UK Politics

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentJames Cleverly is favourite to top the poll among MPs in the second round of voting for the Tory leadership contest, it is being claimed.Conservative MPs will vote today to decide which four of their colleagues will go to the party conference in Birmingham at the end of September for a so-called “beauty contest” with members.While former home office minister Robert Jenrick had topped the first round with 28 votes ahead of rivals Kemi Badenoch on 22 and Mr Cleverly on 21, it is expected that he will struggle to keep the lead.After Dame Priti Patel was eliminated in the first round, most of her 14 votes are being projected to go to Mr Cleverly who is her neighbouring MP in Essex.James Cleverly could top the second round of voting (PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentThe government has assessed the number of people who will be pushed into fuel poverty by its winter fuel payment cuts, but will not publish the figures until after MPs vote on the measure, The Independent can reveal.Answering a parliamentary question from former Labour frontbencher John McDonnell, energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh confirmed her department has assessed the impact the policy change will have on pensioners living in fuel poverty.But, asked by Mr McDonnell and The Independent, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero refused to say when the document would be published, only promising that it would be “in due course”.Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have been criticised for the looming fuel payment cut More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentSir Keir Starmer is braced for a clash with unions as his insistence on removing winter fuel payments from 10 million pensioners sparks a significant rebellion among Labour MPs.With the prime minister expected to address the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Brighton, its president has warned that a second wave of austerity will boost the rise of the far right in Britain’s left-behind communities and bolster Nigel Farage’s push for power.Matt Wrack, the Fire Brigades Union general secretary and current president of the TUC, has warned Sir Keir that his mandate for power is based on a collapse in support for the Tories “not love for Labour”.“People are in despair, and that’s how [far-right] elements have won support here in the UK and elsewhere in Europe,” he warned.Mr Wrack admitted union activists arrive at the annual conference “feeling much more positive” about the prospects for their members since Labour’s massive election victory in July. But serious differences remain over economic policy with fears that Sir Keir and his chancellor Rachel Reeves are heralding a new age of austerity similar to George Osborne after the banking collapse.TUC president Matt Wrack at the Grenfell memorial More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentLouise Haigh, the transport secretary, is set to double down on her efforts to renationalise Britain’s transport sector by bringing forward a bill to take bus services back into public ownership.While some have criticised the Keir Starmer government of being too centrist, Ms Haigh has become the flag bearer for the new government’s socialist agenda in undoing Tory reforms of the 1980s and 1990s.Hot from winning a vote last night to allow for councils to start to run bus services, sources close to the 37-year-old transport secretary have made it clear she will introduce the Better Buses Bill to reverse Margaret Thatcher’s deregulation before the end of this year.The demolition of Thatcher’s legacy comes just weeks after it emerged the prime minister had taken her portrait down in Downing Street.Louise Haigh is renationalising Britain’s transport More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseIn my reporting on women’s reproductive rights, I’ve witnessed the critical role that independent journalism plays in protecting freedoms and informing the public.Your support allows us to keep these vital issues in the spotlight. Without your help, we wouldn’t be able to fight for truth and justice.Every contribution ensures that we can continue to report on the stories that impact livesKelly RissmanUS News ReporterLast week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer divided opinion by suspending around 30 of the UK’s 350 arms export licences to Israel.The decision was announced by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who stressed the UK’s ongoing support for Israel. However, he also emphasised a “clear risk” that weapons could be used to breach international humanitarian law relating to the treatment of Palestinian detainees and the supply of aid to Gaza.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the move as a “shameful decision”. Tory leadership candidate Robert Jenrick also called the suspension “shameful”, branding it “gesture politics to appease the hard left”.On Monday, Lord Carlile, a senior Jewish peer and supporter of Israel, expressed his support for Starmer, praising the Labour leader’s “courage and conviction” while criticisng Netanyahu for undermining peace efforts.Given the widespread division on this issue, we want to hear your thoughts. Do you think Starmer was right to block some arms sales to Israel, and do you believe his actions are sufficient? Or do you feel his intervention has already gone too far?Share your thoughts by adding them in the comments — we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.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.Share your thoughts by adding them in the comments — we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.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

Keir Starmer continues defence of winter fuel allowance cutYour support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseMy recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyondEric GarciaWashington Bureau ChiefThe head of the UK’s largest union has urged Sir Keir Starmer to U-turn on “picking the pockets of pensioners” by cutting the winter fuel allowance for around 10 million people.Ahead of a crunch vote on Tuesday, chancellor Rachel Reeves will address a closed-door meeting of Labour MPs amid unease over her plans to axe the payment of up to £300 for all pensioners except those in receipt of those claiming pension credit or other means-tested benefits.Dozens of Labour MPs are expected to abstain in Tuesday’s vote, after seven had the whip removed for voting against the the two-child benefit cap, amid fears that cutting the allowance will cost lives and leave people requiring hospital care.In an embarrasment for Sir Keir, it emerged that Labour had warned in 2017 that Theresa May’s manifesto pledge to make the same cut would cause 3,850 excess deaths. Citing plans to cut winter fuel payments and the infamous “dementia tax”, Labour had warned that re-electing the Tories on such a platform would “represent the single biggest attack on pensioners in a generation”.Show latest update 1725892630Seventeen Labour MPs sign motion opposing winter fuel cutFive more Labour MPs have today signed the early day motion opposing the winter fuel allowance cut, bringing the total to 17.Diane Abbott, Grahame Morris, Rosie Duffield, Andy McDonald and Chris Webb have all added their names today ahead of tomorrow’s vote in the Commons.They join former shadow ministers such as Jon Tricket, John McDonnell, Clive Lewis and Ian Lavery, as well as Labour MPs Rachael Maskell, Nadia Whittome and Bell Ribeiro-Addy among the total of 37 MPs.Six of the seven MPs who had the Labour whip removed for opposing the two-child benefit cap have also signed the motion, tabled by Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan.Andy Gregory9 September 2024 15:371725891323No 10 asked whether Starmer worried pensioners could die as a result of cutsSir Keir Starmer will always be “straight with the public,” Downing Street said when asked if the prime minister was worried that people had formed the wrong impression of his Government over the winter fuel policy.“The prime minister has always been clear that he will always be straight with the public about the tough decisions that this Government has to take,” a No 10 spokeswoman said.Asked whether Sir Keir was worried that pensioners may die as a result of the cuts, the spokesperson told reporters “the focus of government is ensuring that support is properly targeted to those that need it”.Andy Gregory9 September 2024 15:151725890325Ministers agree on ‘fixing foundations of our economy’, No 10 saysDowning Street has insisted that cabinet ministers agree over the importance of “fixing the foundations of our economy,” which it said cutting the winter fuel payment would help to do.A No 10 spokesperson said: “The prime minister opened cabinet by stating the importance of fixing the foundations of our economy in order to carry out the government’s mandate for change. He said that given the scale of inheritance this would be difficult and that tough decisions are unpopular decisions, but it is the tough decisions that will enable change for this country.“The chancellor added that unless we grow our economy we will not see the improvements in living standards and public services that the country deserves, but that we must first restore the state of public finances.”Rachel Reeves said that “everything starts with stability, but investment and reform are key,” according to the readout.Downing Street said ministers agreed the government would not be able to “reverse” problems “overnight” but “important progress has been made, including creating the national wealth fund, reforming planning, our fresh approach to working with local leaders, and preparation for the international investment summit this autumn which will showcase UK excellence to the world”.The Guardian cited a cabinet source on Sunday as complaining that the policy “hasn’t even been thought through properly”, warning: “We’re going to end up with more old people in hospital or care as a result, with all the costs involved in that.”Andy Gregory9 September 2024 14:581725889125Winter fuel cut is ‘just wrong’, warns Age UK directorCaroline Abraham, director of Age UK, has warned that the winter fuel cut is “too mean” and takes “money away from too many people who really need it”.It is “just wrong” that a pensioner will no longer receive this allowance if their annual salary is above £11,500, Ms Abraham told the BBC, adding: “The government is not short of options. “This is a mistake and the sooner that is understood and responded to, the better for them and the better for older people.”Andy Gregory9 September 2024 14:381725888105Minister was incorrect to suggest government looking to mitigate winter fuel cut, No 10 suggestsAsked whether policing minister Dame Diana Johnson had been “freelancing” when she said mitigations were being looked at by ministers, a No 10 spokesperson told reporters: “I think it was promptly corrected.”Dame Diana earlier told the BBC that the government was working to ensure all pensioners who were entitled to pension credit claimed the benefit, adding that she was “sure” other mitigations were being looked at by ministers.However, Treasury sources later told the PA news agency that Dame Diana “misspoke” in suggesting the government was looking at doing more than encouraging further take-up of pension credit.Andy Gregory9 September 2024 14:211725887085No discussion of softening impact of winter fuel cut at cabinet, No 10 saysThere was no discussion of softening the impact of the winter fuel cut at cabinet on Monday, Downing Street said.Whipping for the vote over the government’s plans to scrap the winter fuel allowance for all but the country’s poorest pensioners was also not discussed at cabinet, a No 10 spokesperson told reporters.Labour MPs opposed to the policy are expected to abstain rather than vote against the government after Sir Keir Starmer removed the whip from seven MPs who voted against him on the two-child benefits cap.Andy Gregory9 September 2024 14:041725886245Cut comes as energy bills to increase by almost £150The winter fuel payments cut is set to come as average household energy bills are to rise by £150 per year.Regulator Ofgem announced last month that the average home energy bill will increase from £1,568 to £1,717 on 1 October, as it raises its price cap by 10 per cent.Andy Gregory9 September 2024 13:501725884805When was winter fuel allowance introduced?There were gasps reported in the House of Commons when chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her plans to cut winter fuel payments, first introduced by her predecessor Gordon Brown in 1997.Mr Brown said at the time that he was “simply not prepared to allow another winter to go by when pensioners are fearful of turning up their heating, even on the coldest winter days”.Labour said in 2017 that deaths among the elderly had fallen from around 34,000 to 24,000 since the introduction of the winter fuel payment in 1997, allowing for variation in winter weather. Andy Gregory9 September 2024 13:261725883305Watch: Keir Starmer continues defence of winter fuel allowance cutKeir Starmer continues defence of winter fuel allowance cutAndy Gregory9 September 2024 13:011725881684‘No Labour MP is happy’ with winter fuel cut, says new MP“No Labour MP is happy about this, no Labour MP is comfortable with it,” former journalist Paul Waugh – now the MP for Rochdale – told the BBC’s Westminster Hour programme.But he argued that the winter fuel payment cut is necessary to help fill the £22bn “black hole which you cannot ignore”.Andy Gregory9 September 2024 12:34 More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentA senior Jewish peer and supporter of Israel in the Lords has backed Sir Keir Starmer’s partial suspension of the UK’s arms deal with Israel and hit out at those who condemned the move. In a major intervention, Lord Carlile has written a devastating critique of the chief rabbi, Boris Johnson and others who attacked the prime minister’s decision after it was announced last week.In an article for The Independent, the crossbench peer – who was the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation between 2001 and 2011 – describes how the Labour leader’s decision showed “courage and conviction… however difficult it is”.Supporting Sir Keir’s decision to suspend 30 of the 350 arms exports licences to Israel, he bitterly lashes out at Benjamin Netanyahu for underminging attempts at reaching a peaceful solution.The intervention comes amid reports that Israel has bombed targets in central Syria killing five people.Lord Carlile, who and sits on the all party committee for Israel, is also scathing about the previous government’s handling of the same legal advice used to justify the decision.Lord Carlile has supported Starmer’s action More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentWatch live as the Covid inquiry begins public hearings for its third investigation on Monday 9 September, which focusses on the effects of the pandemic on healthcare systems across the UK.The first public hearings of module three of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry will see leaders from the Health and Safety Executive and Unison give evidence this week.This part of the inquiry is looking at the governmental and societal response to Covid-19 by assessing the impact of the pandemic on how NHS services were delivered.It will include how managers led the pandemic response, the role of primary care and GPs, NHS backlogs, and how the vaccine programme was integrated.The diagnosis of long Covid and the support offered to those affected will also be examined.Nicola Brook, solicitor at Broudie Jackson Canter, which represents more than 7,000 families from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group, said: “This module of the inquiry is one of the most important in understanding the true horrors of the pandemic.“It will reveal some of the most shocking details, distressing stories and outrageous scandals that took place.”In July, the inquiry’s first report into preparedness for a pandemic found the UK government and the civil service “failed” the public due to “significant flaws”. More