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 moreA Labour peer has been accused of making “hugely offensive” remarks by an MP from his own party after he suggested the justice secretary’s concerns about the assisted dying bill were “motivated by religious belief”.Rachael Maskell, the MP for York Central and a devout Christian, said Lord Falconer’s claim that Shabana Mahmood was trying to “impose” her Muslim beliefs on those in favour of assisted dying was “hugely offensive and discriminatory” and urged him to apologise.The row comes as temperatures are flaring on the Labour benches about the assisted dying bill, which MPs will vote on this Friday.Sir Keir Starmer’s government is split on the move, with the prime minister choosing not to reveal how he will vote while health secretary Wes Streeting plans to oppose it.Rachael Maskell called for Lord Falconer to apologise 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 more Romania’s political landscape is reeling after a little-known, far-right populist secured the first round in the presidential election, electoral data showed Monday, going from an obscure candidate to beating the incumbent prime minister.Calin Georgescu, who ran independently, will face off against reformist Elena Lasconi in a runoff in two weeks.Georgescu,62, was ahead after nearly all ballots were counted with around 22.95% of the vote. Lasconi of the progressive Save Romania Union party, or USR, followed with 19.17%. She beat by a slim margin incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of the Social Democratic Party, or PSD, who stood at 19.15%. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, took 13.87%.It is the first time in Romania’s 35-year post-communist history for the PSD not to have a candidate in the second round of a presidential race, serving a huge blow to the country’s most powerful party and underscoring voters’ anti-establishment sentiment.After polls closed on Sunday, 9.4 million people — about 52.5% of eligible voters — had cast ballots, according to the Central Election Bureau. The second round of the vote will be held on Dec. 8. Georgescu, 62, won 43.3% of the vote in Romania’s large diaspora, compared to Lasconi who got 26.8%. Most local surveys predicted he would win less than 10% of the vote.The president serves a five-year term in the European Union and NATO member country and has significant decision-making powers in areas such as national security, foreign policy and judicial appointments. After casting his ballot on Sunday, Georgescu said in a post on Facebook that he voted “For the unjust, for the humiliated, for those who feel they do not matter and actually matter the most … the vote is a prayer for the nation.”According to his website, Georgescu holds a doctorate in pedology, a branch of soil science, and held different positions in Romania’s environment ministry in the 1990s. Between 1999 and 2012, he was a representative for Romania on the national committee of the United Nations Environment Program. Despite not having a clear political agenda, his videos on TikTok are popular, amassing 1.7 million likes.But his rising popularity will be tested when he faces Lasconi.Lasconi, a former journalist and the leader of the USR, has been running on an anti-corruption reformist agenda. She told The Associated Press ahead of the vote, that she saw corruption as one of the biggest problems Romania faces and expressed support toward increased defense spending and continued aid to Ukraine. If she wins the final vote, she will be the first female president in Romania’s history.Romania will also hold parliamentary elections on Dec. 1 that will determine the country’s next government and prime minister. 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 pledged to make spiking a drink a specific criminal offence as he demanded joint action from police and hospitality chiefs to crack down on violence against women and girls (VAWG).With Labour promising to halve VAWG in the next decade, the prime minister is calling chief constables, transport bosses and industry executives to Downing Street on Monday to urge a coordinated response to “bring the vile perpetrators to justice”.Under government plans, by spring thousands of workers in the night-time economy will be trained on how to prevent spiking incidents, support victims and help collect evidence.Labour pledged in its manifesto to introduce a new offence for spiking, but there was no detail in the King’s Speech this year about a specific crime – however, Sir Keir reaffirmed his commitment on Monday, saying: “I made a promise that, if elected, I would make spiking a new criminal offence. Today, I am proud to have come good on that pledge.”It is unclear when the legislation will be introduced, but ministers and officials are understood to be working to bring it forward as soon as possible – with Sir Keir promising “to take back our streets” from criminals.The prime minister summons chief constables, transport bosses and industry executives to Downing Street on Monday to urge a coordinated response to ‘bring the vile perpetrators to justice’ 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 moreTax rises in the autumn Budget will “hit growth” as they undermine investment among UK companies, the head of one of Britain’s most prominent business groups is set to warn.Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the Confederation of British Industry, will say in a speech on Monday that the measures announced by the government last month have made it harder for businesses to “take a chance” on hiring new people.She will tell the group’s annual conference in London: “Across the board, in so many sectors, margins are being squeezed and profits are being hit by a tough trading environment that just got tougher.“And here’s the rub, profits aren’t just extra money for companies to stuff in a pillowcase. Profits are investment… When you hit profits, you hit competitiveness, you hit investment, you hit growth.”Ms Newton-Smith will add: “What really defines growth is the decisions made in boardrooms up and down the country.In the October Budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a nearly £70 billion uplift in public spending, partly funded by sharp increases in business taxes such as employer national insurance contributions 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 moreKeir Starmer has promised “zero tolerance” for benefits cheats as Labour seeks to tackle Britain’s ballooning welfare bill. The prime minister warned those who try to “take advantage of state generosity will feel the force of the law” and that ministers would even “take cash straight from the banks of fraudsters”. His vow came as ministers prepare to unveil “tough” changes to the welfare system later this week.Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said on Sunday that young people who repeatedly refuse to take up jobs or training would lose their benefits.Sir Keir Starmer has pledged ‘zero tolerance’ over benefits cheats 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 moreLeading academic experts in the fields of health, end-of-life care and the legal system have joined together to sign an open letter opposing the assisted dying bill which MPs are due to debate on Friday.The bill tabled by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater would for the first time allow for the NHS to assist people to take their own lives.Ms Leadbeater and supporters of the legislation claim the bill would provide the “strictest safeguards anywhere in the world” to prevent the system being abused and ensure it only applied to terminally ill patients. Among these are that any requests to end life would need to be signed off by two doctors and a judge.However, in an open letter to MPs the 73 academics have fuelled concerns that the safeguards are not strong enough and could open the doors for coercion of the vulnerable to end their own lives.Kim Leadbeater says the bill will help give autonomy to terminally ill patients 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 moreCampaigners have hit out at a “woefully inadequate” financial package for developing nations agreed at Cop29 – with one charity condemning it as a “death sentence for millions”.A $300bn (£239.5bn) deal to help combat the impact of global warming was announced at the summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.It falls far short of the $1.3 trillion that developing countries were asking for, but is three times the $100bn a year deal from 2009 that is expiring.UN climate chief Simon Stiell hailed it as an “insurance policy” for humanity, while energy secretary Ed Miliband described it as a “critical 11th-hour deal at the 11th hour for the climate”.But Christian Aid said people who needed a life raft had been given a plank of wood instead. And the charity WaterAid said it was a “death sentence for millions” and a “mere fraction” of what was needed.COP29 Climate Summit More