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.CloseRead moreThe first Labour MPs have expressed doubts over the government’s decision to extend inheritance tax to cover agricultural properties, after an estimated 13,000 people marched on Westminster on Tuesday to protest the levy.It comes amid growing concern from rural MPs that they will face a wipeout at the next election as a result of the policy, after the party’s landslide election victory saw Labour MPs elected across 114 countryside constituencies.Steve Witherden, MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, called on the Treasury to release its modelling on the impact of the policy.He also suggested changes to the plans may be necessary to protect family farms, telling the Telegraph: “It’s not remotely uncommon for any legislation to go through various phases. There’ll be the opportunity for backbench MPs like myself to feed into that debate.”Andy MacNae, MP for Rossendale and Darwen, admitted it is unclear whether or not family farms would be protected with the extension of the tax, saying he would take the “real concerns of farmers” to the Treasury.Farmers protest in central London (Andrew Matthews/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.CloseRead moreElon Musk will be summoned by MPs to testify about the role of his social media platform X in spreading disinformation during the riots which rocked England and Northern Ireland over the summer.The questioning will come as part of a Commons science and technology select committee, where senior executives from Meta – the parent company of Facebook and Instagram – as well as from TikTok are also expected to be called for questioning.The first evidence sessions are expected to take place in the new year.According to the Guardian, MPs will probe the consequences of generative AI, which was used to create images shared to social media inciting people to join join Islamophobic protests in the wake of the killing of three schoolgirls in Southport in August. Chi Onwurah, the Labour MP who chairs the select committee, said Mr Musk has “very strong views on multiple aspects of this”.( 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.CloseRead moreLeading musicians have warned that “Brexit is hell” as a damning report has revealed the damage of Britain’s departure from the EU on the UK’s music industry.As the number of artists saying Brexit has hit their income rose from 82 per cent to 87 per cent, UK-based songwriter Victoria Canal said “it is expensive logistically and puts pressure on all of us”.And producer Catherine Marks said the UK’s exit from the European bloc has negatively impacted recording budgets and caused increases in costs for British artists touring the EU.Victoria Canal said Brexit ‘is hell’ for musicians 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.CloseRead moreCutting winter fuel payments for pensioners will drive 100,000 more into poverty by 2026, the government has admittedTens of thousands more pensioners will fall into relative poverty next year as a result of Labour’s decision to means test the payment, worth up to £300, government estimates have shown. The change, unveiled by Rachel Reeves in July, will strip winter fuel payments from around 10 million pensioners. Rachel Reeves unveiled the change in July 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.CloseRead moreSir Keir Starmer has said he has “no plans” to join the Bluesky social media platform.The Prime Minister told reporters that “at the moment” there are no plans to establish official Government accounts or a personal one in his name.He said it is “important for a government” to be able to communicate with “as many people as possible”.What’s important for a government is that we’re able to reach as many people and communicate with as many people as possible and that’s the sole test for any of this as far as I’m concernedSir Keir Starmer The number of users on the site has surged in recent weeks, with the official Bluesky account announcing earlier this week that the platform had passed 19 million users.Asked whether he had any plans to join Bluesky personally, or for Government departments to open official accounts, Sir Keir told reporters: “No plans at the moment, we’re obviously still using Twitter.”He added: “What’s important for a government is that we’re able to reach as many people and communicate with as many people as possible and that’s the sole test for any of this as far as I’m concerned.”He made the comments to journalists who attended the G20 summit in Brazil.Bluesky was developed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey in 2019 but user numbers have surged in recent months, with around one million accounts signing up in the week following Donald Trump’s re-election as US president. Mr Dorsey stepped down from the board in May 2024.Twitter was bought by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, in 2022 and renamed X, but both the platform and the billionaire businessman have faced increased scrutiny since the takeover, prompting several high-profile account-holders to leave.Mr Musk championed the Trump presidential bid and has been named co-head of the new administration’s department of government efficiency.Several MPs have joined Bluesky, with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Treasury minister Darren Jones and local government minister Jim McMahon among those setting up accounts. 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.CloseRead moreMichael Gove has backed Labour peer Peter Mandelson over former Tory leader William Hague in their bid to become the next chancellor of Oxford University.The contest for the prestigious role has come down to a battle between the two political heavyweights.Mr Gove – who previously served in David Cameron’s cabinet alongside Lord Hague – showed his support for Lord Mandelson on social media, reposting a campaign video from the Labour veteran.It is not the first time the Mr Gove has abandoned a former cabinet colleague, having turned on Boris Johnson in the 2016 leadership election and effectively thwarting his bid to become prime minister. His support comes days after Lord Hague hit out at Lord Mandelson, arguing that the role was “not compatible” with the Labour peer’s current hopes of also becoming the UK’s ambassador to the US. Michael Gove reposted a video from Lord Mandelson on social media 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.CloseRead moreLord Peter Mandelson has urged Sir Keir Starmer to use Nigel Farage as a bridge between Donald Trump’s incoming administration and the UK.The Labour peer, who is the favourite to be named as the next British ambassador to the UK, also warned that his party needs to end its feud with Trump ally and X (formerly Twitter) boss Elon Musk.It comes after Mr Musk continued his social media assault on Sir Keir’s government this week by backing protesting farmers and likening Britain to a Stalinist state. He has previously attacked the Labour government over free speech and backed far right rioters over the summer.In September, The Independent revealed that Peter Kyle, the cabinet minister responsible for social media and information technology, had not even spoken to the owner of X although the two had in effect communicated through intermediaries.Farage wants to be an envoy to the US and Mandelson agrees with the idea More

Jeremy Clarkson joins farmers’ ‘tractor tax’ protest in WestminsterYour 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.CloseRead moreThe Metropolitan Police have said tractor drivers who ploughed through barriers at the farmers’ protest in Westminster will be reported. Scotland Yard said that they had been engaging with those driving the vehicles but said that driving through a no entry sign was “not acceptable”.Taking to the stage, Jeremy Clarkson urged Rachel Reeves to admit her proposed inheritance tax hikes for farmers was a “mistake”, as he described it as a “hammer blow” to the agricultural community. Speaking to protesters on stage in Whitehall, the TV presenter said: “For the sake of everybody here, and all the farmers stuck at home today paralysed by a fog of despair by what’s been foisted upon them, I beg the government to accept this was rushed through, wasn’t thought out, and was a mistake.”First unveiled in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget, the plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1m have sparked fury among rural communities, who have contested the government’s assertion that small family farms will not be impacted by the changes.National Farmers’ Union president Tom Bradshaw said an estimated 75 per cent of commercial farm businesses “were caught in the eye of this storm” of a policy which will “rip the heart of family farms”.Farmer’s daughter says family farm will be lost over Budget changes A farmer’s daughter said the changes to agricultural inheritance tax will prevent her and her brother from taking over their family farm.Jen, from Yorkshire, who did not give her surname, told the PA news agency after a protest in central London on Tuesday: “I’ll be seventh generation on our farm and essentially, if the Budget goes through, then that means that I won’t be able to take her over my family farm because between me and my brother we would have to sell up to be able to pay the tax.“It’s something we’ve both been passionate about from when we were little kids, ever since we could walk, always been involved – it’s a lifestyle.”The 24-year-old said they would have to pay approximately £1.2 million if the Government does not scrap the tax changes.“We have spoken to our accountant, solicitors, and once something happens to our parents – unless there is some change, unless there’s something we can do – then it’s not possible for us,” she said.“The logistics of it for us to keep going just isn’t financially viable at all, even with an outside job, you still wouldn’t be able to bring in enough money to be able to pay that off.”Jen, 24, said she would have to sell her family farm in order to pay off the taxes More