UK Politics

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseBritain’s armed forces are so depleted that the country is not ready to fend off an invasion, the defence secretary has warned.In his most damning assessment yet of the state of the UK’s defence capability, John Healey said the military could conduct “operations”, but would be unable to stop an enemy from invading.As Labour increasingly seeks to paint a dire inheritance it was left by the Conservatives, Mr Healey said: “The UK, in keeping with many other nations, has essentially become very skilled and ready to conduct military operations. What we’ve not been ready to do is to fight. Unless we are ready to fight we are not in shape to deter.”Defence secretary John Healey said Britain would be unable to deter an invasion More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreClose Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that the country will significantly reduce the number of new immigrants it allows into the country after acknowledging that his government failed to get the balance right coming out of the pandemic. Trudeau’s Liberal government was criticized for its plan to allow 500,000 new permanent residents into the country in each of the next two years. On Thursday, he said next year’s target will now be 395,000 new permanent residents and that the figure will drop to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027. “In the tumultuous times as we emerged from the pandemic, between addressing labor needs and maintaining population growth, we didn’t get the balance right,” Trudeau said. “Immigration is essential for Canada’s future, but it must be controlled and it must be sustainable.”Trudeau, who is facing calls from within his own party not to seek a fourth term, has endured mounting criticism over his immigration policies and the negative impact that population growth has had on housing affordability.He said his government will reduce the number of immigrants Canada brings in over the next three years, and that this will freeze population growth over the next two years. Canada reached 41 million people in April. The population was 37.5 million in 2019.Trudeau said Canada needs to stabilize its population growth to allow all levels of government to make necessary changes to health care, housing and social services so that it can accommodate more people in the future. Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the lower immigration numbers will help with the country’s housing shortage. He also acknowledged the change in public opinion about immigration. “That volume that we have put forward is of concern,” Miller said. Miller said the government sees the pressures facing Canadians, and that it must must adapt its policies accordingly. He said government leaders have listened and will continue to protect the integrity of the immigration system and grow Canada’s population responsibly.“We are an open country, but not everyone can come to this country,” he said, noting that Canada will continue to welcome outsiders and that the government’s immigration targets remain ambitious.Trudeau’s government has long touted Canada’s immigration policy and how Canada is better than peer countries in welcoming newcomers and integrating them into the economy. Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party, accused Trudeau of destroying the national consensus on immigration.“He has destroyed our immigration system through his own personal incompetence and destroyed 150 years of common sense consensus with the Liberals and Conservatives on that subject,” Poilievre said. “He cannot fix what he broke on immigration and housing or anything else because he is busy fighting his own caucus,” he added.Poilievre was referring to calls by some lawmakers from Trudeau’s own party to not run for a fourth term. Those calls represent one of the biggest tests of Trudeau’s political career, but he said Thursday that he intends to stay on through the next election.Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Toronto, said the Trudeau government messed up badly on immigration. “The government’s logic — to grow the economy and sustain an aging Canadian population by bringing in more young immigrants — was sound. But Ottawa has little control over meeting the housing, health, education, and other welfare needs of residents, whether they are citizens or immigrants,” Wiseman said. “These are all provincial government responsibilities, and there was little cooperation or coordination between the two levels of government,” he said.A certain percentage of Canadians have always been xenophobic, but much less so than in some other countries, Wiseman said.“Many Canadians have turned against the recent growing immigrant and temporary worker/student influx because of the growing housing, health, education, and other welfare challenges. Ottawa has read the polls and is responding according,” he said. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreClose Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that he will lead his Liberal Party into the next election, dismissing a request by some party members to not run for a fourth term.Trudeau met with his Liberal members of Parliament for three hours Wednesday, where he learned that more than 20 lawmakers from his party signed a letter asking him to step down before the next election. Trudeau said there were “robust conversations” ongoing about the best way forward, but “that will happen as me as leader going into the next election.”No Canadian prime minister in more than a century has won four straight terms.Trudeau’s Cabinet ministers have said he has the support of the vast majority of the 153 Liberal Party members of the House of Commons. The Liberals recently suffered upsets in special elections for seats representing two districts in Toronto and Montreal that the party has held for years, raising doubts about Trudeau’s leadership.The federal election could come anytime between this fall and next October. The Liberals must rely on the support of at least one major party in Parliament, as they don’t hold an outright majority themselves.The leader of the opposition Bloc Québécois has said his party will work with the Conservatives and the New Democratic Party, of NDP, to bring down the Liberals and force an election if the government doesn’t boost pensions.Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, said pressure is building on Trudeau but that some of his unhappy lawmakers don’t how much power force him out. “Trudeau holds all the cards. It is up to him if he wants to stay. The Liberal Party revised its rules in 2016 so that the party leader is immune to any challenge to his leadership so long as he is prime minister,” said Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. Trudeau channeled the star power of his father in 2015 when he reasserted the country’s liberal identity after almost 10 years of Conservative Party rule. But the son of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau is now in trouble. Canadians have been frustrated by the rising cost of living and other issues including the country’s emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic.The Liberals trail the Conservatives by 38% to 25% in the latest Nanos poll. The poll of 1,037 respondents has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. More

Keir Starmer refuses to rule out raising national insurance contributionsYour support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseRachel Reeves will announce Labour’s first Budget since coming into power on 30 October, leading one of the most anticipated fiscal events in over two decades.Ahead of her announcement, the chancellor has said “taxes will need to rise” in her starkest warning to the public yet. Writing in the Financial Times, the chancellor added that this will come alongside “tough decisions on spending and welfare.”Ms Reeves also strongly hints that she will be revising Labour’s fiscal rule around debt, unlocking a potential £57bn for investment, writing that the rule “will make space for increased investment in the fabric of our economy”.Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in Samoa, where he has issued a strong rallying call regarding the upcoming fiscal event. “We are going to tackle the inheritance in this Budget,” he said, adding: “I’m not prepared to walk past it.We’ll be bringing you all the latest updates ahead of the big event on 30 October here, on The Independent’s liveblog.Show latest update 1729775972Starmer discusses Budget in SamoaSpeaking while travelling to Samoa for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders, Sir Keir addressed Labour’s inheritance from the Conservatives head on, saying: “I am not prepared to walk past it.”“Obviously there are other Budgets to come but this is a significant one which will set the approach, the framework if you like, and it will give a sense of how we intend to do business.“We are going to tackle the inheritance in this Budget.“I’m not prepared to walk past it. I’m not prepared to put it off and that is a signal of the way I want to do business which is not to pretend our problems aren’t there, it’s to actually roll up our sleeves and deal with it.”Albert Toth24 October 2024 14:191729765853Budget will ‘face up’ to black hole in public finances, Keir Starmer vowsSir Keir Starmer has said the Budget will “face up” to the reality of Labour’s inheritance from the Conservatives as Rachel Reeves prepares to borrow tens of billions of pounds to invest in Britain’s crumbling infrastructure.Ahead of the party’s first Budget in 15 years, the prime minister promised to tackle the hole left in Britain’s public finances and give the public “a sense of how we intend to do business” going forward.Budget will ‘face up’ to black hole in public finances, Keir Starmer vowsRachel Reeves’ Budget is expected to be a mixed bag, with deep spending cuts and sharp tax rises offset by a debt-funded spending spree of tens of billionsArchie Mitchell24 October 2024 11:301729761217How could a change to debt rules ‘unlock’ £50bn for Labour?Rachel Reeves will reportedly unveil a major change to Labour’s fiscal rules at the budget on 30 October by borrowing billions for infrastructure investment.Following weeks of speculation, the chancellor will reveal her plans to change Britain’s debt rules at the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) annual meeting in Washington on 24 October.There’s a few ways she could do this – here’s everything you need to know:How Reeves might unlock £57 billion at the budget in ‘simple’ fiscal rule changeExperts have urged the chancellor to consider tweaking a Labour manifesto pledge Albert Toth24 October 2024 10:131729759942Reeves confirms disposable vape ban as new taxes still on the cardsThe sale of disposable vapes will be banned in England and Wales from next year.Under legislation laid out by the Labour government in Parliament, it will be illegal for retailers to sell the devices from 1 June 2025.It has been reported that Rachel Reeves is also considering raising the tax further as part of her Budget to be unveiled at the end of the month.Labour has already outlined its ambition to reduce the amount of young people smoking or vaping, bringing in new rules as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.Labour’s war on vaping explained: From disposable ban to higher taxesDisposable vapes will be banned from sale in England and Wales from 1 June, 2025 – as Labour reportedly considers increasing a incoming tax on vaping products Albert Toth24 October 2024 09:521729749600ICYMI: Reeves considers ‘Amazon tax’ in business rates reform driveThe chancellor is reportedly considering a new ‘Amazon tax’ that would see business rates paid my online tech giants increased.Industry sources understand that a consultation will be launched after Ms Reeves announces the Budget on 30 October. This means the plans may get a mention.It comes after Labour wrote in its manifesto that it would reform the business rates system to “level the playing field between the high street and online giants.”The manifesto added that the current system “disincentivises investment, creates uncertainty and places an undue burden on our high streets.”Albert Toth24 October 2024 07:001729738800Budget rumours: Inheritance Tax reformInheritance tax is a levy on the estate of someone who has died. This is their property, money and possessions. Crucially, it is not paid if the value of these things is below £325,000.The tax rate is 40 per cent, but it’s only charged on the part of the estate that’s above the threshold. In 2023/24, only 5 per cent of deaths generated an inheritance tax bill, raising around £7 billion.However, the IFS writes that the tax measure “is littered with special exemptions”. These include a business relief, the ability to pass on agricultural land tax-free, and the tax-free passing on of pension pots.The economic think tank says that ending these measures alone would raise £4.8bn a year by 2029.Albert Toth24 October 2024 04:001729728000ICYMI: Rachel Reeves boosted by big drop in inflation as she seeks £40bn in Budget tax risesRachel Reeves has been boosted by a sharp drop in inflation as she seeks to find £40bn of tax hikes and spending cuts in this month’s Budget.The chancellor will welcome the dip, which saw inflation fall under the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target for the first time in more than three years, as she prepares for what promises to be a brutal Budget.Rachel Reeves boosted by big drop in inflation as she seeks £40bn in Budget tax risesThe fall in inflation comes as Rachel Reeves looks for £40bn of spending cuts and tax hikes in the October 30 Budget Albert Toth24 October 2024 01:001729717200Budget rumours: Taxing pension savingsPension tax relief is a reduction of the amount of tax paid on private pensions. It helps workers save for retirement by boosting their pension pots.The amount of tax relief a person is granted is based on their income tax. It will effectively cancel out tax on pension contributions up to a maximum of £60,000.After this, contributions will be taxed at either 20, 40, or 45 per cent, depending on which income tax rate the worker falls into.However, the chancellor is thought to be considering a flat 30 per cent pension tax relief rate. This would mean that higher earners would effectively pay 10 per cent in tax, while those on the additional rate would pay 15.The measure would raise around £3 billion a year, with 7 million earners paying more tax. But it would be better news for basic rate earners, who would actually begin to receive a 10 per cent boost to their pension contributions.Evaluating the idea last year, the IFS said it would “redistribute the burden of taxation from the bottom 80 per cent to the top 20 per cent of earners.”Albert Toth23 October 2024 22:001729706400ICYMI: Millionaires urge Reeves to raise £14bn from capital gains tax changes at BudgetRachel Reeves should increase capital gains tax (CGT) at Labour’s upcoming Budget, a group of millionaire business owners have urged, estimating the measure would raise £14bn a year.In a report by the IPPR think-tank, analysts have consulted with wealthy entrepreneurs who say higher CGT would not have stopped them from making investments in the UK.Millionaires urge Reeves to raise £14bn from capital gains tax changes at BudgetGovernment analysis has previously all but ruled out the measuresAlbert Toth23 October 2024 19:001729695600Budget rumours: Capital Gains reformCapital Gains Tax (CGT) is paid on the profit made when an asset which has increased in value is sold. It is applied to things like the sale of personal possessions worth more than £6,000 (apart from a car), property that’s not the seller’s main home, shares and business assets.It is charged at 10 or 18 percent for basic rate taxpayers, and 20 or 24 for higher or additional rate earners. There is a tax-free allowance of £3,000.There are several ways CGT could be changed. In the run-up to the election, the Lib Dems and Greens both said they would rethink the tax bands to be more similar to income tax, raising an estimated £5.2bn a year.Albert Toth23 October 2024 16:00 More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseRachel Reeves has announced a change to the fiscal rules ahead of next week’s budget, allowing her to borrow billions more each year. The chancellor today confirmed her rules will “make space for increased investment in the fabric of our economy”, amid widespread expectation she will change the way debt is measured.She said her “investment rule” would “get debt falling as a proportion of our economy”.“That will make space for increased investment in the fabric of our economy, and ensure we don’t see the falls in public sector investment that were planned under the last government”, she wrote in the Financial Times on Thursday. She is expected to change the measure of debt to one which includes a wider range of state assets and liabilities. Using the new fiscal rule, Ms Reeves would seek to fund about £20bn pounds a year of extra investment using increased borrowing, the newspaper reported, giving her more room for manoeuvre in the October 30 Budget and allow her to invest in Britain’s crumbling infrastructure. Sir Keir Starmer is in Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseKeir Starmer has flown into an explosive row over reparations for the transatlantic slave trade at a summit in Samoa.Commonwealth leaders are preparing to defy the prime minister and agree plans to examine how there can be ‘reparative justice’ over the issue. The move comes despite Sir Keir’s call for the group to look to the future at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (Chogm), which begins in the pacific nation on Friday.The prime minister was expected to come under direct fire over slavery at the event, after the prime minister of the Bahamas Philip Davis said he was seeking a “frank talk” with Sir Keir about reparations. Diplomatic sources said officials are already negotiating an agreement to conduct further research and begin a “meaningful conversation”, which could leave the UK owing billions of pounds in reparations.British prime minister Keir Starmer on 22 October 2024 in Apia, Samoa More