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 moreClose Voting closed Thursday in the months-long contest to lead Britain’s Conservative Party after its crushing election defeat, with the result due to be announced on Saturday.Tens of thousands of members of the right-of-center party were eligible to vote in the runoff between lawmakers Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick.In a race that has lasted more than three months, Conservative lawmakers reduced the field from six candidates in a series of votes before putting the final two to the wider party membership.Both candidates say they think the contest is close, but no reliable polling is available. The party also does not disclose how many members it has, though the figure was about 172,000 in 2022, disproportionately affluent, older white men.The party is choosing a leader to replace former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who in July led the Conservatives to their worst election result since 1832. The Conservatives lost more than 200 seats, taking their tally down to 121.The winner’s daunting task will be to try to restore the party’s reputation after years of division, scandal and economic tumult, hammer Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s policies on key issues including the economy and immigration, and return the Conservatives to power at the next election, due by 2029.Badenoch, 44, was born in London to Nigerian parents and would be the first Black woman to lead a major British political party. A former software engineer, she depicts herself as a disruptor, arguing for a low-tax, free-market economy and pledging to “rewire, reboot and reprogram” the British state. A critic of multiculturalism and self-proclaimed enemy of wokeness, Badenoch recently said that “not all cultures are equally valid.”Jenrick, 42, is a former moderate who opposed Brexit in Britain’s 2016 referendum on European Union membership but has become more sharply nationalist. He wants to take Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights, scrap the U.K.’s own Human Rights Act, end mass migration, abolish carbon-emissions targets and “stand for our nation and our culture, our identity and our way of life.”Jenrick and Badenoch both come from the right of the party and say they can win voters back from Reform U.K., the hard-right, anti-immigrant party led by populist politician Nigel Farage that has eaten away at Conservative support.But the party also lost many voters to the winning party, Labour, and the centrist Liberal Democrats, and some Conservatives worry that tacking right will lead the party away from public opinion. The party’s last contested leadership selection, when it was in power in mid-2022, saw members choose Liz Truss over Sunak. Truss resigned as prime minister after just 49 days in office when her tax-cutting plans rocked the financial markets and battered the value of the pound. The party then picked Sunak to replace her. More

Rachel Reeves admits autumn Budget likely to hit pay for workersYour 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 moreCloseRachel Reeves Budget measures mean that by 2028 weekly wages will have grown by £13 pounds over the last twenty years, an economic think-tank has said.The Resolution Foundation has warned that the pay outlook is “dire” and many UK workers will not feel any better off by the end of this Parliament.Mike Brewer, Interim Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, said: “The short-term effect of these changes will be better funded public services.He added: “But families are also set for a further squeeze on living standards as the rise in employer National Insurance dampens wage growth.”It comes as the IFS has warned that Ms Reeves long term spending plans are as unrealistic as the Tories.IFS director Paul Johnson said that Ms Reeves’ current plans mean a 4.3 per cent jump in spending next year, 2.6 per cent the year after and then 1.3 per cent in each of the following years.Mr Johnson said: “I’m afraid this looks like the same silly games playing as we got used to with the last lot. Pencil in implausibly low spending increases for the future in order to make the fiscal arithmetic balance.”Show latest update 1730386029Labour MPs showed ‘unreality’ in reaction to Budget, says Tory MPLabour MPs showed “a complete lack of unreality” in their reaction to the Budget, Conservative MP Sir Bernard Jenkin has said.Speaking in the Commons he said: “When I say that this is happening in a political bubble, it was ironic that the biggest cheer from the Labour benches yesterday seemed to be for the 1p cut in draught beer duty.“But I have spoken to people in the hospitality industry since the Chancellor sat down yesterday, and they described this as a shattering Budget, because of course what publicans and restaurateurs will have to pay their staff and pay for their staff massively dwarfs any benefit that they could possibly hand on to their customers by a 1p duty cut.“And in fact, most of the cost of the increases in beer that we will see as a result of this Budget are as a direct consequence of the tax increases that are being inflicted on business as a result of this Budget.“So I’m afraid those cheers demonstrate a complete lack of unreality about the world that we’re in.”Joe Middleton31 October 2024 14:471730384725Meet the parents taking the government to court over VAT on private schoolsIt was the manifesto promise made a reality in the first Labour Budget for 14 years, but will a legal challenge from anxious parents force a U-turn? Zoë Beaty reportsJoe Middleton31 October 2024 14:251730383056Increasing minimum wage will make it harder for young people to get jobs, former Tory minister claimsIncreasing the national minimum wage for young adults will make it harder for them to get jobs, a Conservative former minister has told the Commons.Sir John Whittingdale said: “If you increase the cost of employing people, it can have only two consequences, one is lower wages and the other is fewer jobs. And in each of those cases, that is going to hit working people.“The decision to increase the national minimum wage for young adults, a 16% increase, that will simply have a consequence that it will be even harder for those people to find jobs.”The MP for Maldon also criticised the Government’s plans to impose VAT on private school fees, adding that parents in his constituency who send their children to private schools “are not rich, they make huge sacrifices”.He went on to say: “The consequence is the children will need to be placed in state schools which are already under huge pressure, my constituency is growing rapidly, there is enormous pressure on schools and this is simply going to make it worse.Joe Middleton31 October 2024 13:571730382603To the less well off, Reeves giveth… from the rich, she surely taketh awayThere was one big loser in Rachel Reeves’s historic tax-hiking Budget – the wealthy individuals who are going to have to pay for it all, says Chris BlackhurstJoe Middleton31 October 2024 13:501730380534Keir Starmer creates new ‘Europe Hub’ as PM eyes closer ties with EU post-BrexitThe Home Office is creating a new “Europe Hub” as part of Sir Keir Starmer’s drive for closer ties with the European Union.The new unit, which will sit within the International Strategy, Engagement and Devolution Directorate, will reportedly be led by Dan Hobbs, director general of the Migration and Borders Group.Civil servants have been told the department will have responsibility for “ensuring that our strategic approach to this work is coherent, working collaboratively across the department”.Joe Middleton31 October 2024 13:151730379634Watch: Rachel Reeves appears to say Kemi Badneoch already Tory leaderRachel Reeves appears to say Kemi Badneoch already Tory leaderJoe Middleton31 October 2024 13:001730378734GB News fined £100,000 by Ofcom for breaking impartiality rules over Rishi Sunak interviewGB News has been fined £100,000 by Ofcom after it was found to have broken impartiality rules in an interview with Rishi Sunak earlier this year.The media watchdog concluded that the channel had given the then prime minister a “mostly uncontested platform” to promote the policies and performance of his government as he answered questions put to him by a studio audience and a presenter.Ofcom began the investigation into GB News three days after the airing of a programme on February 12, titled People’s Forum: The Prime Minister.Joe Middleton31 October 2024 12:451730377208NHS workload likely to go up not down, says StarmerThe NHS’ workload is “likely to go up, not down”, Sir Keir Starmer said, as he hinted at reforms the government might make to assist healthcare staff.At a Q&A in the West Midlands, the PM said: “I also want to be honest with you, we are going to be asking more of you. There’s no point me standing here and saying your workload will go down.“The whole point is people are living longer. They’ve got more conditions, what the NHS is facing now is different to what it was facing in the post-war period, your workload is likely to go up, not down.”The Prime Minister signalled administrative change was among the reforms he was planning, including “making sure that AI and technology is your friend” to prevent duplication of records.Rachel Reeves, meanwhile, criticised the previous government for “always raiding the capital budgets” and taking funding away from investment.The chancellor said: “We have got to make those longer-term investments to drive those productivity and efficiency reforms as well.”Joe Middleton31 October 2024 12:201730376242PM and chancellor talking to staff at University Hospitals Coventry and WarwickshireThe prime minister and chancellor are talking to staff at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire.Sir Keir was thanked for the extra NHS funding by Dr Amy Burridge, a consultant in acute medicine, but she asked how that income could deal with staffing gaps and burnoutSir Keir said the first thing his government would provide was a “mindset change” from the Tories, who he said “blamed” NHS staff for problems in the service.He said the Government would “really go much much faster on the technology that you need to take some of the weight off”.The PM added: “Look, I’m not going to pretend that by next week it will all be fixed, because too many politicians have done that.“It is going to take time, but what we did in the Budget yesterday is the first step, the down payment if you like, down that road, to make sure that you can do your jobs better and we can have the NHS that we need.”( 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 moreCloseWatch live as Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves deliver remarks during a visit to the West Midlands after the Budget announcement on Wednesday.The chancellor has unveiled Labour’s first Budget in 14 years, making history as the first woman to lead the fiscal event.Ms Reeves had made no secret of the difficult task she faced, with her announcement set against the backdrop of the £22bn ‘black hole’ in public finances she says was left behind by the previous Tory government.She revealed new taxation measures that aim to raise £40bn — the highest since 1993 — including an increase in employer national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, and changes to inheritance tax.On Thursday, Ms Reeves admitted the employer national insurance increase could hit workers’ pay.Asked whether the move is a jobs tax which will take money out of people’s pockets, the chancellor told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This will have an impact in wage growth, for example.“Look, what alternative was there? We had a £22 billion black hole in the public finances.”She later added: “I did not want to increase the key taxes that working people pay: income tax, VAT and employee national insurance. So we have increased national insurance on employers.” 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 Home Office is creating a new “Europe Hub” as part of Sir Keir Starmer’s drive for closer ties with the European Union.The new unit, which will sit within the International Strategy, Engagement and Devolution Directorate, will reportedly be led by Dan Hobbs, director general of the Migration and Borders Group.Civil servants have been told the department will have responsibility for “ensuring that our strategic approach to this work is coherent, working collaboratively across the department”.According to the Guido Fawkes website, Home Office permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft said: “With shared global challenges in areas such as irregular migration, a strong UK-EU alliance is vital.The Home Office is creating a new ‘Europe Hub’ as part of Sir Keir Starmer’s drive for closer ties with the European Union 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 moreCloseJeremy Hunt has confirmed he is stepping down from the Conservative frontbench, calling for his party to be “humble” following July’s election defeat. The decision comes just hours before the Tory leadership race comes to an end, with polls closing at 5pm on Thursday.On Saturday morning, either Robert Jenrick or Kemi Badenoch will be crowned the new party leader.Mr Hunt, who served as chancellor under Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government and is currently the shadow chancellor, confirmed he will be stepping back from the role following Wednesday’s budget. He said he is unlikely to return to the frontbenches for “the next few years, at least”. Shadow chancellor Jeremy Hunt (Lucy North/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 moreCloseRachel Reeves will have to raise taxes further in the coming years despite her Budget on Wednesday containing £40bn of tax increases, a top economist has warned.The chancellor has pencilled in spending plans almost as implausible as her predecessor Jeremy Hunt, according to the head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).Rachel Reeves has hit back at criticism, insisting that public services in the UK “needed an immediate injection of cash” and pointed out that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has backed her Budget.She said: “I do own the decisions I took yesterday. They were the right ones to protect public services and the standard of living of people in this country. I had to make difficult choices but that was necessary to start to rebuild our country.”But IFS director Paul Johnson said he would bet “an awful lot” that Ms Reeves will have to boost spending further at future Budgets to appease her cabinet colleagues.Rachel Reeves will have to raise taxes further, Paul Johnson has said More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseClimate change made the 10 deadliest extreme weather events over the past two decades worse, contributing to the deaths of more than 570,000 people, scientists have said.Climate scientists said the finding “underscores how dangerous extreme weather events have already become” with just 1.3C of global warming above pre-industrial levels.It also highlights the urgency of cutting the greenhouse gas emissions driving rising temperatures and more extreme weather, they said, as the world is currently on track for 3C of warming by the end of the century – a level recently described by UN chief Antonio Guterres as “catastrophic”.The assessment comes from the World Weather Attribution group and is published on the 10th anniversary of its formation in 2014 to analyse the impact of climate change on extreme weather events in their immediate aftermath.It marks 20 years since the first “attribution study” – attributing the role of climate change in a weather event – was published by British scientists in 2004 for the devastating 2003 heatwave which killed 70,000 people in Europe.This study should be an eye-opener for political leaders hanging on to fossil fuels that heat the planet and destroy livesFriederike Otto, Imperial College LondonThe 10 deadliest events, which between them resulted in the deaths of least 576,042 people, include three tropical cyclones, four heatwaves, a drought and two floods.They include the 2022 heatwave which gripped much of Europe, including record 40C temperatures in the UK,  and led to tens of thousands of deaths across the continent.The assessment highlights how climate change made the extreme temperatures seen that summer many times more likely and pushed them up by as much as 4C.The analysis also looks at European heatwaves in 2015 and 2023, the latter of which saw temperatures in the western Mediterranean that would have been “impossible” without climate change.In all 10 events “we see the fingerprints of climate change”, which made them more intense and more likely, the scientists said.They warned the death toll is a “major underestimate” as there may have been millions more heat-related deaths not reported in official statistics.Dr Friederike Otto, co-founder and lead of World Weather Attribution at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, said: “Climate change isn’t a distant threat.“It worsened extreme weather events that left more than 570,000 people dead.“This study should be an eye-opener for political leaders hanging on to fossil fuels that heat the planet and destroy lives.“If we keep burning oil, gas and coal, the suffering will continue.”With every fraction of a degree of warming, we will see more record-breaking events that push countries to the brink, no matter how prepared they areRoop Singh, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate CentreThe researchers said many of the deaths caused by extreme weather were avoidable.Countries should ramp up efforts to be prepared, including implementing early warning systems and boosting resilience in cities with measures such as wetlands, green roofs, urban forests and emergency shelters, and make sure infrastructure such as dams are climate-proofed so they will not fail.But there are limits to how much communities can adapt to some of the most extreme events the world is seeing and these will become more frequent as long as fossil fuel use continues to push up global temperatures, they said.Roop Singh, from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, said: “The massive death tolls we keep seeing in extreme weather shows we are not well prepared for 1.3C of warming, let alone 1.5C or 2C.“Every country needs to prepare for the future. Investing in early warning systems, updating outdated infrastructure and reorienting our policies to support the most vulnerable are key actions that can drastically reduce the impacts of extreme weather.“But ultimately, we need to cut emissions. With every fraction of a degree of warming, we will see more record-breaking events that push countries to the brink, no matter how prepared they are.”The 10 deadliest weather events of the last 20 years, which have all been worsened by climate change are:– 2007: Cyclone Sidr, Bangladesh, which caused 4,234 deaths;– 2008: Cyclone Nargis, southern Myanmar, 138,366 deaths;– 2010: Heatwave, western Russia, 55,736 deaths;– 2011: Drought, Somalia, 258,000 deaths;– 2013: Floods, Uttarakhand, India, 6,054 deaths;– 2013: Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines, 7,354 deaths;– 2015: European heatwave, France, 3,275 deaths;– 2022: European heatwave, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Greece, Romania, Portugal, UK, 53,542 deaths;– 2023: European heatwave, Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece, France, Romania, 37,129 deaths;– 2023: Storm Daniel, Libya, 12,352 deaths. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseThe Conservative Party has left itself unable to make any significant comments on Labour’s first Budget, as a consequence of its unfinished leadership race. Speaking to journalists after Wednesday’s Budget, a Conservative spokesperson said they wouldn’t be making detailed comments on the fiscal event – which saw the most significant tax rises in any Budget since 1993 – as a result of the ongoing leadership election.The contest will draw to a close on Saturday, with either Robert Jenrick or rival Kemi Badenoch being crowned the winner – the timing of which means the party is unable to properly criticise the first Labour Budget for 14 years, which saw chancellor Rachel Reeves unveil £40bn worth of tax rises.Referring to the two contenders, the spokesperson said: “I haven’t spoken to either of them about it and I don’t want to get into committing them to things that we need time to think through.”While the official spokesperson offered a few broad remarks on the fiscal statement, saying the party “wouldn’t have spent as much” and “would have made bigger savings on welfare”, they declined to offer any further commentary.The Tory leadership race will come to an end on Saturday with either Robert Jenrick or Kemi Badenoch being chosen More