” she said.“But it’s also very clear that our under-18s deserve a very different experience than the one they’re getting now.“So, no pornography, no suicide and self-harm material, and significant down ranking of things like violent content, misogyny, racist content, and so on.“So, it’s a pretty broad, I should say, very ambitious, what the UK is trying to do here. No one should be under any illusions about that.”Under the incoming Online Safety Act, social media platforms will be required to abide by Ofcom codes of practice on a range of online safety issues, with large fines among the possible penalties for those who breach the new rules.However, some campaigners have warned that the current approach is too narrow, and sites will be able to make themselves compliant simply by following Ofcom’s “checklist” of codes and not by expanding their safety tools.Dame Melanie said “above all”, she wanted to see platforms make their services “safer”, and said parents also had a role to play.“I think there is a really important role for parents here. And when their kids are signing up to a social media account at 13, which is the minimum age that most of those companies say that they stick to, that’s another thing that I think we need to improve on, that they really do what they say, I think the role of parents in being part of that is quite important.“But at the same time, what we don’t want to do, is what some of the platforms would say, as long as there are parental controls, then everything’s fine. And I would say, no, you’re not actually following your own responsibilities there.“Parents need to be part of this. Children can do things to keep themselves safe. But above all, I want the platforms to make the service safer.” 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 father of Molly Russell said he and other bereaved parents are “losing trust” in Technology Secretary Peter Kyle over the rollout of online safety laws in the UK.Ian Russell said “nothing’s changed” in terms of online safety in the more than seven years since his daughter Molly chose to end her life aged 14, in 2017, after viewing harmful content on social media.The Online Safety Act has passed into law, and from this year will require tech platforms to follow new Ofcom-issued codes of practice to keep users safe online, particularly children, with large fines and site blockages among the penalties for those who break the rules.But many campaigners have criticised Ofcom’s approach to the new laws, warning it has taken too long to implement, gives tech firms too much scope to regulate themselves, and that the laws are not strong enough to prevent online harm occurring.Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC’s Online Safety Day, Mr Russell, who along with his family set up the Molly Rose Foundation in his daughter’s name after her death, said: “The Government haven’t really done anything. This is a really tough thing… Seven years down the road, I would say nothing’s changed, in my experience.“Nothing of significance has changed. The sort of content that Molly saw, that a coroner concluded led to the end of her life, in a more than minimal way, is still easily available online.”He said online safety campaigners have seen a lack of response from the Government over concerns the new laws do not go far enough to protect young people online, and as a result they are losing trust in the minister.“I’m losing trust with Peter Kyle, and I know all the bereaved parents that I’ve connected with are losing trust,” Mr Russell said. “Some more than me. Some are really angry.“We have met Peter. He was very quick to meet the bereaved families. Within the first week of forming a Government, we were in his office talking to him. It all sounded really hopeful.“We’re now months into government, and we’re hearing things in the papers where it doesn’t sound like he’s even considering a strengthened Online Safety Act two, which we all agree is needed, and 85% of parents we surveyed this week think is needed.“Yet in the press this week, Peter Kyle is saying that ‘mmm, that isn’t on my agenda’. Now, I hope that’s wrong. I hope he will clarify this and say otherwise. But at the moment, we’re really, really disappointed.”Mr Russell also said the codes of practice he had seen from Ofcom are “not robust enough” and that the regulator had “stayed safely in the middle” of the boundaries of the new rules.“We’ve seen the codes of practice, seen the Ofcom regulations, the way they’re enforcing that, we know that they’re not being robust enough,” he said.“Melanie Dawes, the chief executive of Ofcom, will tell you that they couldn’t have done anything more as a regulator.“Well, maybe there’s a problem with all of regulation in that case, because there’s an awful lot we believe that they could have done.” 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 morePeople living near power infrastructure could get hundreds of pounds off their bills each year as part of an overhaul of planning rules announced by the government. Ministers are also looking to slash the number of official bodies that get a say in planning decisions in a drive to cut red tape and boost growth. Households living within half a kilometre of new or upgraded power systems such as pylons could get access to a bill discount scheme equivalent to an annual payment of £250 over 10 years, with housing minister Alex Norris saying people who make the “sacrifice of having some of the infrastructure in your community” should get some of the money back. It comes as officials are set to consult on removing Sport England, the Theatres Trust and the Garden History Society from the list of bodies legally required to be consulted on planning decisions, while the scope of others who get to give input is set to be narrowed.Mr Norris told Sky News: “As part of our plan for change, those are all our commitments around being a clean energy superpower. The UK is set to build thousands more pylons over the coming years (Gareth Fuller/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.Read moreMinisters are set to announce a massive deregulation of electric car charging in a bid to roll out hundreds of thousands of extra points across England.The Independent has learnt that part of the planning reforms to be unveiled in Parliament this week will do away with communities and businesses requiring permission for electric car charging points from councils.The measure in the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill will allow for a direct application to the Department for Transport (DfT), saving hours of paperwork as well as making the process much faster and cheaper.It comes as the government has decided to restore a ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars in 2030 as part of the transition to electric vehicles.The rollout of EV charging points has been concentrated in London 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 moreNew analysis has suggested that work-related illness is costing the UK economy more than £400 million a week.The study, based on data from government workplace regulator the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and carried out for the Trades Union Congress (TUC), also revealed that the number of cumulative sick days lost due to ill-health has increased by a third since 2010, to 34 million.The figures come ahead of legislation on employment rights returning to the Commons this week, with the government pledging to increase safeguards for workers and security at work.Business leaders have raised concerns about the impact of expanding employment rights and repealing anti-union legislation, and warned it would harm economic growth.However, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak claimed that the analysis proved that the employment rights package is needed to help boost economic growth and productivity in the UK, which has been flatlining since the general election last year.Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said greater job security benefited workers’ health 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 moreNigel Farage has been forced to defend his leadership of Reform as the party descends into further civil war over the suspension of MP Rupert Lowe.In what is turning out to be the biggest threat to Mr Farage since his comeback during the general election last year, Mr Lowe and his allies have accused him of conducting a “witch hunt” against the Great Yarmouth MP.It comes as former Brexit Party MEPs who worked with both men in Strasbourg six years ago have rallied to Mr Lowe and insisted he was a team player.Mr Lowe was suspended from Reform UK late last week over allegations of bullying against two female members of staff, but he refutes the accusations and counter-claims that he has been smeared because Mr Farage saw him as a threat to his authority.In an article for The Daily Telegraph, Mr Farage continued his attack, claiming he had no choice but to act against Mr Lowe. In the letter, the party leader alleged one previously undisclosed instance in which Mr Lowe reportedly pushed the shipping minister Mike Kane in the House of Commons just before the Christmas recess.Mr Kane had allegedly responded to a question posed by Mr Lowe about a damaged cargo ship that had docked in his constituency while carrying hundreds of tonnes of the potentially explosive fertiliser, ammonium nitrate.Rupert Lowe was suspended from the Reform Party following a series of allegations 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 moreA major Brexit rethink is needed on defence and security leading to a single European military command structure and defence of the continent’s borders, Lord Michael Heseltine has warned.The former deputy prime minister believes the threat of Donald Trump’s administration has opened the doors for Sir Keir Starmer to have a much more profound repair of the damage of Brexit beyond the limited ambitions of his reset talks.Writing in The Independent the Tory peer, who played a significant role in the Remain campaign, has issued his warning in the wake of Mr Trump’s shocking actions in withdrawing military aid and intelligence from Ukraine.Michael Heseltine says a major Brexit rethink is needed More