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 moreCloseTory leadership contender Kemi Badenoch has pledged her first action if she became prime minister would be to restore tax breaks for private schools. Ms Badenoch also described Labour’s plans to impose VAT as “cruel”, as she tried to woo Conservative members at a crucial stage of her campaign to replace Rishi Sunak.But the Brexiteer, who pledged to “cut through the crap” if she is elected party leader, also admitted much of the UK’s exit from the EU had not been a success.She told the Tory faithful: “We need to stop blaming Brexit for all our problems… and start fixing problems.” Conservative leadership contender Kemi Badenoch pictured at the debate 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 moreCloseTory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch has been accused of endorsing “disgraceful” and “wrong” claims about mental health. The outcry comes after she launched a pamphlet that said the number of claims for mental health problems in Britain has “outpaced any conceivable clinical explanation”.The Mental Health Foundation attacked the statement as “wrong”, while NHS mental health director Claire Murdoch described the whole section on mental health as “disgraceful”.It comes just days after she was accused of “stigmatising” autism by backing different claims – in the same pamphlet – which suggested people with the condition get “economic advantages and protections”.The new row has been sparked by a claim in the same document, which includes contributions from 24 supporters of Ms Badenoch, that “the rise in welfare claims related to mental health, in the UK at least, has outpaced any conceivable clinical explanation.”Conservative Party leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch 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 warned his senior ministers they will have to live with swingeing spending cuts after a cabinet row over the Budget erupted in public. The prime minister is facing a backlash from Angela Rayner and other members of his top team over cuts to government departments set to be unveiled by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves. Sir Keir has received letters raising concerns after a number of his team – including transport minister Louise Haigh and justice minister Shabana Mahmood – spoke out against the measures at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, with one reportedly describing the cuts being sought as “absolutely huge”.In response, on Thursday the PM’s official spokesperson warned: “Not every department will be able to do everything they want to. There will be tough decisions taken [and] tough conversations.”They also warned that “public services and departments have to become more productive and public services will need reform”.Keir Starmer is under pressure over cuts in Rachel Reeves’s upcoming Budget 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 moreCloseMartin Lewis has issued a warning over a new crackdown on buy now, pay later products. The money expert has cautioned consumers it is a case of buy now, get protected later.Ministers have announced that millions of shoppers are to be protected by new rules for BNPL, as they are known. Mr Lewis welcomed the change saying: “Buy Now, Pay Later is now ubiquitous at online checkouts, so the fact it’s never been regulated is a travesty I and others have long campaigned on.“The last chancellor promised to regulate, then the tumbleweed rolled as he went silent, so I am delighted the new government has quickly restarted the process.”Martin Lewis sent a warning over the new crackdown on buy now, pay later products 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 wealth gap between the richest and poorest in the UK soared by nearly 50 per cent in less than a decade, as stalling wages and rising asset values fuelled inequality at the height of austerity, new analysis suggests.In a new report examining the “profound systemic impacts” of this rising inequality, researchers with the Fairness Foundation warn that it “seriously exacerbates a wide range of arguably existential risks” to the UK, such as social unrest, failure to act on the climate crisis, economic stagnation and the decline of democracy.As new polling for the charity found that three in four voters are concerned about the impact of wealth inequality in Britain, Sir Keir Starmer was urged to act to mitigate these risks, in an open letter signed by dozens of academics, charity and business leaders.Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have made boosting economic growth one of their five key missions 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 moreCloseA Labour MP has claimed she has experienced better internet connection in wartorn Ukraine than she does in central London.Cat Eccles told an adjournment debate that the UK is languishing behind its European neighbours when it comes to ultra-fast broadband.Technology minister Sir Chris Bryant said the Government aspires to European levels of broadband, adding that some “cowboy” broadband companies should be told they’re “drinking in the last chance saloon”.When I was recently in Ukraine I experienced far better internet connectivity than I do in central London and Stourbridge town centreCat Eccles On Thursday, the MP for Stourbridge said: “The legislation was passed in 2013, yet here we are in 2024 still waiting for the full rollout of this ultra-fast broadband.“And while I appreciate what (Laurence Turner) has said, (that) we do have adequate fast speeds currently, it could be much better.“In fact, when I was recently in Ukraine I experienced far better internet connectivity than I do in central London and Stourbridge town centre.“So our European neighbours are enjoying much faster broadband while we languish behind, and Stourbridge residents have been left at the mercy of these third party companies.”Ms Eccles’ comments came during a debate on planning permission and telegraph poles led by fellow Labour MP Laurence Turner, who raised concerns about the amount and locations of telegraph poles in his constituency of Birmingham Northfield.He told the Commons: “This is not about being against telegraph poles, nor is it about being against the rollout of fast broadband, in fact new infrastructure is vital.”“But is it surely wrong that when poles are sited inappropriately, that recourse (for) residents is advisory only and in many cases it is lacking completely in practice,” he added.Mr Turner went on to say: “As long as the (cabinet and pole siting code of practice) remains voluntary, it will always be circumvented in some cases.”Speaking on behalf of the Government, Sir Chris said: “The vast majority of companies who are operating in this sphere are doing so entirely responsibly, they are doing a great favour for the nation in rolling out broadband at the kind of speed that everybody wants.“I note the point that was made by (Ms Eccles) about other countries in Europe, of course we want to aspire to that as well, for everybody across the whole of the UK.“The vast majority of companies are doing that, a few are frankly behaving like cowboys and I think sometimes we need as Government and as Parliament to say to cowboys that they’re drinking in the last chance saloon.”He added: “The industry has committed to revising that code of practice, I think it will be much tougher, and that guidance should be published in the new year.“But I’m absolutely clear about this, if this does not work, if voluntary adherence does not work, we reserve the right to change the law.” More