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      NHS medical director becomes second health chief to quit in a week

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreThe NHS’s top doctor has announced he is stepping down from the role, just a week after the surprise resignation of NHS England boss Amanda Pritchard. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, the organisation’s national medical director, has announced that he will step down this summer, after more than seven years in the role. He said he it had been an “immense privilege” to do his job and that he had always been “exceptionally proud to work in the NHS… while stepping down from this role, I remain passionate and committed to improving the health of patients and improving the experience of staff.” Sir Stephen is understood to have told Ms Pritchard in January of his decision, but it risks leaving a gap at the top of NHS England, after she announced last week that she was leaving at the end of the month. Sir Stephen regularly appeared on TV screens as part of Downing Street press conferences during the pandemic (PA) More

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      Tory peer forced to apologise for antisemitic slur over Holocaust memorial

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreA Tory peer has apologised after saying Jewish people should pay for a London Holocaust memorial themselves because they have “an awful lot of money”. Archie Hamilton, a former minister under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, said taxpayers’ money should not be used to pay for the memorial and education centre in Victoria Tower Gardens, next to parliament. In a debate in the Lords, he said the park is too small for the proposed project, adding: “I do not understand why the government have volunteered taxpayers’ money, when there is so little of it, to finance this.Lord Hamilton said the Jewish community has ‘an awful lot of money’ More

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      Voices: Independent readers give verdict on Donald Trump’s state visit – and if it should be cancelled

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreA recent poll has revealed outrage over Donald Trump’s second state visit invitation, with nearly half of the respondents calling for its cancellation after his explosive confrontation with Ukrainian President Zelensky. About 42 per cent believed the invitation should be withdrawn, and a petition by 38 Degrees has already collected more than 180,000 signatures. Meanwhile, a poll of Independent readers revealed an even stronger response, with 88 per cent saying the visit with King Charles III should not go ahead at the time of writing.You can still cast your vote in the poll below.When we asked for your views, readers were more contemplative in their responses. Some condemned the move as a grovelling act by Sir Keir Starmer – who delivered the invitation on the eve of Trump’s infamous White House shouting match – and worried that it would unnecessarily boost Trump’s ego. Critics argued that extending the invitation not only panders to Trump’s unpredictable temperament but also undermines the UK’s strong public support for Ukraine. On the other side of the debate, many warned that rescinding the invitation might appear insulting, suggesting instead a low-key visit that minimizes pomp while still holding firm to Britain’s principled stance in a turbulent global climate.Here’s what you had to say:Feeding Trump’s egoAs an American, I can truthfully say that any meeting with the King will only feed Trump’s ego and inflate his sense of self-importance, reinforcing his belief that he is indispensable to the political processes of the entire Western alliance of the EU and NATO.He is already insufferable – this will only make him more so.BejeebersThe visit must go ahead, but… As difficult as it is to say this, and as much as I can’t stand to see people being forced to grovel and feed the MAGA egos, Europe (including the UK) HAS to remain the grown-up in the room. Excluding voices and people is what has got the world into the mess it is in – pitting one ideology against another, one group against another, one country against another, etc.So yes, unfortunately, for now at least, the visit must go ahead. We must become the true peacekeepers and unifiers that Trump keeps saying he wants to be.Kat13Trump’s inconsistencyTrump can’t, he claims, remember what he said a few days ago, so there is no reason to assume that he will keep his word on anything. Remember, he rules by executive order – not through Congress – so there’s no one holding him to account.So, why bother to be nice to him? I don’t think you can win him over.GooddayNot in my name!Absolutely no state visit! The current narrative is all about Ukraine – what about that obscene AI/CGI filth Trumpsky put out about Gaza? That alone should be enough to scupper any notion of a visit. Not in my name!WheegA hostile stateWe should look at the USA as a hostile state until they can prove otherwise. Trump has said in plain language that America comes first and he has no interest in Europe. We must build up self-reliance and defense. The odds are that Trump will pull the USA out of Nato – if he does, what is the point of having American military bases and troops on European soil? The UK has been America’s lapdog for too long; to Americans, the UK is nothing but a static aircraft carrier.knightmareowlDon’t hide him from protestsI don’t want to see him over here. But if he must come, please don’t hide him away from any demonstrations against him.Let him be in a place where he can see what the real British people think about him.CrisPKeeping Trump onside If our intelligence service and satellite dependence are intertwined with that of the US, as Sir Keir Starmer has warned – after many years of our being close allies, which I believe to be the case – I think that any form of persuasion to keep Trump onside would be preferable to his handing all this over to Putin.FairdealSycophantic sweetenerThis was offered to Trump as a sycophantic sweetener and everyone knows it. We can all see how transparent Trump is.Trump was supposed to play nice – bribery only works if both parties understand it. Trump blew the deal up in Starmer’s face and still expects the state visit to go ahead. This is a joke, right? What is the point of a naked bribe if the bribee does not follow through?Jim987Grovelling act The invitation should not have been made in the first place. It was a grovelling act that placed us firmly in a position subservient to the will of Trump. Having made the offer, it will now be virtually impossible to withdraw it given the volatile and revengeful nature of the US President. The best we can hope for is that the date of the visit can be delayed sufficiently for it never to happen.RedRoosterLet him come, politely Let him come. Be distantly polite in true English fashion. Minimise the security and the pomp, and do as little as possible to hide him from the inevitable protests and demonstrations. Ensure that plenty of women and members of minority groups have key roles in whatever is organised. Invite other leaders of small, well-governed countries to come at the same time and make our goodwill towards them apparent.BrianCMassaging his fragile ego Yes, sadly, through gritted teeth. Trump has the power, and the only way to keep him remotely onside is to massage his fragile ego. The guy has zero self-awareness, and that’s a useful flaw – he’s a sucker for being sucked up to.Hopefully, there will come a point when the UK, the EU, and its proper allies can pretty much match the US’s trading might, and then we can call his bluff. Why can’t Canada send its oil and aluminium to the EU, for example, instead of the US? That would both remove Trump’s tariff premium and secure a vital source of these products. Yes, I know – simplistic and it won’t be easy. But, man, that would be a sucker-punch and a lesson he would understand.DevsAdThe invitation should stand Moimeme Yes, the invitation should stand. The event can be managed up or down, as appropriate at the time. The meeting between Charles III and Zelensky was nicely managed, taking place before Trump, but not as a full state visit – pointed but low-key.DissapointingI am disappointed that King Charles invited Donald Trump to a second state dinner. As the Head of the Commonwealth, of which Canada is a member, he should not reward Trump for imposing tariffs on Canada and disrespecting Justin Trudeau by calling him “Governor.”RonLecKeep him on board I dislike Trump and do not trust him. However, he is the current leader of the richest country with the strongest military. More importantly, Nato cannot currently function without him. Hence, we have to keep him on board and kowtow to him for the foreseeable future. If a state customer with the King is part of that, then so be it.CardoCardoSome of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article here.The conversation isn’t over. To join in, all you need to do is 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. More

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      Rayner’s 1.5m homes target under fresh pressure as construction activity plunges to lowest level since pandemic

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreActivity in Britain’s construction sector has plunged to its lowest level since the pandemic casting further doubt over the government’s ambitious house building targets. Last month, Angela Rayner warned there was “no excuse” not to meet her goal of 1.5m new homes, while Sir Keir Starmer doubled down on the pledge, committing to the creation of a generation of new towns with spades in the ground before the next election in 2029.But the latest S&P Global construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – which measures the activity level of purchasing managers in the construction industry – showed a reading of 44.6 in February, down from 48.1 in January. Angela Rayner has claimed there is no excuse not to meet her ambitious 1.5m homes target More

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      BBC presenter cuts off Jenrick in fiery clash over ‘two-tier justice’ claims

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreRobert Jenrick has clashed with a BBC presenter over claims new sentencing guidelines will lead to a “two-tier justice” system. The shadow justice secretary lashed out at guidance coming into force in April which will require a pre-sentence report before punishment is handed out for someone of an ethnic, cultural or faith minority, alongside other groups such as young adults aged 18 to 25, women and pregnant women.Mr Jenrick called for justice secretary Shabana Mahmood to overrule the independent Sentencing Council, which highlighted the “critical role” of pre-sentence reports. He has argued the guidance will discriminate against straight white men.Robert Jenrick said new sentencing guidelines will discriminate against straight white men More

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      If Trump forces Zelensky out who could be the next Ukraine president?

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreOfficials in Donald Trump’s administration have made public demands that Ukraine should change its president. In private, lobbyists have worked to make the case for soft regime change in Kyiv in meetings with journalists and diplomats across Europe.They may believe they’re working to ‘Make America Great Again’ but they are nonetheless following a Kremlin playbook to delegitimize Volodymyr Zelensky.The effort may come to a head if President Zelensky returns to Washington to “make it right” with the US president following the breakdown of relations last week.The collapse of the bilateral relationship immediately led to the American suspension of military aid to Ukraine and a “pause” in vital intelligence sharing – a massive boost to the Russian war effort at a time when the Kremlin’s forces have been stalling.Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky clashed in the Oval Office More

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      NHS dentistry facing ‘existential crisis’ with more practices going private amid tax hike

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreEngland’s dentists warn that without a serious increase in government funding and an overhaul of contracts, NHS dentistry could cease to exist when the April tax hike forcing more practices to go private to make ends meet.Shiv Pabary, chair of the British Dental Association’s General Dental Practice Committee, said: “The future of NHS dentistry is in [Chancellor] Rachel Reeves’s hands”.Dr Pabary said dentists have been struggling for years to and cover rapidly rising costs with no substantial increase to NHS funding, and April’s increase to National Insurance contributions could force many more dentists to abandon NHS dentistry altogether.“It’s going to be horrendous for many practices,” he said. “And it’s a political choice, it really is, if they want NHS dentistry to exist. Because genuinely, I’ve been in this for 40 years, I think it faces an existential crisis.”It comes as the Liberal Democrats urged the government to exempt the health and social care sector from the National Insurance contribution increase coming in April, saying pharmacists, dentists and other health and care providers will face a combined £3 billion tax hike in the next financial year.The number of dentists providing NHS services is falling More

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      Whitehall departments ‘asked to reveal lowest priority spending’ ahead of Reeves’ planned cuts

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      Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreGovernment departments have reportedly been asked to identify 20 per cent of their lowest priority spending areas as Rachel Reeves eyes up billions of pounds in cuts ahead of the Spring Statement.The chancellor presented earmarked savings to the government’s spending watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), on Wednesday before she delivers her statement on 26 March. Treasury sources have said several factors have impacted plans presented under Ms Reeves’ October budget, with increased borrowing costs and weak economic growth likely to require further spending cuts in order to meet commitments on managing the public finances.Curbing the cost of welfare and a drive for greater efficiency across Whitehall are expected to contribute the bulk of the savings.Chancellor Rachel Reeves is likely to cut the cost of welfare to help manage public finances (Yui Mok/PA) More