UK Politics

Keir Starmer refuses to apologise to pensioners over winter fuel payment cutsYour 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 ChiefSir Keir Stamer and Rachel Reeves could water down their planned raid on nom-doms amid fears the move would fail to raise any money, according to reports.The chancellor had hoped to raise about £1bn a year by cracking down on the tax perk available to wealthy UK residents.But government officials said Ms Reeves could overhaul the plan ahead of her 30 October Budget if the numbers did not add up, the Financial Times reported.A government official told the newspaper: “We will be pragmatic, not ideological. We won’t press on regardless, but we are not going to abandon this completely.”A Treasury spokesperson called the report “speculation” and pledged to remove “the outdated non-dom tax regime”.It comes as Labour MP Emily Thornberry said the government should not “pull our punches” if they disagree with the American president. Sir Keir met Republican nominee for US president Donald Trump for the first time as the two sat down for a two-hour dinner meeting in New York. Show latest update 1727447993What to expect from Tory conferenceThe 2024 Conservative Party Conference will be a drastically different affair from last year’s gathering in Manchester, when Rishi Sunak’s government was in its dying days.Back then, ministers announced a slew of eye-catching policies that would reshape the future of the country in a desperate last few roles of the dice – Alex Chalk promising to offshore prisoners, Jeremy Hunt planning to slash the number of civil servants and Rishi Sunak scrapping HS2.This year, Mr Sunak is a lame duck Tory leader and all eyes will be far from the diminished former prime minister. Instead it will be a four-day battle for the future leadership of the party, with the four remaining contenders thrashing it out to try to win over Tory members.James Cleverly, Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat will be put to the test in a series of hustings and speeches, as well as taking part in intense lobbying and networking behind the scenes in Birmingham with MPs and the party rank and file.On offer elsewhere will be former Tory MPs, ousted by the public in July’s general election, setting out where they think the party went wrong and what it needs to do next. High profile names expected to appear are ex-PM Liz Truss, former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg and incoming Spectator Editor Michael Gove.The Independent will be bringing the latest updates and analysis from the conference. Archie Mitchell, Political Correspondent27 September 2024 15:391727446793What is non-dom tax status and is Labour still going to change it?My colleague Albert Toth explains:Jabed Ahmed27 September 2024 15:191727445713Government responds to increase in pension credit claimsA Government spokesperson said: “We are committed to supporting pensioners, with millions set to see their state pension rise by £1,700 this parliament through our commitment to the triple lock.“Given the dire state of the public finances we have inherited, it’s right we target support to those who need it most.“Over a million pensioners will still receive the winter fuel payment, and our drive to boost pension credit take-up has already seen a 152% increase in claims.“Many others will also benefit from the £150 warm home discount to help with energy bills over winter while our extension of the household support fund will help with the cost of food, heating and bills.”Jabed Ahmed27 September 2024 15:011727444453Independent readers say Keir Starmer needs ‘time and space to clean out the Tories’ from governmentJabed Ahmed27 September 2024 14:401727443193Your Labour Party conference questions answered by John Rentoul as Keir Starmer pledges to ‘face the storm’Our chief political commentator John Rentoul has been responding to readers questions following a significant week for Labour, as they held their first conference in government in over a decade.Here are six questions from Independent readers – and his answers from the “Ask Me Anything” event.Read below:Jabed Ahmed27 September 2024 14:191727442113Who is Russell Findlay? The new leader of the Scottish ConservativesRussell Findlay has billed himself as someone who is “not a career politician”.For decades, Mr Findlay was an investigative reporter in Scotland, covering organised crime and justice for the likes of STV and the Scottish Sun.It was his work investigating some of the country’s biggest criminals that led to him being attacked with acid at his home, narrowly avoiding serious injury.Mr Findlay went on to become – to the surprise of many colleagues – the head of communications for the Scottish Conservatives in 2020, and later announced his intention to run for Holyrood.Topping the Tories’ West Scotland list, he was elected in 2021 – after coming third in the Paisley constituency – and quickly rose to become the party’s justice spokesman.Throughout his four years at Holyrood, the former reporter has become a fierce critic of the Scottish Government, particularly around the controversial gender reforms blocked by the UK government early last year.He was also seen by some as the continuity candidate in the Tory leadership race, with reports suggesting his predecessor Douglas Ross wanted him to take over the top job last year.Mr Findlay will now be tasked with bringing together a party which has been struggling in recent months.Jabed Ahmed27 September 2024 14:011727440733Full report: Russell Findlay elected as leader of the Scottish Conservatives following bitter contestRead the full report from my colleague Alex Croft below: Jabed Ahmed27 September 2024 13:381727439593Badenoch doubles down on claim she became working class after working in McDonald’s Kemi Badenoch has doubled down on her claim that she “became working class” when she got a job at McDonald’s.The Tory leadership hopeful said she came to the UK “with no money, no friends, no parents”.She told LBC at that point in her life she was working class as she “had to work to eat”.“I grew up in a middle class family but coming here I became working class – my dad gave me his last £100, he said ‘you know this is all we have’ because all our money was gone and this is one of the things that people don’t understand,” Ms Badenoch said. Watch her original comments below:Badenoch says she ‘went from middle class to working class’ after working at McDonald’sJabed Ahmed27 September 2024 13:191727438513Pension credit claims hit almost 75,000 since winter fuel payment slimdownPension credit claims have hit almost 75,000 amid Government efforts to boost benefits take-up.Department for Work and Pensions figures released on Friday showed the Government received around 74,400 pension credit claims in the eight weeks since 29 July, when Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced means testing for the winter fuel payment.This is up from 29,500 claims in the eight weeks before the announcement.But in the seven days beginning on 16 September, the department received 11,800 claims, down from 13,400 the week before.The vast majority (92 per cent) of claims made in the week beginning 16 September were made online.Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has previously urged pensioners to check if they are eligible for the benefit, which would unlock winter fuel payments of up to £300.Jabed Ahmed27 September 2024 13:011727437133Unite union says it welcomes government move to borrow to invest in UK infrastructureUnite, the UK’s biggest union, has said it welcomes reports that the treasury is set to change its fiscal rules in order to allow the government to borrow. The change is set to be announced in next month’s budget. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It seems that the government has listened and will now reform its fiscal rules to allow borrowing to invest. This is a move we have been calling on Labour to make for a long time.“If this government is going to achieve its aim of making the UK a fairer society that delivers for workers and their communities then it needs make serious investment in infrastructure and new job creating industries.”Jabed Ahmed27 September 2024 12:38 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 ThomasEditorLabour’s flagship non-dom tax policy could reportedly be watered down experts say, as some economists predict that the measure would fail to raise the predicted funds.Announced before the election, Rachel Reeves presented the party’s scrapping of the controversial “non-domiciled” tax status as a cornerstone policy, designed to raise around £1bn in the first year.Although the Conservatives had also made plans to axe the tax status, Labour’s vision was to go further and faster with the change. The party’s manifesto said the status would be abolished “once and for all” with funds going towards policies like increased NHS appointments and free primary school breakfast clubs.Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and chancellor Rachel Reeves (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More

Your 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 ChiefIn Liverpool this week Sir Keir Starmer had his first opportunity to address a Labour conference as prime minister, giving the leader a chance to take stock of his government’s performance since sweeping to power in July.The prime minister set out his vision for the future of Britain under Labour, and his determination to rebuild the nation, while facing down criticism for means-testing winter fuel payments.He has faced criticism for accepting freebies including clothes and glasses – though our chief political commentator John Rentoul says those jeering him are playing into the hands of the right-wing media and those trying to dissuade a new breed of politician from Westminster.When we asked for your early assessments of Keir Starmer’s tenure as prime minister, the comments revealed hope for the future – with calls to address areas such as wealth inequality, repair public services and create closer links with the EU.Here’s what you had to say:‘Progress in the right direction’In the hurricane of dissent from the right-wing media, which one might expect, Labour are making progress in the right direction generally.But, they must read the zeitgeist better and show some signs of addressing the catastrophic wealth inequality in Britain. Tax the rich and feed the poor and we are all better off.silverbusInherited messThe freebies coverage hasn’t changed my opinion of Labour. I feel that the stories did far more and if Labour are staying within the rules, I can’t help thinking it’s just the Tory press making a smear out of nothing.I do think the doom and gloom was a bit heavy-footed but I also can see that they’ve been making enormous changes against the massive odds of the mess they inherited. The swift action against the rioters was decisive. They’re bringing the arts back into the curriculum. I really think they’re going to turn the country around.Val‘Give them 14 years’Recent events have not impacted my opinion of Starmer and his government whatsoever. The election was on the 4th July which is not even three months ago and the task facing the government is huge. The impact of their policies will be seen over a period of years not weeks.People tend to have very short memories with the chaos of the Tories fading into the past, but their legacy will not be cleared up with a newspaper headline, a party conference or even the first budget. We complain about the ‘short-termism’ of politicians acting to gain or keep votes every few years, and yet it seems we’re happy to dismiss this government after a matter of weeks. Give them 14 years and see how things are then!ColwynDay‘Higher bar’ for means-tested fuel allowanceI’m a fortunate, well-off woman in a relationship with another well-off retired professional. Both have good occupational pensions, live in a well-insulated home with an air source heat pump, in a prosperous rural Yorkshire village where 95 per cent plus own their own homes and are similarly placed. I certainly don’t need or want a winter fuel allowance.That said, I think a means-tested solution should have a far higher bar. People dependent solely on the lowest state pension in Europe, are more likely to live in cold, drafty rented accommodation. Inequality in UK is a killer and this policy as it stands will impact on the poorest, least healthy section of the population.CalamityJane‘Dealing with the impossible’Good start dealing with the impossible. Miracles take a bit longer.It takes a long time to clean up an inherited mess. They have done well so far.gustifer‘Rush to judgment’There’s a lot of ‘rush to judgment’ going on around here.Tories = 14 years of doing nothing except buffoonery (Johnson, Rees-Mogg) idiocy (Truss, Dorries) unenlightened self interest and making things worse (plenty of data to support that if you can be bothered to look)Labour = less than three months which in political terms is no time to make any noticeable difference.I suspect the negativity below is mostly Tory Tribalism and Reform Contraryism, even from some who claim to have voted for Labour.All that said, I don’t agree with removing the winter fuel allowance from most pensioners which I think was a very clumsy act politically and very harsh on those pensioners who clearly need it.As it goes I’m a pensioner who doesn’t need it (more by luck than judgement and a fairly generous final salary pension) so I’ve no problem they took it from me.Just to be clear I’m a floating voter who voted Labour this time because all the data was very unflattering to the Tories and too many of them struck me as being unserious, out of touch and borderline venal.As for Reform – far too right-wing for my tastes and Farage is the worst kind of plausible sophist entirely lacking substance and full of special pleading his case.I won’t score Labour until the end of this term of government. Then I’ll score them at the ballot box, purely based on the data.WokeUp‘Get on with the job’The main thing they need to do is shut up about the Conservatives and get on with the job. They need to be more positive and back this up with policies that encourage growth and investment. Changes that help families and young people should also be at the top of the list.theculture‘It will take more than a few weeks’Obviously, I am extremely unhappy about the winter fuel allowance debacle, because I know several elderly pensioners who are just over the pension credit limit and will suffer. Continuing the move from working tax credit to universal credit has already hit me because I can no longer claim my £24 a week. Not much to some, but it went a long way towards my food.As for the rest, well, I shall give my thoughts when they have been in longer. It will take more than a few weeks to sort the mess that the Tories left behind.MsRuthless‘The direction of travel is good’They have been politically inept, in my view. Means-testing winter fuel should have targeted only the well-off. If the right-wing media can point to a dead pensioner that they can blame on Labour, we won’t hear the last of it. But the direction of travel is good; repair the public services and trade relations with Europe, take those privatised utilities in hand. They’re fortunate there’s plenty of time to improve.Longmemory23‘Little creativity’I was optimistic when Labour won the election, it was a move away from the far left of the party and Starmer seemed highly qualified for the role. I wasn’t thrilled about the policies and the manifesto was vague, but the message of change was their main campaigning point and change is exactly what the country needs.However, after a few months, despite what the government says, it seems like change is not really on the agenda. It is more of the same and unfortunately, I’m not surprised. There seems to be very little creativity in the few solutions offered and the vagary is ongoing. Overall the approach is quite wishy-washy which rather suits Starmer’s disposition.Regardless, I am withholding strong judgment until next election cycle when we will see if their policies have actually made a difference. I won’t be holding my breath.JimboJones‘Political naivety’It seems to me that it was gross political naivety for the Labour government to make the first public service cut to pensioners’ income. While I’ve always felt a bit guilty as a pensioner taking the winter fuel allowance – I am reasonably comfortably off with a work pension as well as the state pension – I do feel for those who only get the state pension, I don’t think I could live off it.As for the freebies scandal, I don’t know how the Tory press has the nerve to condemn Starmer after all the money the Tories have leached out of public funds for their cronies, never mind private donations – the PPS scandal during lockdown comes to mind.Gingerbred‘I still have hope’They are clearly more competent and well-intentioned than the last rabble, but the winter fuel debacle does feel like an unnecessary, unforced error and the ‘freebies’ farrago is just a bit politically naive. Ultimately, they have misread the need for a) a more hopeful strategic story and b) the need to get out there day in and day out to shape the short-term narrative.If they can learn from those mistakes, I still have hope for the next five years. But if they don’t, they won’t get a second term. In particular, regarding the winter fuel payment, they should find a way to defer or remove poorer pensioners from the hit.Ned76‘Time and space’It s very early days, far too early to judge. I’ve liked some of what I’ve heard from some ministers. But I am disappointed with other elements, like the expenses ‘same old’.But I’m prepared to give them time and space to clean out the Tories’ Augean Stables and then see where they get to, what they manage to achieve. Of course, this version of Labour will not be to everyone’s taste (not sure it’s to mine, TBH) but Jeez Louise, it’s way better than the alternative.Lysistrata1Some of the comments have been edited for this article. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article here.All you have to do is sign up, submit your question and register your details – then you can then 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

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 ThomasEditorRachel Reeves could water down her planned raid on nom-doms amid fears the move would fail to raise any money, according to reports.The chancellor had hoped to raise about £1bn a year by cracking down on the tax perk available to wealthy foreigners living in the UK.But there are concerns that those affected could simply leave the country, meaning the move would fail to generate any income for the government.The proposal was part of Labour’s manifesto ahead of July’s election, but officials said Ms Reeves could overhaul the plan ahead of her 30 October Budget if the numbers did not add up.One told the Financial Times: “We will be pragmatic, not ideological. We won’t press on regardless, but we are not going to abandon this completely.”The term “non-domicile” describes a UK resident whose permanent home – or domicile – for tax purposes is outside Britain – meaning they only pay money on earnings made in the UK.A Treasury spokesperson called the report “speculation, not Government policy” and pledged to remove “the outdated non-dom tax regime”.One of the most well-known non-doms is former prime minister Rishi Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty, who was embroiled in convtoversy during Mr Sunak’s time in office 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 ThomasEditorRussell Findlay has been elected as the new leader of the Scottish Conservatives after winning a majority of votes in the first round.Mr Findlay secured a clear victory with 62 per cent of the vote, with Murdo Fraser coming second and Meghan Gallacher third.He called for the party to “come together as one united team”, as the Scottish Conservatives look to bounce back from their worst UK general election result since 2005.The Scottish Conservatives saw their vote share halved since the 2019 general election, when Jackson Carlaw ran the party.Murdo Fraser, left, came second while Meghan Gallacher, centre, came third 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 admitted he mangled his words when referring to Israeli hostages as “sausages” during his Labour conference speech this week.When asked about the blunder, Sir Keir said he was prepared to be ribbed over the gaffe which was ridiculed across social media.“I just mangled the beginning of the word,” he admitted. “These things are there to give you all the opportunity to rib me.”The prime minister butchered a call for Hamas to release Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, instead demanding the “return of the sausages” before swiftly correcting himself.“I call again for restraint and de-escalation at the border between Lebanon and Israel. I call again for all parties to step back from the brink. I call again for all parties to step back from the brink,” he said.Sir Keir made the embarrassing blunder at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Tuesday More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentSir Keir Starmer met with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Thursday after the former president described him as “very nice”.The prime minister visited Trump Tower in New York ahead of November’s US election as he visited the United States for the United Nations General Assembly.Foreign secretary David Lammy, who called Mr Trump a “racist KKK and Nazi sympathiser” seven years ago, also attended the talks.Ahead of the meeting, Sir Keir said: “It’ll be really good to establish a relationship between the two of us. I’m a great believer in personal relations on the international stage.“I think it really matters that you know who your counterpart is in any given country, and know them personally, get to know them face to face.”Sir Keir Starmer met with former president Donald Trump during his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly 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 ThomasEditorI’ve been responding to your questions following a significant week for Labour, as they held their first conference in government in over a decade.Sir Keir Starmer steadied his party on Tuesday in a keynote speech, reminding of Labour’s mandate to reshape Britain with a simple message: “We won.” The prime minister pledged to “face the storm” of unpopular decisions and declared “we’re all in this together” at the party’s annual conference in Liverpool.Amid criticism over winter fuel payment cuts, gifts, and tensions in Downing Street, Sir Keir sought to silence doubters with a long-term vision. He promised “homes for heroes” for veterans, unveiled a Hillsborough Law to tackle cover-ups, and his justice secretary vowed to reduce the number of women in prison.As the conference unveiled more of Labour’s platform and policy positions ahead of the upcoming budget, it was only natural that our readers had questions.Here are six questions from Independent readers – and my answers from the “Ask Me Anything” event.Q: Why is everyone obsessed with “the first 100 days” and do you think the gap between forming a government and the first Budget has been the big problem?TimCA: I agree that the obsession with “100 days” is an irritating journalistic device, but we humans like round numbers. You make a good point about the lateness of the Budget: I think it would have been better to have an early emergency Budget in July and got the pain out of the way in one go. Part of the thinking was presumably the need to give the Office for Budget Responsibility 10 weeks’ notice – after criticising Liz Truss for ignoring the OBR, Rachel Reeves obviously wanted to play it by the book (but possibly could still have had a Budget in September?).Q: Shouldn’t we give labour (I didn’t vote them in) a little while to sort out the dog’s breakfast that the Tories have left us with?WaitWhatA: I think most people are prepared to give Labour time to sort out the problems they have inherited. They have settled some strikes, but without securing changes in working practices.But the acceptance of gifts has struck home with a lot of people, especially with pensioners who are just above pension credit level.Q: Where are the tax reforms aimed at closing loopholes and preventing tax avoidance by wealthy high earners? What tangible benefits are being provided for low-income individuals? Additionally, where is the promised review of employment laws addressing zero-hour contracts and workplace bullying?WorkerA: The tax changes will be announced in the Budget, and Keir Starmer hinted in his speech that they will fall on the better off. He said: “The cost of filling that black hole in our public finances, that will be shared fairly.” I am not sure why the winter fuel payment cut was announced so much earlier.As for the employment rights measures, Angela Rayner promised the bill would be published when parliament resumes in a couple of weeks’ time, although not all the detail will be decided until later. It seems reasonable to take some time to get it right – although I think Labour should have done more work on these policies in opposition.Q: No mention of climate change which is getting exponentially worse and will consume more and more of our national resources. It is also an opportunity for industry (flood resilience, food resilience, renewable energy, EV) Where will Labour go on all this?JPCoetzeeA: Keir Starmer mentioned “climate change” three times in his speech, but each time only as an item in a list of things that the government has to attend to. But Ed Miliband delivered a substantial speech yesterday – you can find a copy on the Labour Party website.Q: Now that the Labour Party has taken away the winter fuel allowance do they still subscribe to the statements they made back when the Tories wanted to do that and Labour said 4,000 people would die? What has changed, maybe mild winters?DaleelA: I think the Labour Party would say that it is a changed party, and the 4,000 figure was produced when Jeremy Corbyn was leader.Q: According to Starmer We should ‘respect the ballot box’, but under our corrupt system, Starmer is wielding his ‘majority’ on the 24 per cent Labour vote. The majority of British people abstained or voted against Labour. How is this fair?will121A: I am not in favour of compulsory voting. If people don’t want to vote, that’s up to them. Their abstention cannot then be used to make an argument about the democratic legitimacy about the process that took place without them.But I’m not in favour of proportional representation either. Our system is easy to understand and I think most people got the result they wanted.These questions and answers were part of an ‘Ask Me Anything’ hosted by John Rentoul at 4pm BST on Tuesday 24 September. Some of the questions and answers have been edited for this article. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article.John also sends a weekly Commons Confidential newsletter exclusive to Independent Premium subscribers, taking you behind the curtain of Westminster. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, head here to find out more. More