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 moreCloseAn Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) error has left chancellor Rachel Reeves with £18bn less headroom in her spending plans, potentially fuelling investor concerns about her first budget.A footnote in the watchdog’s outlook, published on Wednesday alongside the Budget, said its earlier forecasts contained an error in the projections for public sector net financial liabilities – the debt measure now used by the chancellor in one of her new fiscal rules.In March, the OBR found the margin in the 2028-29 fiscal year would be £62bn. It has since corrected the figure £43.9bn.The margin, also known as the “headroom”, is the money left over in the budget to spend without breaking fiscal rules.The OBR document said: “An error was identified in the net liabilities calculation used in the March 2024 forecast of PSNFL.“The restated March PSNFL forecast and headroom calculation correct this error but otherwise is unchanged.”Rachel Reeves unveiled her first budget on Wednesday 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 moreCloseLabour’s first Budget does not bear any similarity to that of Liz Truss, a minister has said adding that the country has “got PTSD” from the former PM’s catastrophic mini-Budget as the government seeks to downplay speculation about market turmoil.Asked about market jitters following the Budget, the Treasury minister told Sky News that “markets always respond to budgets in the normal way”.“There’s a lot of new information about the economy and the nation’s finances presented to parliament, and it’s normal for markets to respond,” he said.Mr Jones later added: “I think we’ve all got PTSD from Liz Truss and just let’s compare the two different scenarios, because they’re very, very different: So, under Liz Truss, as we saw, they sacked permanent secretary, they ignored the independent Office for Budget Responsibility.“They announced £45 billion of unfunded tax cuts and said they were only just getting started. And then the market went mad and we all know what happened.Darren Jones said Liz Truss’s mini-budget is ‘completely different’ to 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.CloseRead moreCloseSenior figures in Reform UK have spoken out against Nigel Farage and Richard Tice’s decision to distance themselves from Tommy Robinson and his supporters, with one saying he refused to throw the English Defence League founder “under a bus”. Deputy leader Tice sparked a row in the party after saying it wants “nothing to do with” Robinson, who was jailed this week, and ”all of that lot”, while Farage has previously accused Robinson and his supporters of “stirring up hatred”.But Ben Habib, the party’s recent former deputy leader and general election candidate in Wellingborough, stood up for those who attended a rally in support of Robinson on Saturday.Speaking to YouTuber Paul Thorpe, Mr Habib said: “Those of us who care about this country, who want to stand against the uniparty of the Tories and Labour, have to stick together. We are one group.Tommy Robinson has been jailed for 18 months 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 moreCloseSir Ed Davey has piled pressure on Sir Keir Starmer over his negotiations with the European Union, calling for the prime minister to “have some urgency” in his great “reset” of relations with the bloc.The leader of the Liberal Democrats also criticised the prime minister’s decision to rule out a youth mobility scheme with the European Union, saying it is “quite odd and bad”, as well as calling for a return to the single market.The European Commission has made a youth mobility scheme a key demand amid Sir Keir’s post-Brexit “reset” with Brussels after years of tense relations under successive Conservative prime ministers.The agreement, which mirrors similar arrangements Britain already has with countries including Australia and Japan, would allow 18 to 35-year-olds to move and work freely between countries for up to two years.Speaking to journalists at the press gallery lunch in Parliament, Sir Ed warned that the government will not be able to grow the UK economy “without rebuilding our relationship with our European partners and getting a better trade deal”.‘We can’t wait around to get our economy going’, Sir Ed warned 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 moreCloseThe government’s new value for money tsar will be paid a day rate of £950, the equivalent of a £247,000 annual salary.David Goldstone, who will take up the position of chairman of the new Office for Value for Money, will effectively be on a higher pro-rata salary than the prime minister.Rachel Reeves announced during her Budget speech that Mr Goldstone was being appointed to “help us realise the benefits from every pound of public spending”.David Goldstone will take up the position of chairman of the new Office for Value for Money, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced during her Budget statement 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 moreCloseLabour has seen its poll rating rise to its highest level in almost a month despite Rachel Reeves delivering one of the most contentious Budgets in recent history.According to this week’s Techne UK tracker poll for The Independent Labour has gone up a point to 30 per cent, its highest since 4 October when it was on 31 per cent.The leaderless Tories, who will announce their replacement for Rishi Sunak on Saturday, remained at 24 per cent, while Nigel Farage’s Reform UK lost a point to drop to 18 per cent. Sir Ed Davey’s Lib Dems were up one to 14 per cent and the Greens unchanged on 7 per cent.The week has been dominated by Rachel Reeves’ Budget and seen the news agenda move off allegations of sleeze and freebies in Keir Starmer’s government.Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 11 Downing Street, London, with her ministerial red box before delivering her Budget in the Houses of Parliament (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.CloseRead moreCloseThe chancellor is under pressure from trade unions to offer payouts to miners involved in strikes during the 1980s.After Rachel Reeves announced £11.8 billion for the victims of the infected blood scandal and another £1.8 billion for the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, attention has been drawn to other ongoing claims.Former TUC president Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is now leading calls from the trade unions for Ms Reeves to consider the case of miners involved in the 1984-85 strike, which became a defining momentduring Margaret Thatcher’s time in government.He told The Independent: “Compensation, announced in the Budget, for the victims of the infected blood and Post Office scandals is very welcome. Miners confront the police during the 1984 strike 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 moreCloseSir Keir Starmer has been accused of lying to farmers about wanting “a new relationship” with them after the Budget extended inheritance tax to family farms for the first time in history.The move means farms worth more than £1m are now subject to 20 per cent inheritance tax.Already the tax is being dubbed the “tractor tax” or the “Old McDonald tax” in some quarters and has been exacerbated by other measures in the Budget which have piled on costs for farming with no extra support from subsidies.Farmers were already struggling because Brexit had brought an end to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the new UK subsidy policies were not working.Now they are having to take on the 6.7 per cent increase in the minimum wage and 15 per cent rise in employer national insurance contributions.Starmer addresses the NFU with Minette Batters in 2023 More