UK Politics

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorA British Foreign Office official has resigned in protest at the continued arms sales to Israel by the UK. Mark Smith, a counterterrorism official based in the British embassy in Dublin, said he can no longer “in good conscience continue to work with a government which is complicit in war crimes”. In a statement following his resignation, issued on Sunday, Mr Smith said he had worked as a policy advisor in the Middle East and North Africa department for most of his career. He added that he was “the lead author of the central assessment which governs the legality of arms sales” in that department, where it was his job to assess international law compliance and information about civilian casualties. In the statement, issued through media organisation Neon, Mr Smith said: “To export arms to any nation, the UK must be satisfied that the recipient nation has in place robust procedures to avoid civilian casualties and to minimise harm to civilian life. It is impossible to argue that Israel is doing that.”He said he had written to foreign secretary David Lammy to inform him of his resignation from the Foreign Office and urged him to urgently review the UK’s approach to Gaza. People mourn next to the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza on Sunday More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorMore than half of people think Britain is “moving in the wrong direction”, according to a new poll that shows a drop in favourability of Sir Keir Starmer and his cabinet. The poll by Ipsos, which was conducted between 9-12 August, shows that people still prefer Labour leaders to Conservative ones but that there has been an increase in criticism of the new government. Fifty-two per cent of adults polled said that they thought Britain was heading in the wrong direction, while 22 per cent said things were heading in the right direction. Sir Keir remains the most popular politician asked about, with 38 per cent of people thinking of him favourably compared to 38 per cent unfavourably. This is however a drop compared to his ratings just after the election. His net favourability rating has now gone from plus 7 to 0. Conservative leader Rishi Sunak is on a net rating of minus 10. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has had to deal with riots across the country since taking office More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorLabour will end “divise rhetoric” and blame culture towards people on benefits, the new work and pensions secretary has said. Liz Kendall has said that an overhaul is needed to get people back to work, warning that the increasing number of people needing financial support from the state is unsustainable.Britain’s welfare bill is set to increase by £60bn over the next four years, according to analysis from think tank the Resolution Foundation. This has been driven by the growing number of people claiming disability or incapacity benefits and by guarantees for pensioners. In an interview with The Observer, Ms Kendall said: “I do not think it’s sustainable when you’re seeing those levels of increases, but we can do something about it.”She criticised the Tory government for “divisive rhetoric that blames people and doesn’t support them”. In May, ministers opened a consultation on the disability support system PIP, with ideas including replacing cash benefits with a voucher scheme and one-off grants.Liz Kendall will also chair a child poverty taskforce with education secretary Bridget Phillipson More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorPenny Mordaunt has accused the government of burying its head in the sand on defence, amid reports Labour is planning on cuts in the forthcoming budget. Writing in The Independent, the former Tory leadership hopeful warned that Labour’s first Budget, which will be delivered on 30 October, “is the only opportunity they have” to demonstrate that the UK is serious about “playing their part in defending our collective interests”.Ms Mordaunt warned that it is a “diplomatic signal as well as a fiscal event”, saying any decision not to invest enough in defence could indicate that the UK is “not a reliable partner” and lead to “grave consequences” for the nation.Penny Mordaunt argued ‘what the UK chooses has never mattered more’ More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe Labour government is incapable of tackling racism and Islamophobia effectively, a member of its own national committee has claimed in the wake of widespread race riots. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Labour’s National Executive Committee member Mish Rahman has criticised Sir Keir Starmer for his failure to categorise the attacks as “terrorism”. He claimed the reluctance to label the violence as an act of terrorism reveals a troubling double standard, adding: “It suggests to me that it is terrorism when only committed by a Muslim. Language matters.”This view was echoed by Britain’s former head of counter-terrorism Neil Basu, who warned that the worst far-right violence seen during riots across the country should be treated as terrorism during the start of the disorder.Mish Rahman has criticised the Labour Party for its stance on Islamophobia and racism More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe Government has called on broadband companies to limit the installation of unnecessary telegraph poles, saying it will bring in legislation to prevent them if the industry fails to comply.Technology minister Sir Chris Bryant said the Government’s support for the rollout of fast broadband across the UK is “unwavering”, but that the industry should be “mindful” of the concerns of communities when installing infrastructure.Earlier this year, the Bournville Village Trust, which manages the picturesque estate in Birmingham, said it would consider legal action after a number of telegraph poles appeared in the village.Telecom companies are required to give notice to the local planning authority and residents before installing a pole, but are not required to obtain planning permission because the poles are classed as permitted developments.The Government is urging companies to share existing infrastructure where possible or place them underground, instead of installing new poles for broadband cables.I’m calling on telecoms companies to prioritise the sharing of infrastructure and take into account the views of residents and businesses in rural areasTechnology minister Sir Chris Bryant In a letter to operators, Sir Chris urged them to revise the Code of Practice when it comes to installing telegraph poles.He said he will not shy away from changing the law, should the industry fail to listen to communities.Sir Chris said: “Our dedication to rolling out fast and reliable broadband across the country is unwavering.“But this must happen in a way that is mindful of local communities, many of whom have expressed dismay when their road is dug up yet again or yet another telegraph pole appears in their street.“This is why I’m calling on telecoms companies to prioritise the sharing of infrastructure and take into account the views of residents and businesses in rural areas.“By doing so, we can bring the advantages of high-speed internet to all corners of the nation more rapidly and responsibly, while minimising disruptive ground digging and ending the installation of unnecessary telegraph poles, ensuring communities’ concerns are not overlooked.”The Government is to hold a round-table meeting with telecom companies in September to discuss issues raised by the public and encourage greater collaboration.An Openreach spokesperson said: “The UK is undergoing a digital transformation, to world-class full-fibre broadband.“To help companies build out their networks, we offer access to our national network of poles and underground ducts. To date over 100 companies are making use of our ducts and poles, and it’s enabled them to connect nearly 900,000 of their customers.“We welcome greater collaboration within the industry and believe all network builders should offer access on comparable terms to us, thereby reducing the need for new poles and duct in certain areas. However, there will be a need for new infrastructure to ensure some premises aren’t left behind.“We’re looking forward to working with Government to ensure the digital transformation of the UK continues at pace, which will include improved infrastructure sharing.” More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe government will establish a unit dedicated to preventing violent crime among young people to give teenagers the best start in life, the home secretary has announced. The “young futures” unit will include setting up youth hubs and identifying those most at risk of being drawn into violence, exploitation, crime and anti-social behaviour.Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said teenagers today have it “much, much harder” than previous generations because they face pressures from social media, county lines gangs, and child criminal exploitation.It comes following the killings of three children in Southport, which she described as “deeply traumatic and just absolutely awful”. “It’s part of our cross-government mission to halve serious violence and also rebuild confidence in policing and the criminal justice system,” Ms Cooper told the Guardian. “As part of that, the young futures programme is a 10-year vision, about how we prevent young people being drawn into crime in the first place, and also about how we give their future back.”Plans for young futures hubs have previously been proposed by the Labour Party, and at last year’s party conference Ms Cooper announced an ambition to spend £100 million on the policy, which also aims to improve mental health services for young people.Councils and police forces will have until Christmas to put proposals in place to tackle crime among young people, according to The Guardian.New Home Office guidelines will be in force by the end of the year and will set out how networks of police, mental health professionals, local schools, youth offending teams and charities can work together to reduce teenage crime. The unit forms part of the Government’s ambition to halve knife crime and levels of violence against women and girls within the next ten years.Ms Cooper expressed frustration at the lack of progress when it comes to violence against women and girls, adding: “For too long it’s been treated as something that will just always be there.”New data from the British Transport Police revealed the number of crimes against women and girls on the country’s railways more than doubled – from 7,561 in 2021 to 11,357 in 2023. The home secretary added that under previous Conservative governments, support for teenagers became neglected, with councils stretched and struggling to coordinate activity. More