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 moreA new government crackdown on refugees travelling to the UK by small boat is so harsh it would mean turning away Paddington Bear, a Labour MP has said.The Home Office has toughened up existing guidance on Wednesday to make it nearly impossible for refugees to become British citizens if they travel to the UK by small boat.Under the previous guidance, refugees who arrived in the UK by irregular routes must wait ten years before being considered for citizenship. Now, new guidance issued by home secretary Yvette Cooper says applicants who have “made a dangerous journey will normally be refused citizenship”.The move was fiercely criticised by Labour MP Stella Creasy who said it flew in the face of Britain’s tradition of letting those who seek refuge in the UK become “part of the community.”Diminishing returns: Paddington Bear in ‘Paddington in Peru’ 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 moreSir Keir Starmer should scrap his plans to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and consider ceding control to the US instead, the former head of the British army has said. Lord Dannatt, former chief of the general staff, said it is “very hard to find good news” in the prime minister’s deal to cede control of the Indian Ocean archipelago, and raised questions about how the agreement would be paid for. And the former army chief criticised a core part of the deal meant to protect the top secret joint US/UK airbase on Diego Garcia, insisting a 99-year guarantee over its use is not long enough. The UK government has denied suggestions it could end up paying £18bn to lease back Diego Garcia over 99 years, but is refusing to set out the costs of the deal. And Lord Dannatt told Times Radio: “If we think we can find 18 billion pounds to buy off Mauritius, frankly, there are much better uses for that £18bn, not the least of which is on the army and on UK defence to spend on things that really matter to us. Britain Chagos Islands“So whichever way you look at it, it’s very hard to find good news in this deal.” The deal between Britain and Mauritius is also being looked at by Donald Trump, with expectations mounting the US president could veto the arrangement. “No wonder President Trump is concerned, indeed, to the point of being angry with Britain… and I just can’t see why Keir Starmer’s government really continues going down this track,” Lord Dannatt added. Lord Dannatt raised questions about the cost of the deal 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 group of Labour rebels are pushing for Angela Rayner to adopt a four-day working week in her employment rights bill. More than a dozen Labour MPs, and one Green MP, have challenged the deputy prime minister to commit to exploring a transition “across the economy” from five working days to four – with no reduction in pay.Flexible working campaigners have welcomed Ms Rayner’s employment rights bill, which will give workers greater access to flexible hours as well as stronger day one employment protections and banning fire and rehire.Angela Rayner is under pressure to adpot plans for a four-day working week 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 moreEleven Labour councillors have been suspended from the party over their membership of a WhatsApp group that has already seen two MPs lose the whip.Former health minister Andrew Gwynne was sacked over the weekend for offensive messages sent in the group, named Trigger Me Timbers.On Monday, Oliver Ryan, who was elected as MP for Burnley last summer, became the second MP to have the whip withdrawn over his involvement in the group.Now, almost a dozen more Labour members – including Mr Gwynne’s wife – are understood to have been suspended.Other councillors who were administratively suspended on Tuesday are understood to include former council leader Brenda Warrington, and Claire Reid, a member of Labour’s national policy forum.The group’s members come from Tameside and Stockport councils.Andrew Gwynne was sacked as a minister after the messages 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.Read moreRachel Reeves has enjoyed a welcome boost by optimistic new growth figures, but has been warned that threatened tariffs from Donald Trump could damage the UK economy.Economists at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr) said Britain could become the third fastest growing country in the G7 this year – but the economy would be knocked if there was a trade dispute with the divisive US president.Niesr said it was projecting that the UK economy would grow by 1.5 per cent this year, lifting its previous forecast of 1.2 per cent, which is mostly driven by the spending programme announced by the chancellor in the October Budget.However, economists at the top think tank warned that GDP growth was likely to be 0.2 percentage points lower in the first year of tariffs if they were implemented by president Trump.Extra costs on goods entering the US could also fuel inflation and delay interest rate cuts, affecting mortgages, Niesr warned. The revelation increases pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to secure a carve out for the UK after president Trump said he could exempt Australia from punishing tariffs on steel.Trump has not made his position on tariffs for the UK clear, leaving Starmer guessing for now 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 moreMore than a dozen MPs are pushing for the government to include consideration for a four-day working week as part of a new set of workers rights rules.The MPs, 12 Labour and one Green, have called for the Government to set up a body to look into bringing in a four-day week across the economy.The group is calling for an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill, which proposes new workers rights such as flexible working and a ban on zero-hours contracts.Peter Dowd, the Labour MP who put forward the amendment, said that with things like artificial intelligence enabling people to work more efficiently, the benefits “must be passed back to workers”.“A four-day, 32-hour working week is the future of work and I urge my party to back this amendment so we can begin a much wider transition.”Maya Ellis, Labour MP for Ribble Valley, said: “Data shows that working four days leads to greater productivity than five.“That means in public organisations for example, that we can get through a higher volume of tasks, creating the increase in capacity we so desperately need to see in our public services.”A four-day working week with no loss of pay is becoming more popular in the UK. More