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 more British lawmakers are expected to vote Friday on a law proposed to help terminally ill adults end their lives.The contentious bill would allow adults expected to have fewer than six months to live to request and be provided with help to end their life, subject to safeguards and protections. Members of Parliament (MPs), who have been holding emotional meetings with constituents and searching their souls, are due to debate the issue that crosses political lines.Supporters say the law would provide dignity to the dying and prevent unnecessary suffering. Opponents say it would put vulnerable people at risk, fearing that some would be coerced to end their lives and that some elderly or disabled people may opt for death so they don’t become a burden. A vote in favor of the bill would send it to another round of hearings. A vote against it would kill it.Here’s a look at what’s in the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and the next steps: What is happening? The House of Commons hasn’t debated an assisted dying bill since 2015 when a similar measure failed. Debate is scheduled for five hours and more than 150 members have reportedly signed up to speak. It is expected to be followed by a close vote.Although the current bill was proposed by a member of the ruling center-left Labour Party, it is an open vote with no pressure from the government on supporting it.Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has previously supported assisted dying, said the government will remain neutral and he wouldn’t reveal how he would vote. Some members of his cabinet have said they will support the bill, while others are against it.Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, along with three former Conservative prime ministers — Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Theresa May — have publicly opposed the bill, though they are no longer in the House of Commons and can’t vote. Former Tory Prime Minister David Cameron supports it. If the bill passes the first stage in the House of Commons, it will face further scrutiny and votes in both Houses of Parliament.If ultimately approved, any new law is unlikely to come into effect within the next two to three years, supporters say. What does the bill propose? Under the proposed legislation, only those over 18 years old in England and Wales and who are expected to die within six months can request assisted dying. They must have the mental capacity to make a choice about the end of their life and will be required to make two separate declarations about their wish to die. Labour lawmaker Kim Leadbeater, who proposed the bill, said the law has robust safeguards built in and contains “three layers of scrutiny” — two independent doctors and a High Court judge will have to sign off on any decision. Anyone found guilty of pressuring, coercing or dishonestly getting someone to make a declaration that they wish to die will face up to 14 years in prison. Assisted suicide is currently banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Someone who helps a person end their life can be prosecuted and face up to 14 years in prison. Who will administer the medication? The patient must self-administer the life-ending medication. No doctor or anyone else can give the medication. No health professional is under any obligation to provide assistance to the patient.Doctors who do take part would have to be satisfied the person making their declaration to die has done so voluntarily. They also must ensure the person is making an informed choice. Do other countries have similar laws? One argument supporting the bill is that wealthy individuals can travel to Switzerland, which allows foreigners to go there to legally end their lives, while others have to face possible prosecution for helping their loves ones to die.Esther Rantzen, 84, a broadcaster dying of lung cancer, has urged passage of the bill so others don’t have to do what she plans to do by traveling to Switzerland to legally end her life. She urged all 650 MPs to attend the hearing.“This is such a vital life and death issue, one that we the public care desperately about,” Rantzen said in a public letter. “It is only right that as many MPs as possible listen to the arguments for and against, and make up your own minds, according to your own conscience, your personal thoughts and feelings.”Other countries that have legalized assisted suicide include Australia, Belgium, Canada and parts of the United States, with regulations on who is eligible varying by jurisdiction. Assisted suicide is different from euthanasia, allowed in the Netherlands and Canada, which involves healthcare practitioners administering a lethal injection at the patient’s request in specific circumstances. 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 moreNigel Farage has said a Reform UK MP who was jailed for repeatedly kicking his girlfriend deserves “Christian forgiveness”.The party leader said James McMurdock, who claimed after being elected that he had “pushed” a partner after a previous assault conviction was revealed, has “been forgiven”.It emerged that Mr McMurdock was jailed 18 years ago for repeatedly kicking his girlfriend, after The Times applied to the courts for information from the official record of his sentencing.He did not publicly disclose his conviction for assault before being elected and claimed he had “pushed” his partner when details were first revealed this summer.Nigel Farage said James McMurdock deserved ‘Christian forgiveness’ 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 moreMPs will soon vote on legislation that would legalise assisted dying in England and Wales for terminally ill patients, marking a historic political event.The bill is open to a free vote meaning members from all parties will be allowed to vote however they feel is right. There are more unknowns than knowns, with slightly more thought to be in favour of voting for the bill.Proposed by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater in mid-October, the Private Members bill is lengthy, carrying strict stipulations about how the law is implemented.To be eligible for assisted dying under the laws, a person has to be over 18 years old, have proven mental capacity, no more than six months left to live, and the consent of two medical professionals.Labour MP Kim Leadbeater is behind the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Stefan Rousseau/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 more Georgia is suspending talks on its bid to join the European Union for four years, its prime minister said Thursday, in view of what he described as “blackmail and manipulation” from some of the bloc’s politicians.The statement by Irakli Kobakhize came hours after he was reappointed to the job by members of the governing Georgian Dream party after its disputed victory in last month’s parliamentary election that has sparked protests and led to an opposition boycott of parliament.The Oct. 26 election was widely seen as a referendum on the country’s aspirations to join the European Union. The opposition said the vote was rigged under the influence of Russia seeking to keep Georgia in its orbit, and declared a boycott of parliament.European election observers said the balloting took place in a “divisive” atmosphere marked by instances of bribery, double voting and physical violence.The EU has previously announced that the talks on Georgia’s accession to the bloc had been de-facto halted because of its backsliding on democracy. 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 moreMI6 chief Richard Moore is reportedly under consideration to be the UK’s next ambassador in Washington, in a fresh upset for former Labour spinner Peter Mandelson, who has been widely rumoured to be tapped for the key diplomatic role.According to The Sun, Downing Street insiders say the spy chief is now in the running to be Keir Starmer’s representative to the US as Labour prepares for the incoming presidency of Donald Trump in January.Sir Richard, who in September warned alongside CIA head William Burns that both countries faced “an unprecedented array of threats”, previously served in the foreign office and was Britain’s ambassador to Turkey from 2014 to 2017.The development represents a new blow for Lord Mandelson after former Tory leader William Hague beat him to the prestigious chancellorship of the University of Oxford following a high-profile competition between the pair.Earlier this month Lord Hague, whose appointment was announced on Wednesday, warned Lord Mandelson could not be both the UK’s next ambassador to the US and chancellor, telling the Independent that taking on both roles would be “incompatible”.MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore has been working closely with the CIA (FCO/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 moreParliament will vote on an assisted dying bill tomorrow for the first time in nearly a decade.Labour MP Kim Leadbeater proposed the Private Members Bill in mid-October, which will legalise assisted death under certain conditions for terminally ill adults in England and Wales. The bill would apply to those who are over 18 years old, have mental capacity, and have six months left to live, with the consent of two medical professionals. The bill has generated strong opinions from both sides of the assisted dying movement, while even some of those in favour have voiced concerns over the lack of safeguarding in the bill.A group of MPs have also pushed an amendment which may stop the bill from progressing to a vote this week.The Independent analysed public statements from all 650 MPs, in addition to news reports and other available information, to find which MPs will likely vote for or against the assisted dying bill this week. The analysis will be updated as more MPs come forward.The bill is open to a “free vote”, meaning that the party whips will not dictate whether to support or oppose the bill. Individual MPs are free to vote based on their own values and opinions of their constituents, regardless of whether they are Labour, Tory, or otherwise. Note: the voting intention of MPs is not final until the votes have been cast on Friday. As this is a sensitive issue, many MPs are still deciding and some could change their mind from previous positions.Our updated analysis has found that at least 90 MPs are likely to vote in favour of the bill, while at least 83 are likely to vote against it.Dozens of MPs have come out in the last few days alone in support or criticism of the bill, as political heavyweights on either side of the debate have published their thoughts in the papers.Some 477 MPs have either not made their opinion on assisted dying public, said they are still weighing up both possibilities or said they will abstain from the vote. Taking this into consideration, it will be difficult to say exactly whether the vote will pass. There is a significant degree of “unknown”, particularly among first-time MPs who are facing the issue for the first time.Meanwhile, when also including voting intentions shared privately off-record, The Times reports that 265 MPs are planning to vote for the assisted dying bill, and 216 plan to vote against it. Both our analysis and The Times’ analysis indicate that slightly more MPs are leaning in favour of the assisted dying bill than not. Within the parties, our analysis found MPs are divided between voting for and against the bill, according to public declarations, reports, and working group memberships.Labour MPs are more likely than Tories to lean towards supporting the assisted dying bill, which was proposed by a fellow Labour MP.However, influential Labour figure Gordon Brown penned an op-ed in opposition of assisted dying, which has been shared by several Labour MPs.At present, an estimated 54 Labour MPs will support the bill, while 44 will vote against it. Among those against the bill are some of Labour’s most prominent members, including health secretary Wes Streeting, and long-standing MP Diane Abbott. Health secretary Wes Streeting has spoken out against the assisted dying bill More

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Ben Whitley/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 moreLabour’s biggest union backer is taking Sir Keir Starmer’s government to court over the decision to scrap winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.With temperatures dropping, Unite has applied to the High Court for a judicial review of the prime minister’s move to means test the payment, which will see it withdrawn from around 10m elderly people.General secretary Sharon Graham said Sir Keir’s decision was “wrong on every level”, calling on the courts to “hold the government to account and reverse this cruel cut as quickly as possible”.But government figures are confident the policy will not be overturned by the courts.Keir Starmer and Sharon Graham, right, have clashed over the policy More