UK Politics

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorLabour MPs have claimed they are quitting or “stepping back” from Twitter/X as owner Elon Musk is accused of turning it into a “megaphone for far-right fringe groups”.Two MPs have reportedly told colleagues they are leaving X altogether, with Noah Law – MP for St Austell and Newquay – already having disabled his account. Others have said they are scaling back their use though they are still posting. Labour veteran Diane Abbott told The Independent she is “limiting” her use of the platform, explaining: “The changes in X under Musk have made it worse. Only a handful of MPs would say it is better and they would mostly be Reform members.” Her last post was on Monday, about an Israeli airstrike, after a gap of four days. A Labour MP said Elon Musk had turned X into ‘a megaphone for foreign adversaries’ More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorWatch live as Tom Tugendhat gives his first major speech of the Tory leadership campaign on Tuesday 13 August.He will call for a national conversation about the root causes of the recent riots, arguing that Britain’s social fabric has deteriorated.In his first major speech since declaring his bid for the Conservative leadership, the former security minister is expected to attack a “culture of denial” that moves on too quickly from acts of serious violence without addressing their underlying causes and the “identity and motives of the perpetrators”.“Too often, over the last two decades or more, we have avoided being brutally honest, preferring instead the warmth and false comfort of denial and complacency,” Mr Tugendhat will say.He is also expected to accuse prime minister Sir Keir Starmer of a “failure of leadership” and urge the police to use “uncompromising force” in dealing with violent disorder.This is Mr Tugendhat’s second bid for the role of Tory leader, having stood in the contest in 2022. He was eliminated in the third round of voting by MPs. More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorLabour MP Clive Lewis is facing calls for his suspension over a tweet appearing to suggest Israel is to blame for the far-right riots that swept the UK last week. The MP for Norwich South argued that the “inhumanity” shown towards Palestinians in Gaza has led to rising Islamophobia in the UK, causing campaigners to call for his suspension.Labour Against Antisemitism has accused Mr Lewis of being highly irresponsible and has urged Sir Keir Starmer to expell him from the party. However, it is understood that no disciplinary action will be taken against the MP by party whips.Labour MP Clive Lewis has been condemned for a tweet which appeared to suggest Israel is to blame for the far-right riots which swept the UK last week More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorA UK university says it is the first in the world to open a “Minecraft psychology lab”.Students at the University of Essex will learn, research and build experiments within the popular computer game.Lecturer Dr Wijnand van Tilburg said Minecraft “offers a uniquely malleable environment to study and learn about the psychology behind social behaviour, problem solving, and creativity”.Six booths have been set up for psychology students to use Minecraft as part of the course.Students at the university will learn and build experiments within the computer game (University of Essex/PA) More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorBridget Phillipson has pledged to reverse “baked-in” inequalities in educational outcomes to ensure young people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to “get on in life”.Speaking ahead of A-level results day on Thursday, the education secretary accused the Conservative Party of leaving behind a legacy of regional disparities and an attainment gap between private schools and their state school peers.She said societal failures have left too many children living in poverty and schools struggling with the pressures faced by families – something she said is a “big driver” of educational disparities between the most and least advantaged students.Ms Phillipson also urged universities to do more to widen access to higher education, as well as offer “ongoing support” to students once they are on degree courses to ensure they do not drop out.Education secretary Bridget Phillipson More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe government is preparing to limit the amount landowners can receive from selling green belt land, handing councils the power to cheaply buy up land that previously would have been ineligible for development as part of its plan to tackle the housing crisis. In areas with the greatest housing need, landowners could also find themselves penalised for refusing to sell land. Councils would be able to force them to sell land at a “benchmark” value – which would be lower than the market value of similar sites outside the green belt. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner told MPs that ‘we must all play our part’ in the plan to build more homes More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorNumber 10 is not going to get into a “running commentary” about its plans for social media giants and their users amid the nationwide public disorder, it has said.Sir Keir Starmer’s spokeswoman also told journalists that the Prime Minister will not enter a tit-for-tat spat with the billionaire owner of X, formerly Twitter, Elon Musk.After disorder in towns and cities throughout the UK, Mr Musk used the hashtag #TwoTierKeir on X – a reference to allegations police have treated some protesters more harshly than others – and he posted on Friday: “Support freedom of speech in the UK!”Sir Keir Starmer (third from left), pictured at the Metropolitan Police Command and Control Special Operations Room at Lambeth Police Headquarters (Toby Melville/PA) More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorFormer prime minister Boris Johnson is reportedly being courted for an executive role at The Daily Telegraph, meaning he could be reunited with former cabinet colleague Nadhim Zahawi if his bid to buy the newspaper is successful. The former chancellor, who stepped down from his Stratford-on-Avon seat before the general election, is currently spearheading a bid to buy the Telegraph and The Spectator, both of which are up for sale after an Abu Dhabi-backed takeover was blocked.Mr Johnson is said to have held informal talks with the former chancellor about a possible job at the paper, according to Sky News. A source close to the former prime minister told The Independent that “no formal or substantial discussions” have been had so far.The former prime minister currently has a weekly column in the Daily Mail and was previously in talks with GB News about joining the channel as a presenter More