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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.Read moreMinisters have been warned against welfare changes that would see people stripped of their benefit entitlements and pushed into poverty ahead of Labour’s crunch Spring Statement.Chancellor Rachel Reeves will be revealing the party’s plans on 26 March, with pencilled-in cuts to the benefits bill thought to have risen to as much as £5 billion. This will come alongside a Green Paper from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) outlining the proposals.It’s understood the changes will focus largely on health and disability benefits, as government spending rose to £65bn last year – up 25 per cent from the year before the Covid pandemic – and is forecast to rise to £100bn before the next election.DWP secretary Liz Kendall said on Thursday: “We inherited a broken welfare system that is failing sick and disabled people, is bad for the taxpayer, and holding the economy back. “For too long, sick and disabled people have been told they can’t work, denied support, and locked out of jobs, with all the benefits that good work brings.”Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall (Jacob King/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 moreA recent poll has revealed outrage over Donald Trump’s second state visit invitation, with nearly half of the respondents calling for its cancellation after his explosive confrontation with Ukrainian President Zelensky. About 42 per cent believed the invitation should be withdrawn, and a petition by 38 Degrees has already collected more than 180,000 signatures. Meanwhile, a poll of Independent readers revealed an even stronger response, with 88 per cent saying the visit with King Charles III should not go ahead at the time of writing.You can still cast your vote in the poll below.When we asked for your views, readers were more contemplative in their responses. Some condemned the move as a grovelling act by Sir Keir Starmer – who delivered the invitation on the eve of Trump’s infamous White House shouting match – and worried that it would unnecessarily boost Trump’s ego. Critics argued that extending the invitation not only panders to Trump’s unpredictable temperament but also undermines the UK’s strong public support for Ukraine. On the other side of the debate, many warned that rescinding the invitation might appear insulting, suggesting instead a low-key visit that minimizes pomp while still holding firm to Britain’s principled stance in a turbulent global climate.Here’s what you had to say:Feeding Trump’s egoAs an American, I can truthfully say that any meeting with the King will only feed Trump’s ego and inflate his sense of self-importance, reinforcing his belief that he is indispensable to the political processes of the entire Western alliance of the EU and NATO.He is already insufferable – this will only make him more so.BejeebersThe visit must go ahead, but… As difficult as it is to say this, and as much as I can’t stand to see people being forced to grovel and feed the MAGA egos, Europe (including the UK) HAS to remain the grown-up in the room. Excluding voices and people is what has got the world into the mess it is in – pitting one ideology against another, one group against another, one country against another, etc.So yes, unfortunately, for now at least, the visit must go ahead. We must become the true peacekeepers and unifiers that Trump keeps saying he wants to be.Kat13Trump’s inconsistencyTrump can’t, he claims, remember what he said a few days ago, so there is no reason to assume that he will keep his word on anything. Remember, he rules by executive order – not through Congress – so there’s no one holding him to account.So, why bother to be nice to him? I don’t think you can win him over.GooddayNot in my name!Absolutely no state visit! The current narrative is all about Ukraine – what about that obscene AI/CGI filth Trumpsky put out about Gaza? That alone should be enough to scupper any notion of a visit. Not in my name!WheegA hostile stateWe should look at the USA as a hostile state until they can prove otherwise. Trump has said in plain language that America comes first and he has no interest in Europe. We must build up self-reliance and defense. The odds are that Trump will pull the USA out of Nato – if he does, what is the point of having American military bases and troops on European soil? The UK has been America’s lapdog for too long; to Americans, the UK is nothing but a static aircraft carrier.knightmareowlDon’t hide him from protestsI don’t want to see him over here. But if he must come, please don’t hide him away from any demonstrations against him.Let him be in a place where he can see what the real British people think about him.CrisPKeeping Trump onside If our intelligence service and satellite dependence are intertwined with that of the US, as Sir Keir Starmer has warned – after many years of our being close allies, which I believe to be the case – I think that any form of persuasion to keep Trump onside would be preferable to his handing all this over to Putin.FairdealSycophantic sweetenerThis was offered to Trump as a sycophantic sweetener and everyone knows it. We can all see how transparent Trump is.Trump was supposed to play nice – bribery only works if both parties understand it. Trump blew the deal up in Starmer’s face and still expects the state visit to go ahead. This is a joke, right? What is the point of a naked bribe if the bribee does not follow through?Jim987Grovelling act The invitation should not have been made in the first place. It was a grovelling act that placed us firmly in a position subservient to the will of Trump. Having made the offer, it will now be virtually impossible to withdraw it given the volatile and revengeful nature of the US President. The best we can hope for is that the date of the visit can be delayed sufficiently for it never to happen.RedRoosterLet him come, politely Let him come. Be distantly polite in true English fashion. Minimise the security and the pomp, and do as little as possible to hide him from the inevitable protests and demonstrations. Ensure that plenty of women and members of minority groups have key roles in whatever is organised. Invite other leaders of small, well-governed countries to come at the same time and make our goodwill towards them apparent.BrianCMassaging his fragile ego Yes, sadly, through gritted teeth. Trump has the power, and the only way to keep him remotely onside is to massage his fragile ego. The guy has zero self-awareness, and that’s a useful flaw – he’s a sucker for being sucked up to.Hopefully, there will come a point when the UK, the EU, and its proper allies can pretty much match the US’s trading might, and then we can call his bluff. Why can’t Canada send its oil and aluminium to the EU, for example, instead of the US? That would both remove Trump’s tariff premium and secure a vital source of these products. Yes, I know – simplistic and it won’t be easy. But, man, that would be a sucker-punch and a lesson he would understand.DevsAdThe invitation should stand Moimeme Yes, the invitation should stand. The event can be managed up or down, as appropriate at the time. The meeting between Charles III and Zelensky was nicely managed, taking place before Trump, but not as a full state visit – pointed but low-key.DissapointingI am disappointed that King Charles invited Donald Trump to a second state dinner. As the Head of the Commonwealth, of which Canada is a member, he should not reward Trump for imposing tariffs on Canada and disrespecting Justin Trudeau by calling him “Governor.”RonLecKeep him on board I dislike Trump and do not trust him. However, he is the current leader of the richest country with the strongest military. More importantly, Nato cannot currently function without him. Hence, we have to keep him on board and kowtow to him for the foreseeable future. If a state customer with the King is part of that, then so be it.CardoCardoSome of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article here.The conversation isn’t over. To join in, all you need to do is register your details, then you can 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 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 moreLabour is planning billions in welfare spending cuts as part of Rachel Reeves’ upcoming spring statement, new reports have suggested.The chancellor will be announcing her plans for the government’s finances on 26 March, with a raft of multi-department cuts floated. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is expected to bear the brunt of these, with as much as £5bn reportedly to be earmarked for savings.Estimates of exactly how much Ms Reeves is looking to pull back from government receipts have only increased in recent months.Treasury insiders have indicated that the £9.9bn fiscal headroom left after Labour’s October Budget has been severely reduced, with one telling the BBC that “the world has changed” since then.The subsequent months have seen the economy essentially flatline, while borrowing costs have risen and mass uncertainty takes hold amid tensions around the US and Ukraine.Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall claimed the new measure was ‘good for workers and fair on businesses’ (Jacob King/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 moreThe DWP has been warned against “intrusive” measures which could permit agents to spy on “everybody’s bank accounts” when new legislation passes.Labour’s new Fraud, Error and Debt Bill is currently making its way through parliament, and is set to come into force later this year. It forms a central part of DWP plans to crackdown on benefit fraud, with new powers for the department to request information from claimants’ bank accounts.The bill will revive a similar plan that was introduced by the Conservative government but placed in limbo but held back due to the general election. It will require banks to comply with government requests to share data to identify benefit fraud.But “it is not just benefits claimants who will be targeted,” Jasleen Chaggar, legal and policy officer at Big Brother Watch told MPs at the bill’s committee stage, “it is everyone’s accounts, including yours and mine.”The Department for Work and Pensions office in London (John Stillwell/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 moreThousands of farmers are set to head to London for the latest in a series of protests as the ‘Pancake Day Rally’ against Labour changes to inheritance tax gets underway.Farmers and their allies will begin to gather from midday on Tuesday for speeches outside Parliament. Industry leaders say the plan put forward by chancellor Rachel Reeves during her first Budget last October, is “marching the UK into a food crisis”.Police have warned attendees that they face arrest if they bring unauthorised tractors to Whitehall, as has been seen at previous events. This marks the first time such a warning has been put in place, with several tractors hitting the streets on central London in recent months.Farmers and their tractors protest in Whitehall, London, February 2025 (Gareth Fuller/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 moreDonald Trump is set to become the first US president to receive a second state visit to the UK, but calls are growing for it to be scrapped in the wake of his Oval Office clash with Volodymyr Zelensky.Critics – including SNP leader John Swinney and senior Conservative MP Alicia Kearns – say Britain should not reward a president who has undermined a key ally. Kearns, who is shadow minister for foreign affairs, warned that no visit should proceed unless America’s commitment to its allies is assured, adding: “State visits should be conferred to the most honourable of allies, not to curry favour.”However, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed demands to withdraw the invitation, insisting he won’t be “diverted” by those ramping up rhetoric.Lib Dem leader Ed Davey agreed, adding that the visit should be used to secure stronger commitments from Trump on Ukraine.With Trump’s recent behaviour and stance on Ukraine raising concerns, we want to know what you think. Is rolling out the red carpet the right move, or should Britain take a stand?Share your thoughts in the comments – we’ll feature the most compelling responses.All you have to do is sign up and register your details – then you can take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen. 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 Sir Keir Starmer faces Kemi Badenoch at PMQs today (26 February) ahead of crunch US talks with Donald Trump.Sir Keir faces the Tory leader a day after his shock announcement to increase the UK’s defence spending to 2.5 per cent and just hours before he travels to Washington DC to meet with the US President.Defence secretary John Healey has insisted that the US president’s demands are not the sole reason for the increase.He pointed out that this promise was made in Labour’s election manifesto. but is being delivered three years early as the “world has changed”.It comes after Sir Keir said Britain would hike defence spending by 2027 with a further “ambition” to hit 3 per cent by the early 2030s.European countries including France and Germany have signalled a need to increase defence spending, but details of how and when this will happen have been vague.Sir Keir acknowledged his plans were accelerated by US president Donald Trump’s criticism of Ukraine and threats to withdraw security guarantees from Europe. 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 Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch stressed the importance of putting Britain first in a major foreign policy speech on Tuesday (25 February).Ms Badenoch also warned that there will be “painful decisions on government spending” when it comes to funding defence.In the address on Tuesday, she also spoke of the “need to disengage” from international bodies if they are “taken over by activists or by autocratic regimes like China or Russia”.The Conservative leader said that “our foreign policy should seek to support our national interest” and “sovereignty must be at the core of our foreign policy”.She added: “Our national interest is first and foremost to protect our country, to strengthen our country, and to look after ourselves. That means a strong military and a strong economy.“That is not a selfish objective, it is realism – because you cannot help others if you cannot help yourself. Strengthening Britain must be the principal objective at the heart of everything we do.”The speech – delivered a day after the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – also touched on defence, as Ms Badenoch said “we must do what it takes to protect Britain”. More