UK Politics

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 moreKeir Starmer’s biggest argument for handing over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius appears to have been “blown out of the water” by one of his own ministers.Over the weekend government security officials briefed Bloomberg that the UK had no option but to give up sovereignty on the islands which house the crucial Diego Garcia UK/US airbase because they were in danger of losing control of the satellite communications system.According to the official sources the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which controls the network of satellite communications could sever the links “if an international court was to rule in future that the US and UK were using Diego Garcia to run satellite communications in breach of international law.”Diego Garcia base More

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 Home Office has toughened up guidance to make it nearly impossible for refugees to become British citizens if they travel to the UK by small boat. The move has sparked an outcry from Labour MPs and refugee charities, who urged the government to reconsider.On Monday, the department updated guidance for staff assessing refugees so it now says applicants who have “made a dangerous journey will normally be refused citizenship”.Under the previous guidance, refugees who arrived in the UK by irregular routes would be required to wait 10 years before being considered for citizenship. The Refugee Council, which estimates the update will prevent over 70,000 refugees from obtaining British citizenship, said the move “flies in the face of reason”. People who left France in small boats arrive in Dover, Kent in a Border Force vessel More

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 moreSir Keir Starmer has been warned by furious Scottish fishermen not to sell them down the river in his post-Brexit reset of relations with the EU. The prime minister has been told to keep hold of sovereignty over Britain’s fishing waters as he seeks to rebuild ties with the bloc, with EU leaders eyeing access to UK waters as a priority in negotiations. “The Scottish fishing industry has twice in the past been regarded as expendable by British prime ministers when it comes to Europe,” warned the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) chief executive Elspeth Macdonald. Ms Macdonald added: “We must not have a repeat of 1973 when the condition of entry to the EEC was that our richly endowed fishing waters be pooled with other members, or of 2020 when the Brexit agreement, while restoring the UK to the status of sovereign coastal state, granted continued access to our waters to EU vessels to catch far more fish in our waters than they catch in their own.” Sir Keir Starmer has pursued a policy of ‘resetting’ relations with the EU (Benjamin Cremel/PA) More

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 moreWhen one of Nigel Farage’s long-term and loyal allies suggests that Keir Starmer’s party is being “nasty” by publishing videos of migrant raids, alarm bells should be ringing in Labour HQ.Gawain Towler has carefully nurtured the messaging around Farage’s inflammatory, hardline, anti-migrant rhetoric for many years through Ukip, the Brexit Party and until recently with Reform. And yet even he was horrified by what he saw from Labour this week.That was before the home secretary announced that asylum seekers on small boats would not be allowed UK citizenship in almost any circumstances. As Labour MP Stella Creasy noted, that meant even Paddington Bear would be denied.Towler is not alone in calling out the nastiness. Even before this new wave of anti-migrant policies was properly unleashed in November Labour peer Ann Mallalieu was warning Starmer that he was turning them into the “nasty party”.The “nasty party” phrase was infamously coined by Theresa May in 2002, when she was assessing why the Conservatives had lost the previous two elections so badly. Nobody liked the Conservatives then, but it seems that Starmer’s Labour government risks becoming equally unlikable.Keir Starmer is getting tough on migrants More

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 moreWatch live as UK defence secretary John Healey holds a press conference on Ukraine on Wednesday, 12 February, after the US appeared to rule out sending troops to peacekeep any ceasefire.Mr Healey’s US counterpart, Pete Hegseth has said NATO membership for Ukraine is unrealistic and suggested that the way forward for the country was to abandon hopes of a return to its pre-2014 borders and prepare for a negotiated settlement with Russia.Hegseth made the comments during the first trip to NATO and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group by a member of the new Trump administration. Allies have been waiting to hear how much continued military and financial support Washington intends to provide to Ukraine’s government.What they heard was that Donald Trump is intent on getting Europe to assume the majority of the financial and military responsibilities for the defense of Ukraine — to include a possible peacekeeping force that would not include U.S. troops — and that Hegseth said should not have Article Five protections if those troops end up in contact with Russian forces.Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated that Britain must put Ukraine in “the strongest possible position.”He told MPs the government’s commitment to backing Kyiv matters “just as much as it mattered at the beginning of this conflict” amid uncertainty over the future of the war. More

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 moreHeathrow airport has announced a multibillion-pound investment to expand two of its terminals as it prepares its proposal for a new runway, saying “the UK risks losing its status as a global trading hub” if the airport does not grow.In a speech on Wednesday, chief executive Thomas Woldbye unveiled funding for upgrades and expansion, including construction of the runway – something he said is expected to bring “tangible benefits” this year. The upgrades will also include boosting the capacity of Terminals 2 and 5, reconfiguring the layout of the airfield, and improving bus and coach connections.Rachel Reeves last month threw her backing behind the £20bn infrastructure project in an attempt to kickstart growth in the UK. The chancellor hopes the project – which the government aims to complete by 2035 – will boost growth in Britain, as the economy teeters on the brink of recession. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves launched spending plans as part of the October Budget (Ian Forsyth/PA) More

UK can ‘cuddle’ EU and US at the same time amid Trump tariff threats, minister saysYour 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 moreSir Keir Starmer says he wants to close a “loophole” that allowed a Palestinian family the right to remain in the UK after they applied through a scheme designed for Ukrainian refugees. The prime minister and Kemi Badenoch clashed at PMQs after the Tory leader criticised a judge’s decision to allow the family to live in the UK.After claiming that Ms Badenoch “hasn’t quite done her homework, because the decision in question was taken under the last government”, the prime minister accused the Tory leader of repeating the same question without listening to his initial response that ministers were seeking to tighten the rules in response to the case.The Home Office has issued new guidance stating that anyone who enters the UK illegally “having made a dangerous journey, will normally be refused citizenship” – just days after ministers were accused of trying to outdo Reform by publishing migrant raid videosLabour MP Stella Creasy said the changes “can’t be right” and would leave refugees “forever second-class” and without “a place in our society”, while former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas warned that “such performative cruelty won’t see off Reform – it’s more likely to strengthen them”.Watch: Murdered MP David Amess’ daughter calls for public inquiryMurdered MP’ daughter speaks out as report finds failings in counter-terrorism reviewMurdered MP Sir David Amess’ daughter has spoken out as a damning report found vital chances to stop his killer were missed. The Prevent Commissioner will review the programme’s interaction with Ali Harbi Ali, who killed Sir David, Home Office minister Dan Jarvis said today (12 February), as he promised support to the former MP’s family. A review into the handling of Sir David’s murderer under the Government’s counter-terror programme Prevent found assessments were “problematic” and his case was closed too early, security minister Dan Jarvis has told MPs. Ali Harbi Ali had been referred to Prevent seven years before he killed the veteran MP on October 15 2021, but his case was closed in 2016.12 February 2025 14:50PMQs was 6-0 to Starmer, says GB News political editorThe political editor of GB News has suggested that Sir Keir Starmer scored a 6-0 victory over Kemi Badenoch at PMQs.Mail on Sunday commentator Dan Hodges said: “That wasn’t just Kemi Badenoch’s worst performance as leader. It was one of the worst performances ever from a leader of the opposition. “She had no capacity to readjust after Starmer gave her a clear and direct answer on the Gaza family. It was embarrassing to watch.”Meanwhile, The Sun’s political editor Harry Cole noted that the “Tory benches look like someone has p***ed on their chips”.Andy Gregory12 February 2025 14:43Courses for low-risk offenders cancelled to ease probation service pressuresAround 13,000 offenders did not complete rehabilitation courses as part of their sentences because the Probation Service was unable to deliver them in time under an “impossible” workload, the Justice Secretary has revealed.Shabana Mahmood said thousands of accredited programmes ordered by the courts were not fulfilled before their sentences expired in three years to March 2024.She announced courses for low-risk offenders would be cancelled in a bid to “confront the reality” of the pressures on the service.The Lord Chancellor said: “Now is also a moment about the challenges that the service faces, and the simple fact is this, the service this Government inherited was burdened with a workload that was quite simply impossible.”When we took office, we discovered that orders handed out by courts were not taking place in the three years to March 2024, around 13,000 accredited programmes, a type of rehabilitative course, did not happen.”Ms Mahmood added that the problem had been years in the making.They will still receive supervision from a probation officer and any breaches of a licence condition could mean they returned to prison, she added.”We will ensure those offenders who pose a higher risk and who need to receive these courses will do so,” Ms Mahmood said.12 February 2025 14:30Small boats crackdown ‘would deny Paddington Bear refuge in the UK’, Labour MP saysA new government crackdown on refugees travelling to the UK by small boat is so harsh it would mean turning away Paddington Bear, a Labour MP has said.Jabed Ahmed reports:Andy Gregory12 February 2025 14:16Starmer vows not to abandon steelworkers in face of Trump tariffsSir Keir Starmer insisted he would “always put our national interest first” as the government weighs up its response to Donald Trump’s steel tariffs, with a 25 per cent tax on imports to the US set to come into effect next month.The European Union has promised to retaliate over US tariffs, but Sir Keir said he is still assessing what the UK response will be. With Sir Keir hopeful of a visit to see Mr Trump in the coming weeks, the government will be reluctant to start a trade war with the US.Sir Keir told MPs: “British steel is an essential part of our heartlands, and we will not abandon our skilled workforce, and it needs a level-headed assessment of the implications, which is what we’re going through at the moment.”But we will always put our national interest first, and steelworkers first.”Andy Gregory12 February 2025 14:00Give Chagos Islands to Trump, ex-army chief urges as he lays into Starmer’s dealSir Keir Starmer should scrap his plans to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and consider ceding control to the US instead, the former head of the British army has said.Lord Dannatt, former chief of the general staff, said it is “very hard to find good news” in the prime minister’s deal to cede control of the Indian Ocean archipelago, and raised questions about how the agreement would be paid for.Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:Andy Gregory12 February 2025 13:46Veteran MP’s killer had Prevent case closed ‘too quickly’ – ministerA review of the handling of Sir David Amess’ murderer Ali Harbi Ali under the Government’s counterterror programme Prevent found assessments were problematic and his case was closed too quickly, security minister Dan Jarvis said. He told the Commons: “The reviewer found that from the material reviewed, the assessment in terms of the perpetrator’s vulnerabilities was problematic, and this ultimately led to questionable decision-making and sub-optimal handling of the case during the time he was engaged with Prevent and Channel.”It identified that the vulnerability assessment framework was not followed with the perpetrator’s symptoms being prioritised over addressing the underlying causes of his vulnerabilities.”The reviewer ultimately found that while Prevent policy and guidance at the time was mostly followed, the case was exited from Prevent too quickly.”Sir David Amess More

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 moreWatch as Sir Keir Starmer faced PMQs on Wednesday (12 February) as Labour faced an outcry over its decision to deny UK citizenship to small boat refugees.The Home Office has toughened up existing guidance to make it nearly impossible for refugees to become British citizens if they travel to the UK by small boat.The move has sparked outcry from Labour MP Stella Creasy and refugee charities, who urged the government to reconsider.On Monday, the department updated guidance for staff assessing refugees so it now says applicants who have “made a dangerous journey will normally be refused citizenship”.Under the previous guidance, refugees who arrived in the UK by irregular routes would be required to wait ten years before being considered for citizenship.Ms Creasy posted to X: “This should be changed asap. If we give someone refugee status, it can’t be right to then refuse them [a] route to become a British citizen.” More