UK Politics

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorConcerns have been raised over the future of the Falkland Islands after the UK gave up control of a remote archipelago – sparking anger from indigenous campaigners and MPs. In a move which has since been dubbed a “strategic disaster”, the government on Thursday said it had reached a political agreement to hand the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius following negotiations which began in 2022. The deal is meant to secure the future of a secretive military base on the island of Diego Garcia, but it has left the UK without sovereign territorial control over a piece of land that is crucial to Western security in the Indian Ocean. While the US-UK base will remain on the island, the agreement has triggered fears that China could achieve its goal of setting up bases on the Chagos Islands, as well as compromising UK control over the Falklands. On Thursday, the government announced it had reached a deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorSir Keir Starmer has said ministers do not need to follow his example and pay back ‘freebies’.On Wednesday, the prime minister attempted to draw a line under the escalating row by repaying £6,000 for hospitality and gifts he had received since entering Downing Street.But the move prompted questions over whether his senior ministers were supposed to follow suit. Labour politicians have accepted ‘freebies’ ranging from tickets to football matches and music concerts to wardrobe upgrades. Now the prime minister has said his was a “personal decision, I am not saying others should do the same”.Sir Keir Starmer announced he would pay back £6,000 for hospitality and gifts he had received since entering No 10 More

Minister says accepting freebies is different in governmentYour support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseMy recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyondEric GarciaWashington Bureau ChiefA group of indigenous Chagossians plans to stage a protest in Westminster claiming they have been sidelined from discussions surrounding the handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, The Independent understands. Chagossian Voices insists the UK government has “consistently and deliberately ignored” their perspectives throughout the negotiation process, calling for full inclusion in the treaty drafting. As tensions mount, Sir Keir Starmer has defended the government’s decision, claiming that the UK-Mauritius deal ensures continued security of the US-UK Diego Garcia military base.However, the move has drawn significant backlash, particularly from Argentina who capitalised on the situation by vowing to secure “full sovereignty” over the Falklands. The geopolitical fallout followed the prime minister to Cheshire, where Labour ministers pledged nearly £22 billion to develop carbon capture projects in Merseyside and Teesside.Sir Keir promised workers that the new investment would create thousands of jobs and attract private investment while helping the UK meet its net-zero targets.He described today’s investment announcement as a demonstration of “the politics of renewal in action” and declared the new political divide between Labour and the Tories is ‘investment or decline’.Show latest update 1728050232EXCLUSIVE | Indigenous Chagossians plan protest after being ‘excluded’ from talksA group of indigenous Chagossians are planning to stage a protest in Westminster on Monday over the decision to hand the archipelago over to Mauritius, The Independent understands, accusing the government of excluding them from talks, Millie Cooke reports. Chagossian Voices, a group representing indigenous people from the Chagos Islands, has claimed their views have been “consistently and deliberately ignored”, demanding full inclusion in the drafting of the treaty.The group claimed to have learned the outcome of the negotiations through the media, saying indigenous Chagossians feel “powerless and voiceless in determining our own future”.The protest has been organised for Monday at 11.30 am. Salma Ouaguira4 October 2024 14:571728052815Euston station’s controversial advertising board axed Transport secretary Louise Haigh has ordered the shutdown of a large advertising board at London’s Euston station. The decision comes as Network Rail responds to mounting criticism over its decision to replace the traditional departure board with a massive advertising display, leaving travellers with smaller train information screens. A frustrated Ms Haigh said: “For too long, Euston station simply hasn’t been good enough for passengers.“That’s why I’ve tasked Network Rail with coming up with a clear plan to immediately improve conditions for passengers.“This includes a shutdown of the advertising boards from today to review their use.”( More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe official government history of Boris Johnson’s time as prime minister must include “sleaze and scandal” critics have said – after it emerged it is still blank two years on. The UK government has commissioned pen portraits of ex-PMs dating back to Robert Walpole. But Mr Johnson’s entry remains empty, even though he was ousted from office in the summer of 2022. Critics said the disgraced politician’s biography would be “impossible to write” as it would have to include “sleaze and scandal”.Former prime minister Boris Johnson has made a series of claims in his ‘Unleashed’ memoir (Jonathan Brady/PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorGender equality in the workplace has stalled as women report experiencing many of the same challenges as they did nearly 30 years ago, a new survey of high-flyers suggests.The group is calling for higher salaries and more effort to tear down the ‘glass ceiling’, the invisible barriers that hold women back, saying it was “deeply concerning” that many felt too little had changed since the Nineties.Significantly, nearly half of those asked, 47 per cent, said more needed to be done to promote women into senior positions – mirroring results from a similar survey carried out in 1996.Women want more to be done to pull down the ‘glass ceiling’ More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorFormer prime minister Liz Truss has hit back at claims that she was responsible for the UK losing the crucial Chagos Islands and claimed it was Boris Johnson’s fault.An extraordinary row broke out yesterday when Keir Starmer’s government announced it was handing the islands to Mauritius in a deal which guarantees the UK military air base in the Indian Ocean for at least 99 years.There are fears the deal will open the islands to Chinese interference and undermine Western defence and security in the southern hemisphere.Truss now blames Boris Johnson for the Diego Garcia debacle More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorKeir Starmer’s lead in the polls has barely been dented after another week of criticism for the prime minister and his government over free gifts and blanket coverage of the Tory leadership contest.The latest weekly Techne UK tracker poll has revealed that Labour’s share of the vote dropped just one point to 31 per cent while the Tories gained one to 23 per cent.It suggests that the four Conservative leadership candidates hoping to replace Rishi Sunak, who made their pitches over four days in Birmingham, failed to inspire the wider public outside the confines of party activists.The four Tory leadership candidates take the stage More