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New figures have revealed that more than 1.66 million children are living in households affected by the two-child benefit cap as campaigners ramp up calls for the controversial measure to be scrapped.The new data brings the total number of children affected by the cap since Labour came into power a year ago to 300,000.There are nearly 470,000 households facing benefit reductions due to the policy, the latest official figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show, housing nearly 1.7 million children.The government has faced intense pressure from campaigners, charities and opposition parties over the measure, which experts say is a chief driver of child poverty in the UK.Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has resisted calls to drop the cap More

UK businesses will be barred from using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to silence victims of harassment and discrimination as a part of the government’s bid to boost workers’ rights.Angela Rayner has proposed an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill which would void and prohibit such agreements against employees in such situations to prevent people from having to “suffer in silence”.The deputy prime minister said the government had “heard the calls from victims of harassment and discrimination”, as she announced the move following repeated calls from campaigners and Labour politicians.Zelda Perkins, Weinstein’s former assistant and founder of the campaign group Can’t Buy My Silence UK, said the move was “a huge milestone”.Angela Rayner has proposed an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill which would void and prohibit such agreements against employees in such situations to prevent people from having to “suffer in silence”. More

Cuts to special educational needs support could be “devastating” for families, a mother has warned, saying her son’s education, mental health and life, were saved by specialist help.Renata Watts, 49, from Hertfordshire, had two children on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP). She said the support plan turned around the life of her eldest son, Elliot, after he was left mentally unwell, isolated and unable to attend school due to a lack of tailored support.EHCPs were introduced in 2014 to replace “statements” of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It brings together education, health and social care in one legally binding plan for young people under the age of 25, outlining the extra help they will be given to achieve their potential.However, the government is reportedly considering an overhaul of the system, arguing too many children are being excluded from mainstream education.“Without that EHCP, I’m not sure he’d still be here today,” Ms Watts, a foster carer and co-director of the disability advocacy group Special Needs Jungle, told The Independent. “His mental health dipped so badly I didn’t know what would happen.”Elliot, who has autism and ADHD, started secondary school full of enthusiasm. But within months, his anxiety spiralled as specialist support was withdrawn despite clear evidence of his needs.EHCPs were introduced in 2014 to replace ‘statements’ of special educational needs More

A leading trans campaign group has requested an investigation into the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), claiming its conduct in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on gender has been unlawful, The Independent can reveal.It comes after the Supreme Court ruled that trans women are not legally women under the Equality Act. TransLucent said they have submitted a formal complaint to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) – the worldwide membership-based network of national human rights institutions (NHRIs)– claiming that the UK’s equalities watchdog is failing to adhere to the Paris Principles. The Paris Principles set out the minimum standards that NHRIs must meet in order to be considered credible and to operate effectively. The key pillars of the Paris Principles are pluralism, independence and effectiveness.The Supreme Court judgment has proven controversial More

Labour should appoint a minister for porn to tackle the wave of “violent, abusive and misogynistic” images, a Conservative peer has said. Baroness Gabby Bertin, who leads the Independent Pornography Review Taskforce, said that MPs shy away from tackling abuse in the porn industry out of embarrassment. “We’re really British about it so we don’t want to have a graphic conversation about sex and porn. But you’ve got to shout about it as loudly as possible. The reason why we’ve got into this mess is because nobody has really wanted to talk about it,” she told The Guardian. She is pushing for the government to appoint a ministry for porn to make sure the issue gets addressed. “You can’t leave the pitch on this stuff just because you’re worried about being accused of being too strait-laced,” she added. A review, commissioned by Rishi Sunak’s government and led by Baroness Gabby, proposed banning degrading, violent and misogynistic pornography. Eight percent of children aged eight to 14 have accessed online porn sites, according to Ofcom research More

Five EU countries have criticised a proposed “one in, one out” migration deal between France and Britain, saying it could see asylum seekers returned to their shores instead. Sir Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron are working on an agreement that would reportedly see Britain return small boat migrants to France in exchange for asylum seekers with families ties in the UK. The precise terms of the deal are still being worked out but Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus have already sounded the alarm on the proposed plans. The Financial Times reported that the five nations have sent a letter to the European Commission objecting to the “one in one out” policy. French President Emmanuel Macron (R) shakes hands with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer More

Record numbers of hen harriers have been killed or gone missing under suspicious circumstances in the last five years, according to the RSPB. The protected bird species is one of the rarest in the UK, known for their acrobatic “skydancing” courtship display over the uplands, such as Forest of Bowland in Lancashire and the Yorkshire Dales. A total of 102 the protected birds of prey were illegally killed or went missing between 2020 and 2024 – mostly in areas where grouse shooting takes place, the RSPB says. Some hen harriers were shot and their chicks were stamped on, while others were poisoned or illegally trapped, according to the charity.Chicks were killed underfoot, the report reveals More

Marks and Spencer’s chief executive has lambasted a key aspect of the Windsor Framework’s final phase as “bureaucratic madness,” as over 1,000 products destined for Northern Ireland will soon require “Not for EU” labelling.Stuart Machin revealed the significant operational challenge, describing the new requirement as “yet another layer of unnecessary costs and red tape for retailers.” From next week, a substantial portion of M&S’s product range for Northern Ireland will need these specific labels affixed.The “Not for EU” labels have been progressively introduced since the post-Brexit trading deal, known as the Windsor Framework, was agreed in 2023. This framework was negotiated between the UK and the European Union to resolve complexities arising from the Northern Ireland Protocol, which effectively maintains Northern Ireland within the EU’s trade orbit.The stringent labelling rules are designed to prevent goods intended for the UK market from inadvertently entering the EU single market via the Republic of Ireland. Despite the current friction, the UK Government recently indicated its expectation for a more streamlined flow of trade once its new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU is finalised.Marks and Spencer’s chief executive Stuart Machin revealed that more than 1,000 M&S products destined for Northern Ireland will need to have a “Not for EU” sticker affixed from next week More