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 moreCloseA group of charities and online safety campaigners have written to the Prime Minister, urging him to ignore advice from Ofcom around which websites to categorise as the most dangerous under the Online Safety Act.The group of campaigners said the regulator’s advice that smaller websites should not be designated Category 1 – the rating which gives Ofcom the greatest scope of powers for oversight and regulation of that platform – left a number of “the most dangerous online forums” not fully in scope of the regulation.In guidance to the previous Conservative government, published in March, Ofcom proposed setting the threshold for what should be a considered a Category 1 service under the new rules as those which disseminated content easily, quickly and most widely, proposing among other things, that it should be for sites with at minimum, more than seven million UK users.But, in an open letter to the Prime Minister, the campaigners argue that this approach would leave a number of smaller, but dangerous “suicide forums” free of the most stringent rules, and urged the Technology Secretary Peter Kyle to use powers that enable him to determine which sites should be placed in Category 1 “based on functionality and other characteristics alone rather than requiring that they also be of a certain size”.“This would allow a limited number of small but exceptionally dangerous forums to be regulated to the fullest extent possible,” the letter says.“These include forums that are permissive of dangerous and hateful content as well as forums that explicitly share detailed or instructional information about methods of suicide or dangerous eating disorder content.“Given the cross-party support for such an approach to regulation of these platforms, we were dismayed to see that Ofcom, in its recently published advice to the previous Secretary of State on categorisation, explicitly recommended not using this power to address these extremely dangerous sites.”The open letter has been signed by a number of leaders from charities including Samaritans, Mind, the Mental Health Foundation, the Molly Rose Foundation and online safety groups such as the Centre for Countering Digital Hate and bereaved families.The letter highlights a report which links one such forum to “at least 50 UK deaths”, adding “we understand that the National Crime Agency is investigating 97 deaths in the UK thought to be related” to the site in question.The group argues that this “highly dangerous suicide forum” should be regulated “at the same level as sites like Facebook and Instagram” in order to make them “accountable” for the content they allow to appear on their platform.The letter also notes that there are similar issues around sites hosting antisemitic and Islamophobic content, as well as smaller platforms being used to “stoke this summer’s racist riots”.“We would argue that the events of the summer, in tandem with the ongoing human cost of a growing number of suicides, are sufficient evidence in themselves to justify the Secretary of State deciding to divert from Ofcom’s advice and set the categorisation thresholds for the regime in the most robust and expansive way the Act allows,” the letter says.“Ofcom’s current recommendations, which involve services having content recommendation systems, and having the functionality for users to forward or re-share content, in addition to having a large size, would do nothing at all to address the services we are concerned about.“We hope that you will be able to take action on addressing this major oversight in the advice that the government has been given by Ofcom.”Under the Online Safety Act, which is due to start coming fully into force next year, and will place new duties on social media sites for the first time, with the largest and most popular, as well as those which count children among their users, set to face the strictest rules.Platforms will be required to put in place and enforce safety measures to ensure that users, and in particular young people, do not encounter illegal or harmful content, and if they do that it is quickly removed, with those who do not adhere to the rules facing large fines.An Ofcom spokesperson said: “There should be no doubt that these sorts of harmful websites will be tightly regulated.“From next year, any sites that don’t comply with their illegal content and child safety duties will be in breach of our regulations, and we will use the full extent of our powers to take action against them.“Additional duties such as producing transparency reports will be a powerful tool in making larger platforms safer. But they would do little to tackle the harm done by smaller, riskier sites – and could even attract attention to them.”A Government spokesperson said: “Too many people are affected by the tragedy of suicide, which is so often preventable.“The Secretary of State is working steadfast to deliver the Online Safety Act, which will stop children seeing material that promotes self-harm and suicide.“He recently wrote to Ofcom to request an update on how it intends to monitor such services, using the full force of their enforcement powers.” 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 moreCloseChildren who are “doom scrolling” for hours a day on smartphones are at risk of widespread harm, an MP has warned.The equivalent of “seatbelt” legislation is needed for children and their social media use to help them manage addictive content, according to former teacher Josh MacAlister.On Wednesday, the Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington will introduce a Private Member’s Bill (PMB) in Parliament on protecting children from harms caused by excessive screen timeThe Bill, which aims to empower families and teachers to cut down on children’s daily smartphone screen time, will call for a legal requirement to be introduced so all schools in England are mobile-free zones.In February, schools in England were given guidance under the former Conservative government intended to stop the use of mobile phones during the school day, but it is currently non-statutory.Smartphones and the instant access they provide to harmful content is nothing short of a public health emergency for children and young peoplePepe Di’Iasio, Association of School and College LeadersThe Bill is also expected to call for the age at which companies can get data consent from children without parental permission to be raised from 13 to 16 to make smartphones less addictive.Other proposals include strengthening watchdog Ofcom’s powers to protect children from apps that are designed to be addictive, and committing the Government to review further regulation if needed of the design, supply, marketing and use of mobile phones by children under the age of 16.Mr MacAlister, who led an independent review into children’s social care for the former government, said: “The evidence is mounting that children doom scrolling for hours a day is causing widespread harm. We need the equivalent of the ‘seatbelt’ legislation for social media use for children.“Adults find it hard enough to manage screen time, so why are we expecting children to manage this addictive content without some shared rules? Parents are in an impossible bind over whether to ostracise their child from social media or expose them to the harms and addiction of content.“Countries around the world are now taking bold action and our children risk being left behind. It’s time to have the national debate here in the UK.”MPs are expected to debate the issue in the new year, Mr MacAlister’s office said.The growing evidence of the impact of smartphones on kids is deeply alarmingConservative MP Kit MalthouseConservative MP Kit Malthouse, who was education secretary during Liz Truss’s premiership in 2022, said: “The growing evidence of the impact of smartphones on kids is deeply alarming.“So being clear about our expectations from providers and regulators, and their duties towards our children, has to be a step in the right direction, and I’m pleased to support a Bill that does exactly that.”Pepe Di’lasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “Smartphones and the instant access they provide to harmful content is nothing short of a public health emergency for children and young people.”He added: “It is not enough to rely solely on parents and schools teaching children about the dangers of smartphones. We have reached a point where regulation is required over their sale and the conduct of online platforms.”The vast majority of schools already handle the use of mobile phones effectively, including with bansGovernment spokespersonJoe Ryrie, co-founder of the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign group, said: “Parents everywhere are crying out for Government to go further and faster in regulating big tech so that they alone are not responsible for guarding childhood from the addictive and predatory algorithms for which they are no match.“We need to start thinking about children’s digital safety in a more imaginative way, going beyond just the harms, so that we can build upon the Online Safety Act and start developing a new regulatory approach that has young people’s wellbeing and healthy development at its heart.”A Government spokesperson said: “We all want to find the best way of ensuring children are kept safe while also benefiting from the latest digital technology.“The Online Safety Act will introduce strong safeguards for children, preventing them from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content. This will include requiring companies to check the age of children so that parents can have peace of mind about the safety of their children online.“The vast majority of schools already handle the use of mobile phones effectively, including with bans. Legislating for an outright ban would simply remove the autonomy from school leaders who know their pupils and their communities best.” 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 has joked her husband’s advice was to “shake it off” days after she faced questions over Taylor Swift’s VIP police protection at her London concerts.The home secretary also told journalists at Westminster that “haters gonna hate, hate, hate”. Last week ministers denied claims that a police escort for Ms Swift was the result of “undue influence” from senior politicians, including Ms Cooper.It followed reports the Metropolitan Police had initially been reluctant to give the pop star the kind of protection normally reserved for royalty and politicians.The Shake it Off singer finished the final leg of her globe-trotting Eras Tour with three nights at Wembley Stadium in August. The gigs happened just days after she  cancelled three planned concerts in Vienna following a failed terror plot.Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (Lucy North/PA) 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 moreCloseRachel Reeves announced her fourth big tax freeze on Monday, pledging to cap corporation tax at 25 per cent for the lifetime of this parliament as she made a bold offer to the world’s largest businesses to invest in Britain.It leaves her with little space to manoeuvre in this month’s Budget, having already promised not to raise income tax, VAT, or employee contributions on national insurance.And it will increase speculation that she will try to fill a £25bn gap in her spending commitments by raising wealth taxes such as capital gains and inheritance, or employer national insurance contributions.Reeves made her big pitch to business with a fourth major tax freeze 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 moreCloseSadiq Khan has piled pressure on Sir Keir Starmer over the EU single market, saying it rejoining it is “something we shouldn’t be scared to talk about”. The prime minister has ruled out a return to the common market, saying he cannot see Britain re-entering the trading agreement in his life time. Sir Keir has also made it a red line in his ongoing post-Brexit reset with Brussels. But the Mayor of London has said returning to the market should not be ruled out, despite acknolwedging there is little hope of Britain rejoining in the short term.London Mayor Sadiq Khan highlighted the importance of trade with the UK’s closest neighbours (Zac Goodwin/PA) 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 moreCloseRachel Reeves has been warned that hiking employer national insurance contributions would be “a straightforward breach” of the Labour manifesto.The chancellor has been told by Paul Johnson, director of the influential Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), that the party said “very clearly” it would not make the change.Speculation has mounted that Ms Reeves is laying the groundwork to hike employer national insurance contributions while keeping the levy on employees unchanged.Paul Johnson, director of the IFS, said raising employer national insurance contributions would be a ‘straightforward breach’ of Labour’s manifesto 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 moreCloseCustomers are being urged to “urgently” pressure MPs over a post-Brexit wine tax dubbed Rishi Sunak’s “sneaky Sauvignon surcharge”.Major wine companies such as Majestic have asked customers to write to their member of parliament to highlight the issue before Rachel Reeves‘ Budget at the end of this month – to “get this ill-conceived policy stopped before it is too late”.Many wine drinkers face paying more for their favourite tipple from February, as part of changes brought in after the UK left the European Union.Experts and industry leaders have also warned the Tory reforms to booze levies could see some of Britain’s favourite bottles disappear from the shelves.They say the move will raise the price of some red wines by more than 40p a bottle, as the number of tax bands for wine goes from one to 30.The reform has been opposed even by a number of leading Bexiteers, including the former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith.Experts and industry leaders have warned some of Britain’s favourite bottles could disappear from the shelves More