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 moreLike a leaky old boiler the constant drip, drip, drip of Tory defectors to Reform UK appears to be draining the life away from a greatly weakened Conservative Party just weeks into Kemi Badenoch’s leadership.And the photo opportunity today with billionaire businessman Nick Candy certainly appears to suggest that Nigel Farage and his party will importantly have the money to achieve their goal.That goal is ambitious but simple: To win the next election and install Nigel Farage as prime minister.But with just five MPs after winning around 15 per cent of the vote in July, there are serious questions about whether Reform UK can in reality be anything more than a wrecking party for the Tories.After all, Keir Starmer’s massive majority was built on getting less votes than Jeremy Corbyn when he was thrashed by Boris Johnson in 2019, and winning over just 20 per cent of the entire electorate (when the 40 per cent who did not bother to vote are taken into account). Starmer had Farage as much to thank for his victory as he did himself, with scores of Tory seats going to Labour and the Lib Dems after Reform split the vote.Nigel Farage 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 moreArtificial intelligence could be used to help generate exam questions, the head of England’s exams regulator has suggested.Sir Ian Bauckham, interim chief regulator at Ofqual, said artificial intelligence (AI) can support exam boards in creating question papers which are comparable to previous years.But addressing MPs on the Education Select Committee on Tuesday, Sir Ian said it was “imperative” that a human oversees the marking of students’ work as the public still wants this process in place for qualifications.Sir Ian, who has served as the interim chief regulator of Ofqual since January, has been selected as the Government’s preferred candidate for the permanent position.My judgment would be that there are fewer risks to public confidence there, providing a human is in the loop for final sign-off, than in the actual marking of student workSir Ian Bauckham, interim chief regulator at OfqualDuring his pre-appointment hearing before the committee, Sir Ian said: “There are lots and lots of useful, helpful, quality improving things AI can do, but marking work itself must be overseen by a human being.”He added: “There is potential, I think, for some very exciting uses of AI for the generation of question papers, for comparing question papers year-on-year.”The Ofqual chief said generating question papers which are roughly the same level of difficulty each year is “labour intensive” and “difficult”.Sir Ian said: “It may well be that AI can support with that.“My judgment would be that there are fewer risks to public confidence there, providing a human is in the loop for final sign-off, than in the actual marking of student work.”You can’t easily ask a computer to explain to you why it’s made a judgment about the marking of your work in a way that you can ask an examiner to explain thatSir Ian Bauckham, interim chief regulator at OfqualThe chief regulator said: “Decisions made by AI evaluating a piece of work that a student has produced for a high-stakes assessment are less transparent and therefore less open to challenge than they might be if marked by a human.“You can’t easily ask a computer to explain to you why it’s made a judgment about the marking of your work in a way that you can ask an examiner to explain that.”He told MPs that the vast majority of GCSE and A-level assessments involve “some degree of extended writing” which would need a human to look at.But Sir Ian acknowledged that there could be some “very simple, selective response items”, such as multiple choice questions, which could be marked safely by a machine but with a human checking the process.On Tuesday, Ofsted announced that it has been asked by the Government to carry out research into the use of AI in education.The review will investigate how schools and colleges in England are already using AI, and how leaders are managing risks associated with AI use. 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 moreA former Tory MP who organised an infamous Nazi-themed stag party has joined Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Aidan Burley was sacked as a ministerial aide after the incident came to light. However, he was welcomed by Mr Farage, who hailed the politician’s decision to cross the floor, suggesting it was “death by a thousand defections” for the Conservative Party. Reform’s decision to welcome Mr Burley comes just months after a Reform candidate claimed the country would have been “far better” off if it had “taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality” instead of fighting the Nazis.In 2014, while he was still a Tory MP, an internal Conservative Party investigation found Mr Burley “caused deep offence” with the Nazi-themed stag do. He even bought a Nazi uniform for the groom to wear on the last night of the four-day trip to French ski resort Val Thorens in December 2011.After the meal, the groom’s brother gave a Nazi-themed toast, the Tory report said, while it added that Mr Burley was not a “racist or anti-Semite” but had acted in an “unacceptable” way.The report, which was delayed while French authorities considered legal action against him, said that the groom had given a Nazi salute when prompted by a Mail on Sunday journalist also present in the restaurant and attendees had reportedly chanted the names of prominent Nazi figures.Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, welcomed the former Conservative politician to his party 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 moreRachel Reeves has denied that she is imposing a new round of austerity after she ordered departments to find five per cent cuts as part of her spending review.The chancellor has already raised tax by a record £40 billion in her Budget last month, causing fury among businesses over the national insurance contributions hike. Added to that she has already made swinging cuts to tackle the £22 billion black hole she claims the Tories left behind.Critics on the left have warned that this latest round of savings amounts to another wave of austerity, which former Tory chancellor George Osborne imposed on the country in the wake of the banking collapse.But speaking to Matt Chorley on Radio 5 Live, Ms Reeves insisted that she is not repeating the austerity policies of Osborne.Reeves has launched her spending review 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 moreIt’s a coup that could further rock the landscape of British politics.Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage has secured the support of billionaire property tycoon Nick Candy, who has left the Conservatives to become Mr Farage’s party’s new treasurer.Mr Candy is the latest high-profile Tory member to defect to Reform UK, after former MP Andrea Jenkyns joining Reform last month to become the party’s mayoral candidate for Lincolnshire. Conservative Home founder Tim Montgomerie also switched last week as the party tasted a surge in the polls after Sir Keir Starmer’s “reset” speech.With him, Mr Candy, who is married to Australian singer and actress Holly Valance, brings heavy financial backing.Holly Valance and Nick Candy at a Reform UK event in July (Yui Mok/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 moreThe UK has agreed a new deal with Cyprus to crack down on serious organised crime and illicit Russian finance, in what the prime minister has said is an attempt to “starve Putin’s war machine and protect global stability.”The two nations have agreed to set up a new National Sanctions Implementation Unit to stop dirty money being funnelled through Europe, in addition to agreeing closer cooperation to tackle serious organised crime.The partnership, agreed by Sir Keir Starmer and Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday morning, will further strengthen the intelligence and security relationship between the two countries, the government said.Sir Keir Starmer is welcomed by Cyprus’ President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia (Kirsty Wigglesworth/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 moreBirmingham City Council has reached an agreement to settle thousands of historical equal pay claims costing millions – just over a year after going effectively bankrupt.GMB Union, which brought the claims alongside Unison, said the agreement meant four years after launching its campaign 6,000 low-paid, predominantly women workers should finally receive settlement payments from the local authority.Payouts are expected to be up to four times higher than those offered to workers in 2021, with settlements expected to take place in the middle of 2025, the union said.The Labour-run council declared itself effectively bankrupt in September last year after it was facing a £760m bill to settle the claims, and was said earlier this year to be on a “narrow path to financial sustainability” dependent on budget cuts.Settlement payouts are expected to be up to four times higher than those offered to workers in 2021 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 moreA Home Office minister has defended the UK’s suspension of all decisions on asylum claims from Syria, saying it is “important that we just stop and let events play out a bit.”Dame Angela Eagle said the situation in the Middle Eastern nation is “very fluid”, arguing that the Home Office “can’t judge somebody’s asylum claim when the country that they’re fleeing from is in such turmoil”. But she admitted that it is too early to say whether the collapse of the Assad regime will improve the situation.Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s regime at the weekend, is banned in the UK because of its past association with al-Qaida, the terrorist organisation once led by Osama bin Laden.But its leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani cut ties with al-Qaida years ago and has sought to present his group as a more moderate and inclusive organisation.Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Dame Angela said: “At the moment, we hope that the fall of this brutal regime will lead to a better outcome in Syria, but it’s too early to say.Dame Angela Eagle defended the decision to suspend all asylum claims More