UK

Nigel Farage has denied “directly racially abusing” fellow pupils during his time as a schoolboy at Dulwich College in southeast London.During a grilling over allegations he directed racist and antisemitic language at schoolmates, Reform UK leader told ITV he had never made racist comments in a “hurtful or insulting way” or with “intent”.It comes after reports in The Guardian from more than a dozen Dulwich College boys who alleged he had made racist and antisemitic comments during their time at school. One former classmate, Bafta and Emmy-award winning director Peter Ettedgui, 61, claimed Mr Farage had told him “Hitler was right” and “Gas them”, adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers.The Reform leader was challenged on the remarks ahead of a rally in North Wales where his party hope to win next year’s Senedd elections.Nigel Farage denies making the comments More

The government’s “blinkered” drive for development could speed up nature loss to the point of no return, top conservation campaigners are warning at the 11th hour before a new law is passed.The RSPB and Wildlife Trusts say Labour’s efforts to speed up building projects will prove disastrous for wildlife, habitats and green spaces – and could mean the greater use of chemicals.The organisations are pulling out all the stops to try to have the most “destructive” parts of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill amended in its final stages in the Lords.Ministers are also considering watering down “biodiversity net gain” rules, and experts fear next week’s Budget may contain more anti-nature measures. But 65,000 people emailed their MPs to ask them to back amendments to the planning bill creating environmental protections. Labour MPs have privately admitted they support opponents of the bill but they were whipped to vote against the eco amendments.RSPB chief executive Beccy Speight said ecosystems depend on a diversity of species. “It’s an interconnected web – it’s like a game of Jenga. If you keep taking pieces out, at some point that tower will fall. I don’t think the Planning Bill recognises that.”Chancellor Rachel Reeves is accused of tearing up protection for the natural world to try to give the economy a boost. The government wants to build 1.5m homes More

Rachel Reeves is set to cut the annual cash ISA limit from £20,000 to £12,000 in her make-or-break Budget, in what could be seen as a blow to hard-working savers. The chancellor is hoping to push more households to invest their savings into the UK stock market, as she scrambles to fill her £22bn fiscal black hole. Sources familiar with Wednesday’s Budget preparations told the Financial Times that Reeves had initially planned to reduce the limit to a £10,000 cap, but raised the figure after months of fierce debate. Rachel Reeves will present her Budget on Wednesday More

BBC officials were “too slow” to act over a Panorama edit that appeared to show US president Donald Trump inciting violence, its chairman has said.Appearing in front of the Commons culture, media and sport committee on Monday, Samir Shah said in hindsight the corporation should have apologised earlier for the edit, which spliced clips of Mr Trump’s speech together to look as if he had told supporters he was going to walk to the US Capitol with them to “fight like hell”.Fallout over the edit saw former BBC director general Tim Davie resign alongside head of news Deborah Turness. But Mr Shah told the panel he had “spent a great deal of time” trying to stop Mr Davie from resigning, adding he had the board’s “full confidence throughout”.Reports following the pair’s resignations suggested board member Sir Robbie Gibb had led a “broad-level orchestrated coup” at the broadcaster. But speaking to MPs on Monday, Sir Gibb blasted the claims as “complete nonsense” and denied leading a charge against Mr Davie.The committee also heard from Michael Prescott, the author of a leaked memo on impartiality at the corporation, who said Mr Davie had a “blind spot” when it came to editorial failings at the broadcaster. He added Mr Davie was a “supreme talent” but failed to get on top of “incipient problems” at the corporation before he resigned in the wake of the memo becoming public. But Mr Prescott insisted the broadcaster is not institutionally biased.Tim Davie resigned as BBC director general earlier this month More

A Labour MP has voiced strong opposition to his party’s proposed devolution bill, warning that its provisions could forge an “unholy alliance” between Cornwall and Devon.Perran Moon, who represents Camborne and Redruth, argued that any plan for a mayoral strategic authority spanning both regions constitutes “blatant discrimination” and disregards Cornwall’s national minority status. He cautioned that such a move would severely damage trust between Cornwall and Westminster for generations, potentially fuelling Cornish nationalism.Mr Moon, elected in last year’s general election, also questioned the willingness of Devonian taxpayers to fund Cornish language lessons and road signs under the suggested arrangements.Mr Moon said: “Because of our national minority status, Cornwall will never, Cornwall cannot ever, join a mayoral combined authority.“No matter what ministerial pressure is applied.“Whether through the withdrawal of economic development funding, or the prevention of access to social housing funding.“None of this will make us compromise our national minority status, because frankly it is discriminatory to do so.”The MP, who served on the Bill Committee debating potential changes to the proposed legislation, said he was upset Labour had brought it forward.Perran Moon is the MP for Camborne and Redruth More

Kemi Badenoch has defended the Tory chair, Kevin Hollinrake, after a row erupted within her own party over his jibe comparing the logo of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK to a Nazi badge. The clash was sparked after Mr Hollinrake posted a link to a Wikipedia entry about a badge handed out to members of Adolf Hitler’s party in response to a social media post from Nigel Farage showing a Reform emblem.Suella Braverman, the former Tory home secretary, hit out, saying, “Comparing Reform and their supporters to Nazis is wrong, irresponsible and highly counter-productive… Kevin does not speak for me.”Reform’s new logo and the Nazi badge More

A member of the Labour leadership has warned that the chancellor needs to use her Budget to restore trust in the party.Writing exclusively for The Independent, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the Budget on Wednesday “is a moment to restore confidence and put this Labour government back on track”.The intervention comes at a dangerous moment for Labour – less than two days before Rachel Reeves gets on her feet to deliver a make-or-break Budget and six months before a set of elections which could decide Sir Keir Starmer’s future as prime minister.The elections include those for the Scottish Parliament where Mr Sarwar is hoping to lead Labour back into power against the SNP for the first time since 2007.Read our live Budget updates HEREAnas Sarwar (Andrew Milligan/PA) More

More than two thirds of voters would rather Rachel Reeves cut government spending than increase taxes in the Budget, new polling this week has revealed.Data from More in Common also points to a majority of people thinking that Sir Keir Starmer is doing a bad job, while fewer than one in five think he is doing well. Sir Keir and his chancellor Rachel Reeves are facing a make-or-break Budget this week, with the chancellor expected to increase taxes to plug the gaps in the public finances. According to More in Common, the prime minister has a poll rating of -51, one of the worst in recent history. This is made up of 68 per cent of Britons who think that Sir Keir is doing a bad job, compared to just 17 per cent who think he is doing a good job.Meanwhile, just days before the Budget, the chancellor Rachel Reeve’s approval rating is even worse at -52, also the lowest More in Common has recorded for her.Elsewhere, 68 per cent think former PM Rishi Sunak would have done a better job in the Treasury, and a similar number, 65 per cent, believe that former chancellor Jeremy Hunt, would have also done a better job than his Labour successor.The same data indicates that two thirds (67 per cent) of people would rather ministers cut spending rather than raise taxes on working people.Among Labour voters, the split was 56 to 44 per cent in favour of spending cuts, while among Reform UK voters the split was 82 per cent to 18 per cent.Conservative voters opted 75 per cent in favour of spending cuts, while Lib Dem voters were 61 – 39 per cent split.Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves is to deliver her Budget on Wednesday (Lucy North/PA) More