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 moreLabour will today announce plans to bring more people back into work and reduce the country’s benefits bill, with Keir Starmer admitting Britain “simply isn’t working”.The government will replace the network of Jobcentres with a new National Jobs and Careers Service, while more NHS staff will be sent to areas with higher rates of joblessness.Additional employment and training opportunities will be given for young people and extra powers provided to mayors to develop their own employment plans.The reforms, to be unveiled by work and pensions sectretary Liz Kendall today, will also see an expansion of mental health support and efforts to tackle obesity.The ‘Get Britain Working Again’ white paper is part of a government pledge to bring more than two million people back into work. While unemployment stands at almost 1.5 million, economic inactivity has also soared to more than nine million, with 2.8 million people out of work due to long-term sickness – a major driver of the rise in joblessness since the pandemic.Sir Keir said: “From the broken NHS, flatlining economy, and the millions of people left unemployed and trapped in an inactivity spiral – this government inherited a country that simply isn’t working. But today we’ve set out a plan to fix this.“Our reforms put an end to the culture of blaming and shaming people who for too long haven’t been getting the support they need to get back to work.”Keir Starmer and DWP secretary Liz Kendall are set to unveil the ‘Get Britain Working Again’ white paper on Tuesday 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 been accused by business chiefs of making it hard to invest in Britain, prompting her to insist there was no alternative.Directly facing her critics at the CBI conference after weeks of negativity about her autumn Budget, a defensive chancellor pledged that businesses in the UK will not have to suffer another one like it before the next election.Squaring up to her detractors, she told them: “I have heard a lot of feedback about my Budget but not any alternative suggestions.”Ms Reeves insisted that the government had provided a “rock of stability” so that industry could be confident in their future planning.Businesses have not held back their anger on the increase in national insurance contributions, which has been branded a “jobs tax”.Rachel Reeves insisted to the CBI that she had provided a rock on which industry could build 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 revealed his new family kitten, Prince, has not yet met Downing Street’s famous mouse catcher Larry the cat.The Starmer family adopted their new pet Prince, a Siberian kitten, shortly after moving into Downing Street, meaning Larry faced fierce competition as No 10’s chief mouser.The prime minister previously revealed he let his children get the kitten after “a long summer of negotiations”, though they originally pleaded with him to get a dog. Larry the cat – whose title is chief mouser to the Cabinet Office – is Downing Street’s most famous feline occupant, often appearing in photographs and video amid important political moments.Since the Starmer family moved in, Larry has been joined by their rescue cat Jojo and now Prince.Prince is a Siberian kitten. Stock image 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 ruled out calling a general election after a petition calling for another vote was signed by more than two million people.“I would like there to be another general election,” the petition reads.“I believe the current Labour government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead-up to the last election.”Sir Keir says he’s not surprised many people want an election re-run 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 moreKemi Badenoch has admitted that the last Conservative government lost the support of business, despite having served in it as the party’s business secretary.In her first major speech since succeeding Rishi Sunak, Ms Badenoch said she was not surprised at how many bosses flocked to meet Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves before the general election.“I know it is because you thought that we didn’t understand what your needs and concerns were, and you knew we were going to lose,” she told leaders at the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) annual conference in London.Kemi Badenoch said business lost faith in the Conservative Party while she was business secretary More

Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves made a string of business tax rises in October 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 moreDonald Trump’s team are seeking assurances that the controversial deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius will not be completed before his inauguration in January.The Independent recently revealed that the president-elect is looking for ways to veto the agreement because of concerns over its security implications in the Indian Ocean with the crucial joint UK/US base on Diego Garcia.There are also concerns that the deal struck by Sir Keir Starmer and foreign secretary David Lammy will allow China access to the islands to build their own rival base.The deal, which has the blessing of outgoing US president Joe Biden, was not meant to be completed until the spring. But the UK prime minister’s envoy Jonathan Powell, who is set to be the national security adviser, is flying to Mauritius today for talks with its prime minister to complete the deal.Chagos islanders protest against the deal 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 moreBritish spies will seek to counter Russian cyber warfare with a new laboratory for artificial intelligence, a minister will announce, warning Russia will not “think twice” about targeting the UK.Vowing never to let Vladimir Putin deter the UK from supporting Ukraine, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden will say the UK and its Nato allies are “watching” Moscow and combatting its attacks both publicly and “behind the scenes”.In a major speech on Monday, Mr McFadden will warn that Britain “learned long ago” not to appease dictators and that Mr Putin “will not be successful” in attempting to weaken backing for Ukraine.Pat McFadden will address Nato on Monday More