UK Politics

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreUK defence secretary John Healey has unveiled plans for the “biggest defence shake up in 50 years” to make sure the UK is war ready.Giving a speech to the Institute for Government (IfG) on Tuesday, Mr Healeyannounced a new command structure in the Ministry of Defence (MoD), as well as bringing an end to major defence reforms unveiled under the Conservatives.The structural changes, which will include streamlining budgets, will ensure the department is “more concentrated on war-fighting readiness and on deterrence”, Mr Healey said. The reforms “represent the biggest shake up of UK defence for over 50 years”, the defence secretary said, arguing they will help cut waste and reduce duplication, as well as ensuring that Britain is “buying better what our front line forces need”.The announcement comes amid growing fears over European security after President Donald Trump announced his plan to sideline the continent by holding Ukraine peace talks directly with Mr Putin, amid wider pressure on the continent to step up its defence capabilities. John Healey addressed the IfG on Tuesday More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreEd Miliband has urged energy watchdog Ofgem to crack down on soaring costs as forecasts show the typical energy bill could soon rise by over £100 a year.Whitehall sources have indicated that they expect bills in most UK regions to increase by around £9 a month over next three months, according the The Guardian, hitting Labour’s pledge to curb the cost of living.Forecasts of exactly how much rates will rise again in April vary, but most key analysts agree they will be increasing. Large energy firms such as British Gas, E.On and EDF predict the price cap will increase by between five and seven per cent.Experts say increased volatility in the global gas market is a key source of the rises. The transit deal that allowed gas to flow to Europe from Russia via Ukraine recently ended, adding more uncertainty.Energy secretary Ed Miliband (Jordan Pettitt/PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreWatch as Nigel Farage is interviewed by Jordan Peterson at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in London on Monday, 17 February.ARC is an international centre-right political organisation founded by the Canadian psychologist and political commentator.The Reform UK leader’s appearance came a day after Conservative Kemi Badenoch warned that failure to renew her party following their election loss could lead to the loss of “our country and all of Western civilisation.”Ms Badenoch said she was speaking up for “classic liberal values” and criticised “loopholes” in liberalism which have been “hacked” in recent decades, including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).She also likened herself to Donald Trump as she sought to explain what the Tories would do if they were to win power again.She said: “People ask me what difference new leadership will make. Well, take a look at President Trump – he showed that sometimes you need that first stint in government to spot the problems, but it’s the second time around when you really know how to fix them.” More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreFurther questions are being raised over alleged exaggerations of Rachel Reeves’s credentials, after the chancellor was reported to have incorrectly claimed some of her work was published in one of the world’s leading economics journals. According to The Times, her Who’s Who entry lists her as a contributor in the Journal of Political Economy, when in fact she had just one article published in the European Journal of Political Economy – a far less prestigious publication. Sources close to the chancellor told the newspaper there was no record of how the entry had come to be made or who had approved the description of her publication record. But the entry has reportedly been listed under her name in Who’s Who since she became an MP in 2010. It is understood individuals supply their own details to Who’s Who and have the opportunity to edit them each year. Who’s Who is one of the world’s longest established reference books, which contains more than 32,500 autobiographical entries. The book’s publisher says it has been “carefully updated for maximum accuracy from information personally supplied by the biographee”.Sir Richard Barnett, an emeritus professor at the University of Ulster, said any academic economist would know the difference between the two journals, claiming they were “chalk and cheese”. “One is world leading, it’s where economists aspire to publish and it’s incredibly competitive to get published in the Journal of Political Economy — if you’re seeking an academic post or a professorship where you’ve published matters as much as what you’ve published,” he told The Times. Rachel Reeves More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreWatch live as UK defence secretary John Healey speaks after a split emerged among European nations over whether to match Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to send UK troops to Ukraine.Allies are thrashing out a response to US president Donald Trump’s push for a deal with Vladimir Putin.Divisions became clear as leaders attended an emergency summit in Paris over fears Washington could cut its transatlantic defence commitments.The meeting was held after the Republican announced his plan to sideline Europe by holding Ukraine peace talks directly with the Russian president.The UK prime minister said he would be willing to contribute to security guarantees by “putting our own troops on the ground if necessary”, echoing similar statements by France’s Emmanuel Macron.He later called for the US to provide a “backstop” to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again if the UK were to put troops on the ground. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreLondoners should be able to live and work in European countries, Sadiq Khan is expected to argue, urging the government to back a youth mobility scheme with the European Union. It comes as the London mayor hosts a meeting of the EU heads of mission on Tuesday – including the EU ambassador and UK ambassadors of 27 EU member states. Giving some opening remarks at the start of the meeting, which is aimed at further strengthening London’s relationship with its international partners, Sir Sadiq is expected say he is “strongly in favour” of such a scheme. The European Commission has made a youth mobility scheme a key demand amid Sir Keir Starmer’s post-Brexit reset with Brussels after years of tense relations under successive Conservative administrations.The proposal, which has become a major sticking point between the UK and EU, would likely mirror similar arrangements Britain already has with countries including Australia and Japan and would allow 18- to 35-year-olds to move and work freely between countries for up to two years.Sadiq Khan is ‘strongly in favour’ of a youth mobility scheme for the UK and EU More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreSir Keir Starmer has thrown down the gauntlet to Donald Trump, calling for the US to provide a “backstop” to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again after meeting with European leaders for emergency talks on the war.The prime minister – who will travel to the US later this month – said allies on the continent would have to step up in terms of both spending and capability as he spoke following talks with partners in Paris on Monday.While he said he would be prepared to put a peacekeeping force into Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war with Russia, Sir Keir said such a move would require there to be a US security guarantee to ensure Russia does not attack again. “Europe must play its role, and I’m prepared to consider committing British forces on the ground alongside others if there is a lasting peace agreement”, the PM told reporters after the Paris meeting. Sir Keir said European allies would have to take responsibility for the continent’s security but demanded the US enforce a peace deal in Ukraine More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreArtificial intelligence should be kept out of classrooms, a royal family member and actor has said.Sophie Winkleman, styled as Lady Frederick Windsor, also suggested schools should bring back blackboards and chalk instead of relying on smartboards as she spoke at a centre-right political gathering in east London.The actress, known for playing Big Suze in Channel 4 comedy Peep Show, has previously leant to her support to a ban on under-16s from having smartphones, and was a supporter of strengthening the Online Safety Act.She told the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference at London’s Excel Centre that there is talk of “AI being pumped into our classrooms with children’s data being harvested to better improve the AI”.“Why?” she asked, adding: “The fact that AI will soon outperform humans in many areas means schools should be backing away from the neurological junk food of digital learning, alert to the fact that it’s counterproductive to learn anyway from an instantly ageing system, and teaching their pupils the deeply human skills, which AI will have a harder time replacing.”She listed “empathy, concentration, eloquent and humorous discussion, and creative expression” among the skills AI could not teach.The actor continued to question the use of AI in schools, adding: “Why is digitally transporting a child to the Egyptian pyramids better than that child imagining it?“This kind of jazz-hands immersion as an engagement tool doesn’t work.“It negates the need to imagine, rendering the pupil a passive rather than an active learner.”Elsewhere, as she criticised the rollout of educational technology, Winkleman said there was “no consensus” that interactive smartboards, used across in classrooms across the country, are “safe”.As she signalled she wanted to see a return to analogue learning, she said smartboards are “simply not as effective as a teacher writing out what is in that second being explained on the black and whiteboard”.“Yet we seem to be marching into a world where screens are replacing books,” she added. More