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 row has erupted after the Tories criticised Sir Keir Starmer for his commitment to spending time with his children after 6pm on Fridays.The Conservatives suggested that Sir Keir’s remarks, made during an interview with Virgin Radio, implied he would be a “part-time prime minister” if elected, with Rishi Sunak commenting, “I haven’t finished at six ever.”But the Labour Party leader countered that safeguarding time for his 16-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter makes him more relaxed and a better decision-maker, adding: “There are a few exceptions, but that’s what we do.”Several have labelled the attack “desperate”, noting that Starmer’s wife, Victoria, is Jewish and the family observes traditional Shabbat dinners on Friday nights.Now we want to know what you think. Would Sir Keir be right to stop work for his family at 6pm on Fridays if elected prime minister? Or should someone in this position always be on call as the Conservatives suggest?Do you make the effort to put strict divisions between your work and home life? And do you think this is only possible with certain careers?Share your thoughts by adding them in the comments — we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.You can also vote in our poll below.All you have to do is sign up and register your details — then you can take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here.Join the conversation with other Independent readers below. 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 ThomasEditorOne in seven young Black and Asian Britons are making concrete plans to leave the UK due to government failings, racism and economic worries, a new study suggests.A survey by research consultancy Word on the Curb found 15 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds in this group are actively exploring options to emigrate, while a further 51% of those polled said they had recently thought about moving abroad.Among key reasons given for wanting to leave, 39 per cent of respondents cited the cost of living crisis, 28 per cent dissatisfaction with the current government, while 19 per cent said racial inequality was a factor.The figures have fuelled fears an “exodus” of young first and second generation immigrant Britons would cause another blow to the UK economy, Word on the Curb said. Aisha, a 26-year-old who’s planning to leave the UK for Dubai, told The Independent that Brexit and the cost of living crisis had contributed to her decision emigrate. She said: “A series of events led to my decision to move and it was really triggered by Brexit.“I think that Brexit one of the most vindictive, xenophobic things that our government has ever done to young people which denied us the benefits of being in the European Union and the opportunity to move freely across the continent.“From there, everything has started getting worse in the last year or so, in terms of young people’s quality of life”.Frustrated by the soaring rent prices and the cost of living toll, Aisha, inspired by a friend who quit Britain for better prospects, explained that these are additional factors that are driving her out of the country too.“I can’t afford to live in London anymore,” she added. “I cannot live where I grew up and that’s annoying me. I have to go very, very far out.“I see that a lot of Londoners are moving to place like the Midlands and then that’s displacing people in the Midlands, because the rents are going up; so we’re being displaced and we’re displacing other people which I don’t like.”Project manager Folu, 33, aims to find a place where he can thrive both professionally and personally, away from the deteriorating social landscape marked by rising racism and anti-immigrant sentiments in the UK.Research highlights that key reasons for wanting to leave include the cost of living crisis, dissatisfaction with the current government and racial inequality 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 is investigating reports that voters in constituencies across the UK have not yet received their postal votes ahead of general election polling day on 4 July.There are concerns that thousands could miss out on the chance to vote as people in up to 90 constituencies have raised concerns about their ballots not yet arriving, according to reports.Royal Mail has come in for criticism but the company denied it is the source of the issue, saying there is no backlog.Postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake told The Telegraph: “We urge Royal Mail to do all they can to make sure that postal votes get to the right people at the right time, and time is completely of the essence now.For the latest political updates ahead of the general election, follow The Independent’s live coverage“There’s a resourcing issue. They have recruited extra people and I welcome that but they’ve got to make sure they’ve got the right number of people to deliver the mail at busy times like this.”A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Where concerns have been raised, we have investigated and confirmed ballot packs are being delivered as soon as they arrive in our network.”The option to vote by post is offered to all registered voters in the UK, but must be applied for in advance. Voters should then receive their ballot in the post, fill it out as soon as possible, and post it to their local polling station to arrive in time for 10pm on polling day.People may choose to vote by post for a number of reasons, most commonly because they are away on polling day. Only voters in Northern Ireland are required to give a reason.What should I do if I’ve not yet received my postal vote?If you’ve been affected by this issue and have not yet received the ballot you applied for in the post, you will still be able to vote.Anyone in this situation must request a replacement postal ballot pack in person from their local authority. This can be done by up to 5pm on polling day, and you must take ID.The authority’s elections office will usually be located at the town hall or the main council building. Most will offer the option to complete a ballot on site and hand it back to them, ensuring your vote is received.Alternatively, a replacement can also be sent by post up until 5pm on Wednesday 3 July or voters can authorise someone to collect it on their behalf, according to the Electoral Commission, which oversees elections in the UK.The independent elections body also offers a handy postcode checker to find the contact details of your local election team.Voters can also choose to hand their postal vote in to their local polling station if they are concerned about posting it, or ask a trusted person to do so for them (who must fill out a form).If you still choose to post your ballot, the Royal Mail says it should be sent no later than Wednesday 3 July. You must ensure it arrives in the post box before final collection time. 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 ThomasEditorA new study has found that posts from 10 “bot-like” X accounts spreading disinformation and hate have been viewed more than 150 million times ahead of the UK General Election.The accounts in question have shared more than 60,000 posts on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, since May 22, with those posts estimated to have been seen 150 million times, an investigation by non-governmental organisation (NGO) Global Witness found.Many of the posts from these 10 prolific accounts contain “extreme and violent” hate speech, disinformation, conspiracy theories and praise Russian President Vladimir Putin, the organisation said.It found that posts amplified by these bot-like accounts have spread Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia and transphobia, state that climate change is a “hoax”, that vaccines have created a “genocide”, and that Mr Putin is “the greatest president ever”.The investigation found the bot-like accounts by searching among hashtags on migration and climate change covering a wide spectrum of views, from #welcomerefugees to #migration and #stoptheboats.Frequent posting is considered to be a characteristic of a bot-like account (James Manning/PA) More