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 ThomasEditorNigel Farage has joined calls for Parliament to be recalled over riots sweeping the UK, while suggesting the escalation in violence has come as a result of “soft policing” during Black Lives Matter protests.The Reform UK leader condemned the violence taking place on Britain’s streets, saying “the levels of intimidation and threat to life have no place in a functioning democracy”.But he went on to claim there is a widespread impression of “two-tier policing”, which he said is contributing to a “sense of injustice”. In a statement on Monday, Mr Farage said: “I have been totally appalled by the levels of violence seen in the last couple of days. The levels of intimidation and threat to life have no place in a functioning democracy.“That so many police officers have been injured trying to keep the peace is shocking, and we should not discount the use of the army if the situation were to deteriorate further.”The MP for Clacton also expressed concern over prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s response to the riots.He added: “In the short term, we will quell the riots, but deeper longer-term problems remain. Ever since the soft-policing of the Black Lives Matter protests, the impression of two-tier policing has become widespread. The Prime Minister’s faltering attempts to address the current crisis have only added to that sense of injustice.Nigel Farage has claimed violence in UK cities in recent days is a result of ‘soft policing’ 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 ThomasEditorHostile states may be amplifying social media posts on rioting in Britain, home secretary Yvette Cooper has warned.It comes just one day after as the government’s adviser on political violence and disruption, Lord Walney, warned that far-right actors are “almost certainly” being “aided and abetted by hostile states in creating and fanning disinformation”.More than 145 people have been arrested so far after riots rocked major cities including Manchester, Liverpool and Hull.Asked about claims that foreign actors are “fanning disinformation” around the riots on social media, the Ms Cooper said the government “[knows] that there can be amplification of social media activity online.”But, speaking to Sky News, she added that the government’s focus is currently on “local groups and organisations, including some of those fuelled by far right extremists and also those who are local looters who came to join in and committed crimes”.Home Secretary Yvette Cooper speaks to the media at the Home Office in central London following violent disorder in parts of the UK (Elena Giuliano/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 ThomasEditorKeir Starmer’s approval ratings with the general public have collapsed in his first month of power since winning the election.According to an Opinium poll published over the weekend, the prime minister’s net approval rating has falled by 16 points with the UK gripped by riots and civil unrest with far-right thugs attacking the police, mosques and shops in towns and cities across the UK.The survey was taken while there was speculation that Sir Keir would go ahead with his family holiday with violence still escalating across the country.The riots appear to have been triggered by misinformation on social media fuelling far-right groups in the wake of the murder of three young girls in Southport last week.Starmer’s approval rating is down 16 points since becoming prime minister 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 ThomasEditorSir Keir Starmer issued a stark warning to racist far-right thugs rioting in British towns and cities with a “guarantee” they will face swift justice and “the full force of the law”.In an uncompromising statement to the nation, the prime minister told those behind the appalling scenes in Hull, Halifax, Liverpool, London, Southport and Rotherham: “I guarantee, you will regret it”. More than 100 people have been arrested following the violent disturbances on Saturday. The prime minister’s powerful statement came as a mob stormed a hotel full of asylum seekers waiting for their applications to be heard in Rotherham and set fire to it, knowing people were inside.A large mob gathers outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, a suburb in Rotherham, before hurling debris at police on Sunday 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 senior member of Rishi Sunak’s shadow ministerial team has been branded “disgusting” after appearing to suggest that the far right riots sweeping the UK are the fault of Labour opposing the Rwanda deportation scheme.Shadow Welsh secretary Lord Byron Davies got caught up in an exchange on X/Twitter with Mail on Sunday columnist Dan Hodges over whether there could be any political justification for the riots.After appearing to suggest that the fault lay at the feet of Sir Keir Starmer and Labour for opposing the Rwanda scheme, Rishi Sunak has ordered that he is spoken to by the chief whip in the Lords after initially declining to take action..Labour’s new Welsh secretary Jo Stevens condemned the peer who is currently shadowing her after the Tories lost every seat in Wales at the last election.A fire is extinguished by police officers outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham 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 ThomasEditorHampshire Tory police and crime commissioner Donna Jones has stubbornly refused to back down over a controversial statement that appeared to justify the activities of the far right and riots up and down the UK.Ms Jones had said in the statement posted online on Saturday night that arresting thugs was “treating the symptom and not the cause” before it was deleted after attracting widespread criticism. She put the statement back on the official website for Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner but with a clarification statement underlining she does not condone the violent scenes.It appeared Ms Jones had decided to take it down, or had been ordered to do so, because of its provocative language at a time of heightened tensions in the UK, with violent civil unrest in Southport, Liverpool, Hull, Hartlepool, London, Belfast and Rotherham.Police and crime commissioner for Hampshire Donna Jones 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 ThomasEditorThousands of new parliamentary staff are at risk from crumbling buildings, fire, asbestos and vermin as the restoration of the Palace of Westminster remains in limbo.The massive turnover of MPs and their staff at the general election means many of those working on the estate are unaware of the risks they face, parliament’s leading unions have warned.And the GMB, which represents thousands of employees working in the Commons, Lords and members’ staffers, said that “we cannot afford for the can to be kicked down the street any longer”.The Palace of Westminster is undergoing a multibillion-pound restoration and renewal project to ensure it is safe for future generations of MPs and staff across the estate.The cost of simply keeping the site safe and running is currently £1.4m a week, with the decision about a larger restoration project having been repeatedly pushed back.The official restoration and renewal project has identified asbestos in 2,500 places on the estate, as well as the risk of fire, flooding and falling stones. Hundreds of miles of cables and pipes need replacing, outdated water and sewage systems need updating and the project is estimated to take a team of 300 people several years. Another major problem is the lack of disability accessibility, with the estate covering 65 different levels, having more than 100 staircases and only one lift that meets modern-day standards for accessibility.A full decant of parliament would be the cheapest and quickest option for the restoration project 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 senior Tory’s statement on an official website, which appeared to justify some of the activities of the far-right rioters in recent days, has been branded “totally unacceptable” by former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal.The statement by Donna Jones, the Tory police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Hampshire, was a response to the rioting that has taken place in Southport, Sunderland, Hull, London and Hartlepool since the murder of three girls in Southport. It was removed on Saturday night without any explanation but not before it attracted widespread condemnation on social media.In it, Ms Jones acknowledged the rioting and civil unrest “has escalated to a worrying level”. She also noted that “the behaviour of some of those protesting has been extremely violent, highly distressing and absolutely criminal”.Police and crime commissioner for Hampshire Donna Jones More