UK Politics

Sir Keir Starmer had been briefed on details of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein before making him US ambassador, a select committee heard.The Prime Minister was said to have received a Cabinet Office report referencing the “reputational risks” of appointing Lord Mandelson, which “included his previous resignations as a minister” and “his prior relationships with Jeffrey Epstein”.“This section included direct extracts from media reporting and notes of a general reputational risk,” Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald told the Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday.Sir Chris indicated that the judgment about whether to make the appointment rested with the Prime Minister.The committee heard that Sir Keir Starmer (right) was made aware of the issues around Lord Mandelson’s (left) appointment More

Almost 700 health workers and LGBT+ rights campaigners from 40 countries have written to Sir Keir Starmer, asking him to protect the UK’s contribution to the global fight against HIV. The government is currently deciding how much money to allocate to HIV prevention efforts around the world, amid deep cuts to overseas aid. The letter’s signatories are asking the prime minister to “fill the gaps left by the US retreat”, as Donald Trump axed the vast majority of the country’s contributions to global health when he took office for the second time. The US president’s emergency plan for Aids relief (Pepfar) was the world’s largest funder of HIV programmes – and while it has been partially protected, it still faces major restrictions.“The recent proposal by the US Congress to reinstate some funding for global HIV is welcome, but this money – if it is confirmed – will not make its way to many groups at higher risk from the virus, thanks to a discriminatory and unscientific ban on so-called DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] programmes,” the letter said.The US continues to fund preventative medicines and support for pregnant and breastfeeding women, but not for other vulnerable groups, including gay men and transgender communities. “This will create a two-tier response to the pandemic where only those deemed worthy by the US government will receive US-funded medicines to protect themselves,” the letter said. It was signed by 686 people from global South countries representing public health and LGBT+ activist organisations. While more than 300 signed their names, another half endorsed the letter anonymously because of safety concerns due to harsh and discriminatory anti-LGBT+ laws in their countries. The world’s other largest funder of HIV care, the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which pays for a quarter of all international programmes, is currently raising funds for the next three years. The UK is co-hosting its fundraising event on 21 November this year in South Africa, and has always been one of the fund’s biggest donors. But it is nevertheless widely expected to cut its contribution by as much as £150m – risking an estimated 255,000 lives. “When Aids erupted in your country, some elements in the media and politics tried to separate people who had acquired the virus into those ‘deserving’ or ‘undeserving’ of compassion and care,” the letter read. “Activists worked hard, and still do, to fight that terrible narrative, which not only stigmatises and shames people living with HIV, but undermines efforts to drive down transmissions.“In addition, the UK has an extra duty to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people globally, given your historic role in creating the anti-homosexuality laws that still exist in many countries around the world, and which make it hard – often impossible – for the LGBTQ+ community to access lifesaving services, unless they are provided by international donors.”This article was produced as part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid project More

Penny Mordaunt has warned that the UK cannot follow the same populist path of Donald Trump’s America as she plots her return to British politics.The former Tory cabinet minister and leadership candidate issued her warning as Nigel Farage’s Reform – as well as many in her own party, including Robert Jenrick – seek to emulate what Trump has done in the US.The former Commons leader also hinted she is looking to return to the Commons sooner rather than later – should the right by-election opportunity arise.Speaking to the Independent at the launch of her new book on British traditions, the former MP issued a barbed warning to those who want to copy Trump.She said: “The parallels with the United States are quite stark. You know, we have this incredible rule book forged through 1,000 years and stress tested to its limit. You couldn’t have the sort of institution bashing that’s going on in the US at the moment with, well, the president grabbing power. “I think this country has a great sense of itself. It admires service. It doesn’t like power to be concentrated in one individual. It likes fairness, and it’s incredibly tolerant, and it likes people to get along and be brought together.She added: “All of that is aided by our incredible set of rules and our customs. And so I say ‘good luck’ to anyone that wants to try and upset that. I think that’s a lesson. It might work in the US to do it in a Trump way, he’s certainly been able to get some things to happen over there.”Ms Mordaunt also warned that despite Reform’s claims, she does not believe they truly reflect the UK.Mordaunt leads the way at the coronation More

The Conservative Party nearly went bankrupt after their worst-ever election defeat as donors considered pulling their funding, Kemi Badenoch has admitted. The Tory leader said she spent her first few months in office “working furiously behind the scenes”, which she said led some to think she was “not doing anything”. Speaking to BBC Newscast after one year as Conservative leader, Ms Badenoch said keeping donors on side “actually took quite a lot of quite a lot of my time”, saying she wished she had spent more time “out there a bit more”.But she added: “Without money, a party can’t survive.”Asked if there was a risk that the Conservatives could have gone bankrupt, the Tory leader said: “Yes, there was.”Ms Badenoch came to the helm of the party after a leadership contest triggered by Rishi Sunak’s resignation in the wake of the 2024 general election drubbing, which saw the party lose 250 seats. Over the last year, the Tory leader has slowly started to craft a new policy platform for the party, insisting she will rebuild the Conservatives’ vision for Britain – but there is growing talk of a leadership challenge amid poor approval ratings. Robert Jenrick the favourite to succeed her.But Ms Badenoch said: “This first year of my leadership has been about rebuilding. Rebuilding our party, our principles and our plan for Britain.Kemi Badenoch says she’s ‘rebuilding’ the party as she fights off rumours of a leadership challenge More

Nigel Farage has suggested that the minimum wage may be “too high” for younger workers, as he laid out Reform’s vision for the UK economy.The Reform leader, speaking in the City of London on Monday morning, also revealed he was abandoning plans for tax cuts that were a central part of the party’s previous manifesto – and refused to commit to the triple lock on pensions. Asked whether he thought the minimum wage was too high, Mr Farage said: “There’s an argument the minimum wage is too high for younger workers. “Particularly given that we’ve lowered the level at which NIC [national insurance] is paid to £5,000 a year. “So do one or the other, do one or the other – either lift the cap at which NI is due, or lower the minimum wage for young workers.” Nigel Farage was introduced by Reform UK’s head of policy, Zia Yusuf More

The chancellor is reportedly considering more than one hundred different tax and spending measures in the upcoming Budget, amid concerns the fiscal watchdog could be about to downgrade the UK’s productivity performance.Rachel Reeves is thought to be looking at hitting the top third of earners as part of an attempt to fill a black hole in the public finances of up to £50bn. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) – which handed the chancellor its latest set of projections for the economy last week – is expected to downgrade the UK’s performance on productivity at the Budget, with fears that it could represent a further £20bn gap in the public finances.Sources told The Times that around a hundred tax and spending measures are on the table for the Budget, including an increase in income tax, which would be a clear breach of Labour’s manifesto promise not to increase three key taxes on working people. Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver her budget on 26 November More