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 moreCloseLabour MP and former shadow minister Bell Ribeiro-Addy has warned the “Commonwealth will crumble” if the government does not reopen talks on reparations for the slave trade.It comes as the prime minister faces growing demands to rethink the UK’s position on the issue as he heads to Samoa for a major Commonwealth meeting.On Monday, Downing Street rejected demands, saying the issue of reparations is “not on the agenda” for the event and “we won’t be offering an apology”.But Ms Ribeiro-Addy, a former shadow immigration minister, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme “an apology is absolutely free”, dismissing attempts from both this government and the previous government to focus on the present rather than unpick wrongs of the past.Bell Ribeiro-Addy said ‘an apology is absolutely free’ 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 moreCloseYvette Cooper will revive and complete a probe into how firearms police officers who take fatal shots in the line of duty are held to account after a police marksman was cleared of murdering Chris Kaba.The home secretary is expected to make a Commons statement on Wednesday on the planned review following the acquittal of Martyn Blake.In 2023, then home secretary Suella Braverman pledged to review the ways that firearms officers who take fatal shots are held accountable. Plans to give swifter decisions to suspended officers and more clarity to victims were among the changes touted by the previous government.Tory ministers also considered raising the threshold for referring firearms officers for prosecution.Home secretary Yvette Cooper during a visit to Lewisham Police Station in south London 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 moreCloseDonald Trump’s presidential campaign has accused the “far-left” Labour Party of interfering in the US election in a six-page legal complaint to the Federal Election Commission.The letter, addressed to the electoral commission’s acting general counsel, was published on the former US president’s website on Tuesday evening along with a statement from a campaign manager.Both the letter and the website notice make parallels to the American Revolution, with the former president’s team stating “the British are coming!” and warning: “When representatives of the British government previously sought to go door-to-door in America, it did not end well for them.”The letter also misspells Britain in the second sentence.The complaint itself references reports in The Telegraph newspaper several times and cites a now-deleted LinkedIn post from a Labour staffer stating almost 100 staff were going to the US and offering to cover housing for ten others who may be able to join.The complaint follows reports of senior Labour officials meeting with Kamala Harris’ campaign. Sir Keir Starmer has insisted his relationship with Trump is not in jeopardy, and when asked if it was a mistake for senior staffers to have met with the Harris campaign, he insisted that any members of his party were in the US on an entirely voluntary basis, similar to in previous elections.Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has filed a six-page legal complaint to the Federal Election Commission 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 moreCloseFour new badge activities have been launched for the Scouts, backed by GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), to help young people learn how to stay safe online.The activities will form part of the Digital Citizen Badge and have been designed to teach children aged eight to 14 how to protect their devices and keep their data safe.The new activities have been launched during Cyber Security Awareness Month, and encourage young people good cybersecurity habits.Specifically, the four activities for the Scouts are focused on strong passwords, recognising phishing emails, understanding fundamental cyber security principles and identifying the importance of regularly backing up key digital assets.The activities have been designed alongside cybersecurity experts from the NCSC.Sally Milner, Scout partnership manager, said: “Keeping your digital assets safe is a key modern life skill and here at the Scouts we want to help young people develop digital skills as well as the more traditional team work, navigation and leaderships skills.“In 2024, it’s just as important to know how to keep your data safe as it is to work in a team or navigate using a map; it’s our mission to help young people develop all these key skills, and others so they are fully equipped to live and operate effectively in the modern world.”Sarah Lyons, NCSC deputy director for economy and society, said: “Empowering young people with the skills to navigate the digital world safely is crucial.“By equipping Scouts with essential knowledge about online safety, we help ensure they can protect themselves against cyber threats and make informed choices in an increasingly digital society.” 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 moreCloseSir Keir Starmer has scored the first major breakthrough in his great Brexit reset with a landmark new defence deal with Germany.Less than four months into his premiership, the prime minister has struck an agreement with the most influential and powerful member state in the European Union.Under the plans, German aircraft in the Luftwaffe, Germany’s air force, will operate from a base in Britain to help protect the North Atlantic from the growing threat from Russia, while around 400 jobs are set to be created in a new munitions factory in the UK.Defence secretary John Healey said the agreement represented a “major strengthening of Europe’s security” and was a “milestone moment” in the UK’s relationship with Germany.But the prime minister was urged to go further in strengthening the UK’s relationship with the EU and seize other areas of cooperation.Keir Starmer is greeted by German chancellor Olaf Scholz ahead of a meeting between the two and other leaders 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 moreCloseThe health secretary Wes Streeting’s partner has reportedly been appointed to a senior role at Labour headquarters, which will see him earn over £100,000 each year.Joe Dancey is set to become to party’s new executive director of policy and communications, a role that is second only to the general secretary, and will see him attempt to solidify Sir Keir Starmer’s majority for the next five years.The move is likely to provoke further commentary and criticism of the internal politics at Downing Street, which has seen a number of positions filled by those with family links to the party’s leading figures.Sir Keir Starmer has faced commentary around the staffing of top jobs at Downing Street and Labour HQ (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More