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 moreCloseThe Scottish secretary pulled out of a Whitehall event to reportedly avoid undermining striking staff.Cabinet ministerIan Murray was set to attend a reception at the Scotland Office’s Dover House headquarters on Tuesday with business group the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).But, at the last minute, Mr Murray pulled out. Sources close to the minister confirmed he did not want to undermine security guards, who were on strike as members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union.Ian Murray did not want to cross the PCS picket line 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 moreCloseA top soprano has warned Britain risks losing its entire classical music industry due to post-Brexit red tape blocking UK artists from touring in the EU. Labour’s election manifesto promised to “improve trade and investment relations with the EU… to help our touring artists”, after years of chaos since the UK crashed out of the bloc.But Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of not moving fast enough as UK artists are still grappling with post-Brexit barriers to performing in the EU.The prime minister is facing calls to urgently cut the red tape blocking travelling singers and bands from touring the continent, with campaigners attacking the government for not striking an agreement in its first 100 days.Rachel Nicholls said artists are in a ‘hideous position’ since Brexit 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 moreClose“Tory” is a dirty word and the Conservative Party should stop using it, election guru Sir Lynton Crosby has said.The long-standing election strategist, who has been behind two decades of Conservative election campaigns, said Tory has become “a pejorative term”.Ahead of the election of Rishi Sunak’s successor on Saturday, Mr Crosby said: “They ought to call themselves Conservatives and not abbreviate it to Tories. I think ‘Tory’ has become a pejorative term … Labour would never call themselves the Socialists.”He added: “I’d focus on reward for effort, aspiration, personal responsibility, national unity … I would focus on those five or six values.”And he told The Australian that whoever wins will need a new approach and should aim to establish a “values differential” to set them apart from other parties.Mr Crosby’s intervention comes ahead of the announcement of the new Tory leader, as the four-month battle to replace the former PM comes to a close.The winner will be at the helm as the party looks to recover from the July election result which saw it return just 121 MPs. Senior party figures including shadow chancellor Jeremy Hunt and shadow home secretary James Cleverly have said they do not want to serve on the new leader’s front bench.After the close of polls on Thursday, both candidates thanked their backers for their support through the contest.Ms Badenoch described the party as a “family” and said that it is “much more to me than a membership organisation”.Mr Jenrick also called for the party to “move past the drama” of recent years and “unite”.Rishi Sunak’s successor will be chosen on Saturday 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 moreCloseThe Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is weighing up whether to charge MP Mike Amesbury after CCTV footage emerged which appears to show him punching a man.The MP for Runcorn and Helsby was suspended from the Labour Party on Monday evening after a clip was published by MailOnline in which he is apparently seen hitting the man lying on the ground at around 2am last Saturday.Mr Amesbury, who has not been arrested, voluntarily met with police after the footage emerged.The CPS confirmed it had received a file from Cheshire Police in relation to the incident after the MP was questioned.Mr Amesbury, who has not been arrested, voluntarily met with police after the footage emerged 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 moreCloseEnvironment secretary Steve Reed has hit back following a storm of criticism over the government’s plans to extend inheritance tax to family farms, claiming the “vast majority of farmers will not be affected at all”.He blamed “misleading headlines” for the backlash to the tax, saying “only the richest estates” will be affected. It comes just days after Sir Keir Starmer was accused of lying to farmers about wanting “a new relationship” with them after the Budget extended the tax to family farms for the first time in history.The move, which has already been dubbed the “tractor tax”, means farms worth more than £1m are now subject to 20 per cent inheritance tax.Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Reed said the government has taken a “fair and balanced approach that protects family farms while also fixing the public services those same families rely on”.Environment secretary Steve Reed hit back after mounting criticism over the ‘tractor tax’ 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 moreClose Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico reacted angrily on Friday after the U.K. ambassador to Bratislava criticized his interview with Russia’s Rossiya 1 state-owned television, saying, “Slovakia is not Britain’s colony.”“I don’t know what gives you a right to interfere in my media activities,” Fico said in a video sent by his office. He is currently on a visit to China.“That you represent a bigger and stronger state in Slovakia does not justify your unacceptable behavior,” Fico said, calling on Ambassador Nigel Baker to stop interfering in his government’s sovereign foreign policy. In his interview for the Russian propaganda channel, Fico condemned Western support for Ukraine that is fighting the Russian aggression, repeating his opinion it only prolongs the war and accusing the European nations of not being interested in a peaceful resolution.Baker said on X on Wednesday he regretted that Fico agreed to talk to a presenter who is under British and European Union sanctions and said Fico’s claim that the West doesn’t want peace is not true. He also said that the fastest way to peace would be the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.Fico returned to power for the fourth time last year after his leftist party Smer (Direction) won parliamentary elections on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform.His views on Russia’s war on Ukraine and other issues sharply differ from the European mainstream. Fico ended his country’s military aid for Ukraine, opposes EU sanctions on Russia, and wants to block Ukraine from joining NATO.In the interview with Russian TV, he said it would be an honor for him to attend a traditional military parade in Red Square in Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII on May 9 next year.The interview was condemned by Slovakia’s opposition and politicians in the neighboring Czech Republic. 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 moreCloseRachel Reeves is facing a growing backlash over her national insurance hike as GPs, care homes, dentists and hospices have called for an exemption from the charge.The chancellor is piling pressure on GPs and the care sector with her increase in the employer rate of national insurance – at a time when the services are already under severe strain.But while the NHS and the rest of the public sector have been shielded from Ms Reeves’ national insurance hike, GPs, hospices and care homes have been left to bear the brunt. The national insurance hike came alongside a reduction in the threshold at which employers pay the charge and a 6.7 increase in the minimum wage, exacerbating the headache for employers.Health secretary Wes Streeting has said the UK’s palliative care is in such a dire state that he would not vote to support an assisted dying law, while the Commons public accounts committee has said the social care sector is “on its knees”.Meanwhile GPs are struggling with a recruitment crisis, with staff shortages growing at a time of rising demand.Treasury chief secretary Darren Jones on Friday cleared up initial confusion and confirmed that GP practices will have to pay the increased employer national insurance rate.“GP practices are privately owned partnerships. They’re not part of the public sector National Health Service system. And so yes, they will have to pay national insurance contributions as employers,” he told Times Radio.The Liberal Democrats said Labour had squandered the chance to “rescue GP surgeries from years of neglect”, calling for Ms Reeves to exempt them from the tax hike.Health and social care spokesperson Helen Morgan said: “This new government must not make the same mistakes as the Conservatives, fixing the GP crisis is crucial for saving the NHS.Wes Streeting has said he will have ‘more to say’ on the impact of the tax hike in the coming weeks 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 moreCloseAn Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) error has left chancellor Rachel Reeves with £18bn less headroom in her spending plans, potentially fuelling investor concerns about her first budget.A footnote in the watchdog’s outlook, published on Wednesday alongside the Budget, said its earlier forecasts contained an error in the projections for public sector net financial liabilities – the debt measure now used by the chancellor in one of her new fiscal rules.In March, the OBR found the margin in the 2028-29 fiscal year would be £62bn. It has since corrected the figure £43.9bn.The margin, also known as the “headroom”, is the money left over in the budget to spend without breaking fiscal rules.The OBR document said: “An error was identified in the net liabilities calculation used in the March 2024 forecast of PSNFL.“The restated March PSNFL forecast and headroom calculation correct this error but otherwise is unchanged.”Rachel Reeves unveiled her first budget on Wednesday More