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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.CloseRead moreWatch as Rachel Reeves pledges to rip up financial red tape in a major speech, arguing that regulatory changes following the 2008 economic crash have “gone too far”.The Chancellor will use her first Mansion House address on Thursday (14 November) to say that measures brought in since the crisis to “eliminate risk” have had “unintended consequences” in holding back growth.Speaking in the City of London, Ms Reeves is expected to announce a package of reforms aimed at driving competition across financial services.This will include sending “growth-focused remit letters” to regulators and overhauling the system for consumer redress aimed at giving customers and businesses “clearer expectations” about the compensation landscape in future, the Treasury said.She is expected to announce plans for pension “megafunds” which could result in around £80 billion to invest in businesses and infrastructure.It is believed she will also say the financial services sector is “the crown jewel in our economy” and “a global success story: we are the second exporter of financial services in the G7”. 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.CloseRead moreCloseA senior Labour MP has intervened in the Justin Welby abuse row highlighting his “failure to act” as the party adds to the pressure piling on the Archbishop of Canterbury.Marsha de Cordova, who represents the Church of England in the House of Commons, said the sexual abuse scandal was a “stark reminder that the church has much more work to do” to clean up its act.She stopped short of backing calls for Mr Welby to resign, but her pointed remarks add to the pressure on the embattled archbishop after a damning report into a barrister thought to have been the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England.A senior Labour MP has intervened in the Justin Welby abuse row as the party adds to the pressure piling on the Archbishop of Canterbury 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.CloseRead moreCloseWatch again as new Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch challenged Sir Keir Starmer for the first time in Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday (6 November).PMQs came as Donald Trump was declared the 47th president of the United States.Both party leaders sent messages of congratulations to Trump.The prime minister congratulated the former US president on his “historic election victory”, asserting both countries stood shoulder to shoulder as close allies with shared democratic values.“The world faces many serious challenges and I look forward to our two countries working together to confront them,” Ms Badenoch posted on X earlier this morning. 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.CloseRead moreCloseRachel Reeves has been accused of “traumatising” farmers with her new inheritance tax raid on a sector already grappling with a mental health crisis.Farmers will have to pay 20 per cent of tax on inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m from April under changes announced in the Budget last Wednesday.Coupled with increases in workers’ minimum wage and national insurance for employers, farmers say the “tractor tax” will kill off generations-old family farms across the country.But there are also fears that the controversial move could exacerbate a mental health crisis in the industry, which secretary of state for rural affairs, Steve Reed, said had the highest suicide rate of any sector in the UK in May.Stockton West MP Matt Vickers has accused the government of failing to listen to farmers before last week’s Budget 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.CloseRead moreCloseWatch live as Sir Keir Starmer announces Labour’s plan to tackle people smuggling on Monday (4 November) at the Interpol General Assembly in Glasgow.The prime minister and home secretary will both speak at the Interpol General Assembly at the start of a week-long blitz on small boat crossings that will also see Sir Keir in Hungary for talks on tackling people smuggling.The speech in Scotland will see the prime minister pledge a further £75 million for the border command, doubling the total funding to £150 million over the next two years.The money will be used to fund high-tech surveillance equipment and 100 specialist investigators who will target criminals engaged in people smuggling.The prime minister is expected to say in his speech that “the world needs to wake up to the severity” of the challenge of crossings.“I was elected to deliver security for the British people. And strong borders are a part of that. But security doesn’t stop at our borders,” he will tell the event.“There’s nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women and children die in the Channel.”More than 5,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats in October, making it the busiest month of the year so far for crossings.In addition, more than 430 people arrived over the first two days in November. 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 moreCloseMore than £116m of UK taxpayers’ money has been used to fund “cruel and damaging” factory farms abroad in the past five years, analysis has found.Researchers who looked at shares held by the government in five global development banks said the cash has also helped fuel greenhouse gas emissions, as well as air pollution, antibiotic resistance and pesticide use, which all threaten human health.Schemes supported by the banks have also taken homes, livelihoods and ancestral lands from local communities through the expansion of industrial agriculture, according to a study carried out for the World Animal Protection organisation.Factory-farmed animals are confined to small cages 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 Northern Rail official has admitted the operator still uses fax machines to communicate with its train crews in an excruciating exchange about the state of its services.The shocking admission came as Northern mayors were grilling the rail operator on its poor performance on Wednesday, with issues raised including staffing problems, underinvestment, bad communication, and a lack of coordination with other parts of the sector – which has all led to repeated cancellations and growing anger among passengers.When Andy Burnham put to the rail official that he had heard Northern is still using fax machines, they argued that it was an issue of “depth and complexity” that would require a change in the agreement made with colleagues – a point disrupted by the incredulous Greater Manchester mayor.The Financial Times reported Mr Burnham posed the question over the use of fax machines: “Can that possibly be true?” to which the official responded, “It is very much true, chair.”The mayor demanded an explanation, “How? How on earth is that the case in 2024?” with the official replying: “That is a very fair and reasonable question. It’s our challenge to get rid of them. We have plans to get rid of them.”Mr Burnham stated: “You could do it tomorrow.” And the official agreed – but when the mayor asked if the operator was going to, they admitted it was not, “because the tools we use to get information and messages to our crew rely on faxes, amazingly. We will get there before we’re forced to because fax technology, in telecoms terms, turns off. Our plan that we’re putting forward…”Mr Burnham interrupted: “People will say: ‘How come we have three decades of privatisation when money was being poured into the railway and you are still communicating via fax machines in 2024?’”The official admitted: “It is a very fair question. Our job is to get rid of them. Our job is to unleash the full potential of emerging technological revolution,” but added that the “right agreement with our colleagues” needs to be reached.The mayor responded: “I hear what you say but it tells me though that your modernisation plan, like your training plan, is moving nowehere near fast enough. You could get rid of this stuff tomorrow. You could put in place IT to support people to communicate differently.”He went on to accuse Northern of having a “disregard for the travelling public”.Northern has been issued with a ‘breach notice’ by its owner, the Department for Transport, which requires the operator to produce an improvement plan 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 moreCloseWith a date now set for the UK’s ban on disposable vapes, we wanted to know if you thought the new law goes far enough. The new legislation, set to take effect next summer, follows a sharp rise in youth vaping, with the number of 11 to 15-year-olds using disposable vapes tripling over the past three years.When we put the question to Independent readers, opinions were mixed. Many of you focused on the environmental impact of disposable vapes, agreeing that the ban is a step in the right direction. However, some also argued it should also cover waste from other disposable items, like traditional cigarettes.Others pointed out that banning disposable vapes alone might not stop young people from accessing them, as they’ll likely find ways to get around the rules. Others questioned how effective the ban will be overall, suggesting it could just push the market for them underground.There was also a strong call for better education and awareness campaigns to teach young people about the risks of vaping. Here’s a closer look at what you had to say:‘You need to start somewhere’Disposables are rather bad for the environment and way too attractive for kids. I’d argue banning them is the right thing to do. Of course, whenever someone tries to do something good, there are plenty of armchair activists who shout that it’s not enough. Yes, well, perhaps that’s true, but you need to start somewhere. Better to move fast in small increments than to get bogged down trying to solve the meaning of life.Vapist‘Too much ends up in landfill’Why particularly the concern of children buying disposable vapes? Disposable or not, children will find a way to get their hands on it. I think anything that comes with a disposable label needs to be questioned. Too much of these disposables end up in landfill or third-world countries, which are not that concerned about how they dispose of it.mike1558‘Why not ban normal cigarettes?’Why not ban ‘disposable’ normal cigarettes then? They are also used only once and thrown away, and billions of their residue are in nature, rivers, lakes, and in our streets.NellyNelly‘More needs to be done’When my daughter turned 21, I was astonished at the amount of e-cigarettes and vaping stuff she received as gifts from her friends. These kids will not touch drugs, as far as I know, but for some reason, they think vaping is harmless. More needs to be done to make children aware of all the dangers associated with vaping.My daughter stayed with me until she was 23 years old. After her 21st birthday, she started to vape openly in front of me, and I said NOTHING, reminding myself that I also used to smoke when I was her age. I got concerned when she started coughing non-stop and advised her to go and see a doctor. Luckily, the doctor, a GP, convinced her of all the harm she was doing to her body, and my daughter was able to stop vaping before she got addicted.PollyHannah‘I doubt much will change’I don’t really see such a move doing much to protect children. Kids smoked cigarettes they weren’t allowed to buy when I was at school, so it’s probably better if they’re vaping instead, even if it’s not ideal. They’ll get their hands on them.I suspect the ban on single-use vapes will be largely meaningless. Firstly, there’s already a hefty trade in illegally imported vapes, so I suspect single-use stock will remain in circulation as enforcement is very weak anyway.Secondly, the law will be easily circumvented by vape manufacturers who will simply add a charging port, removable battery, or a liquid reservoir that is technically refillable to their disposable vapes. These vapes will be technically reusable but, in practice, still treated as disposable. This could potentially increase the amount of battery and electrical waste generated.Thirdly, nothing is being done to reverse the last foolish set of vape regulations, which limited bottle sizes with nicotine to 10mL, creating a vast amount of unnecessary plastic waste. A product originally sold in one large bottle is now sold in the same large bottle, plus another one with the nicotine in it. The 10ml bottles have an extremely high plastic-to-volume ratio.More use of reusable vapes could mean more of this kind of waste, which might be a little better than disposable vapes but still quite a lot of waste.One benefit of disposable vapes is that they typically include a mechanism that prevents the vape from being used dry. This is not the case with reusable ones, which may raise risks.In summary, I doubt much will change or a meaningful reduction in waste will happen. I also highly doubt it will do anything to protect children who, in theory, shouldn’t be able to access the vapes they’re already using.Leesheep‘Good riddance to them’Good riddance to them, that will clean up the streets a bit. Not sure how that protects kids. They will buy reusables like everyone else.TheDarkSideoftheTruth‘Worse than drugs’Nicotine is the most addictive substance known. It should never be encouraged, and vapes and cigarettes should be banned. They are far worse than “illegal” drugs.PaulJonssonSome of the comments have been edited for this article. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article here.Don’t hold back: you can continue the debate in the comments section below.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here. More