UK Politics

Gary Neville has hit out at Rachel Reeves for her national insurance hike, saying it has hampered employment and “could have been held back”. The ex-Manchester United star said the chancellor has significantly increased the burden on businesses and that the national insurance increase was “a challenge”. Mr Neville was a vocal backer of Labour at the last general election, at one point walking in the fells of the Lake District with Sir Keir Starmer for a video endorsing the party.But he has now joined business leaders and economists in attacking the chancellor’s decisions since entering government. Keir Starmer and Gary Neville filmed walking together during the general election campaign More

Heidi Alexander has doubled down on her fellow Cabinet minister’s claim that Nigel Farage is on the side of “people like Jimmy Savile”.The Reform UK leader is “happy for there to be a free for all on the internet”, the Transport Secretary said, as she defended Peter Kyle’s comments.The Technology Secretary had accused Mr Farage of being on the side of “extreme pornographers” over Reform’s pledge to scrap the Online Safety Act.Asked if she agrees with Mr Kyle’s statement, Ms Alexander told Sky News: “Nigel Farage is, in effect, saying that he is on their side because he’s saying he’s wanting to repeal the Online Safety Act.“I think that the position of Reform in saying that they want to repeal the entirety of the Online Safety Act, which is one of the most important pieces of legislation when it comes to the protecting of our children and the safety of young people online, I think that, in effect, what Nigel Farage is saying is that he’s totally happy for there to be a free for all on the internet.“That’s not the position of the Labour Government. It’s not the position of me. It’s not the position of Keir Starmer or Peter Kyle, and that is the point that the Technology Secretary was rightly making yesterday.”Mr Farage has demanded an apology from Mr Kyle, describing the remarks as “so absolutely disgusting that it’s almost beyond belief”.Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday, the minister had said: “We have people out there who are extreme pornographers, peddling hate, peddling violence. Nigel Farage is on their side.“Make no mistake about it, if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today, he’d be perpetrating his crimes online. And Nigel Farage is saying that he’s on their side.”Following this, Clacton MP Mr Farage urged people to sign a petition calling for the legislation to be repealed.Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Kyle said proposals to overturn the Act “makes my blood boil”, as he argued repealing it would benefit “disgusting predators who contact children and groom them online”.He added: “I make no apologies for putting the interests of vulnerable children ahead of the interests of predators and child abusers – and the Reform leader’s ego.”Also writing for the newspaper, Mr Farage said “all of this is of course a deflection from the real problem with the Online Safety Act”, as he raised concerns over ID checks.He added: “In the name of safety, the Act poses the biggest threat to freedom of speech in this country in our lifetimes.“In the name of protecting children, the law aims to regulate what adults are allowed to say or see – while doing nothing to make our children safer.”Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said making statements about overturning the Bill is “very lazy” and “not responsible”.Under rules that came into effect on July 25, online platforms such as social media sites and search engines must take steps to prevent children accessing harmful content such as pornography or material that encourages suicide.Sir Keir Starmer jumped to defend the legislation from its critics when he met Donald Trump on Monday, telling reporters: “We’re not censoring anyone.“We’ve got some measures which are there to protect children, in particular, from sites like suicide sites.”The Prime Minister added: “I personally feel very strongly that we should protect our young teenagers, and that’s what it usually is, from things like suicide sites. I don’t see that as a free speech issue, I see that as child protection.” More

The transport secretary tied herself in knots when she was faced with questions over the conditions for the recognition of Palestine, following pushback to the government’s announcement.There has been growing backlash to the position, with the government facing criticism for using Palestinian statehood as leverage, as well as confusion over whether the release of the hostages held by Hamas will be one of the conditions for recognition. Sir Keir Starmer confirmed on Tuesday that the UK will recognise a Palestinian state by September unless Israel takes urgent steps to end the war in Gaza.Heidi Alexander could not say whether releasing the hostages was a condition on the recognition of Palestine More

Public reaction to Jeremy Corbyn’s new left-wing party has been mixed, with many Independent readers more concerned about the UK’s electoral system than the party itself.While some welcomed the alternative to what they see as a “Tory-lite” Labour government, most agreed that the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system makes it almost impossible for smaller parties to succeed – and risks splitting the left vote. “Until the electoral system is changed to proportional representation (PR), the dog’s breakfast that is British politics will continue,” wrote one commenter.Others feared the move could hand power to a Tory-Reform coalition, with one reader warning: “If you think Johnson and Truss were bad, wait until you see what Farage and Jenrick manage to destroy.”Although Corbyn remains popular among younger voters, many readers questioned the strategy behind launching a new party now. “This is a disaster waiting to happen,” one said. “The left is already fragmented and needs unity, not further splits.”Some saw the move as a protest rather than a serious political project, while others argued it could force Labour to shift left or adopt PR.Here’s what you had to say:No real left in the UK I certainly don’t like the Conservatives, and I dislike Reform UK even more. The problem with the current Labour government is that they are Tory lite. I cannot see Corbyn ever being PM. Starmer is sadly too authoritarian – hence the jailing of peaceful protesters. Personally speaking, I would like to see a combination of the Lib Dems and Greens in power, but there is almost zero chance of that happening. The Lib Dems are much more to the left than Labour.Christopher1959Do you think the UK’s voting system needs to change? Let us know in the comments below.Until the system changes, expect a mess Although it is excellent to have more choices for the electorate to choose from, unfortunately, because of the first past the post electoral system (FPTP), this only “waters down” the anti-Tory/Reform vote, because those right-wing parties and their “supporters” will stick together. Don’t forget the Lib Dems, who command a fair old share of the electorate – but not enough for a majority. That could result in permanent right-wing governance! Until the electoral system is changed to proportional representation (PR), the dog’s breakfast that is Brit politics will continue, with either “one or t’other”, or, as I said, because of the watering down of the centre and left-wing vote, a permanent Tory/Reform bunch in power! Blue3LeeIt’s a step, but PR must come first A step in the right direction – offering a wider choice to the electorate, many of whom feel they have a Hobson’s choice at the moment. But it won’t work as an alternative under FPTP. To succeed, a genuine form of PR would have to come first – freeing voters to vote for their real preference rather than simply to prevent an alternative. Corbyn won’t be around for too much longer and would, I think, willingly step back once a more genuine left-of-centre Labour-type alternative is available. Strangely EnoughFinally, some choice outside the centre I think the public now having a slightly right-wing party in Reform and a slightly left-wing party with Corbyn to vote for is a positive thing, given the centrist WEF Lab/Con Blairites we’ve had since 1997. GaryGlassNew parties need deep pockets to survive I have two principal thoughts on this: First, this isn’t the first time that a “splinter” party has been formed in the UK. Regrettably, almost none have survived contact with FPTP for long, other than the Green Party and niche outfits like George Galloway’s “Respect” party. Second, to have any chance of electoral survival, let alone making a difference, this putative political party must have serious (pots of money) backing. If this party subsequently shows sufficient support, I suspect that the chances of any form of proportional electoral system being brought in will recede even further, because of the increasing electoral threat to the current government. NobrandloyaltyCorbyn’s party won’t win, but could push Labour Whilst this new party will definitely not win the election and will probably get few MPs, the threat of a split in the left vote – letting in Reform on an even lower percentage than Labour got last year – will hopefully motivate Labour to change some policies. Possibly even encourage them to manifesto-promise PR/electoral reform to tempt people back into tactical voting for them in 2029 – so they can have better chances for the JC party in 2034. Someone182A split left could hand power to Farage I remember how the SDP were going to “change politics in the UK forever”. They did – the Tories lurched even further to the right and kept winning elections. I do not like Starmer, however, splitting the Labour vote is going to give us a Tory/Reform coalition. If you think Johnson and Truss were bad, wait until you see what Jenrick/Farage manage to destroy. Moonraker2025New parties are pointless without PR The UK needs a new voting system before it needs more parties. These small new party initiatives don’t work out within the current system. Corbyn’s lifelong main political goal is to run a protest movement – and that’s what this will be. – ItReallyIsNotFPTP stops Corbyn from being a threat If it wasn’t for our FPTP electoral system, Corbyn would be a serious threat, I believe.PolhegReform will benefit most from Corbyn’s move Corbyn’s new party will take votes from Labour but is unlikely to win more than a handful of seats. The prime beneficiaries will be Reform. It was a serious mistake for Labour to expel Corbyn, since it was always obvious that he commanded a lot of support from the left and would be in a position to retaliate. MusilA fragmented left is a disaster in waiting Corbyn to the rescue – just when we need some kind of ruthless pragmatic unity in the face of ‘Euphemism’ – and in waltzes Corbyn and a further split of 5 to 10 per cent at most. It seems that more than ever, a further counterproductive split among an already fragmented centre/left, in the face of a determined, well-organised, highly coordinated and highly effective far right, is an absolute disaster waiting to happen. I genuinely cannot see a way out of this. Jim987Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day’s top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click ‘log in’ or ‘register’ in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here. More

The decision to lower the voting age to 16 could widen the inequality divide among teenagers in the UK due to the lack of political education in school. Academics have warned that the move to extend the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds risks only benefitting those from wealthier backgrounds, unless all students are given equal access to citizenship education. Recent research from the University of Roehampton found specific classes on politics and democracy have been provided unevenly across the country, with more affluent schools likely to receive dedicated lessons. It also found that pupils with university-educated parents are more likely to discuss politics at home, and feel more confident engaging in political debates. This results in teenagers from low income households often being at a disadvantage in terms of understanding parties and voting systems, which the research concluded “compounded class-based disparities”. The voting age will be lowered to 16 as part of plans to ‘modernise’ British democracy More

Britain will recognise the state of Palestine within weeks unless Israel ends the “appalling situation in Gaza”, Sir Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday, signalling what would be a historic shift in UK foreign policy following the humanitarian crisis in the territory. After recalling senior ministers for an emergency cabinet meeting, the prime minister said “now was the right time to move this position” on the two-state solution.In an ultimatum to Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, Sir Keir said the UK could recognise Palestine as early as the United Nations General Assembly in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and commits to a two-state solution.There was applause at the UN in New York as foreign secretary David Lammy conveyed what could be a historic turning point, more than a century after Britain’s role in the creation of modern-day Israel. But Mr Netanyahu claimed the announcement: “rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism”.The prime minister has said the UK and its allies need to see ‘at least 500 trucks entering Gaza every day’ More

Donald Trump has thanked an unlikely ally for supporting plans for his new golf course during the official opening at his Aberdeenshire resort.The US president did a lacklustre impression of James Bond star Sir Sean Connery’s accent as he addressed guests and the media from the Scottish resort. Referring to difficulties getting the new site approved, Mr Trump said: “This has been an unbelievable development.”The land, they said it couldn’t get zoned, it was an impossibility.Donald Trump praised Sean Connery’s help in opening his new golf course More

The world economy will grow faster than expected after the impact of Donald Trump’s tariff war waned and imports to the US surged, new projections show. Britain is in line for a small boost with the IMF upgrading its growth predictions by just 0.1 per cent for 2025. Growth is expected to sit at 1.2 per cent this year and 1.4 per cent for 2026, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest World Economic Outlook forecasts. It came as the IMF said the global economy would be more resilient than it expected in May. Global growth is set to be 3 per cent this year and 3.1 per cent next year, up from 2.8 per cent and 3 per cent respectively. Like Britain, Germany and Italy have both had their growth upgraded by 0.1 per cent for 2025, and received no upgrade for 2026. Meanwhile, Canada was handed a marginally bigger upgrade of 0.2 per cent in 2025 and 0.3 per cent in 2026, taking its growth to 1.6 per cent in 2025 and 1.9 per cent in 2026. Rachel Reeves has been accused of talking down the economy More