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 moreDiane Abbott has accused Keir Starmer of “peddling benefit scrounger mythology” as Labour said young people who won’t take jobs will lose payments. Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said on Sunday that “if people repeatedly refuse to take up the training or work responsibilities, there will be sanctions on their benefits”.Asked if this meant losing those benefits, she told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “Yes.”Labour has said it will stick by a Tory commitment to slash the cost of the welfare bill by £3 billion over five years.Ms Kendall is to set out her plans in detail on Tuesday, but on Sunday talked of “tough” action ahead while Sir Keir warned of the “bulging benefits bill blighting our society”.In response, the veteran Labour MP Ms Abbott tweeted that it was: “Sad that Starmer is peddling the benefit scrounger mythology.”Ms Abbott said it was: “Sad that Starmer is peddling the benefit scrounger mythology.” (Ian West/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 moreWork and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has said Nato countries are involved in a “hidden cyber war” with Russia.Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden will warn in a major speech next week that Russia is prepared to launch a series of cyber attacks on Britain and other Nato members as it seeks to weaken support for Ukraine.Mr McFadden will say Moscow will “not think twice” about exploiting defence gaps to target UK businesses and allies must “not underestimate” the threat it poses.Speaking to Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme, Ms Kendall said her colleague was right to say “there is not only the open military war with Russia as the aggressor, but there is also a hidden cyber war and that Russia will do everything in its power to destabilise not only within Ukraine but amongst the Nato allies”.We have for many months … really focused on making sure we have all the protections we need including cyber protections because there is a threat from Russia, this hidden warfare, as well as the open military aggressionWork and Pensions Secretary Liz KendallShe added: “So, we have to be absolutely vigilant in that as a Government, but also in businesses and wider society to protect against those cyber hacktivists.“We have for many months … really focused on making sure we have all the protections we need including cyber protections because there is a threat from Russia, this hidden warfare, as well as the open military aggression.”In a speech to the Nato cyber defence conference at Lancaster House, Mr McFadden is expected to warn that cyber interference enables Russia to “turn the lights off for millions of people” and represents the “hidden war” it is waging against Kyiv, as first reported by the Sunday Telegraph.He will say: “Military hard-power is one thing. But cyber war can be destabilising and debilitating. With a cyber attack, Russia can turn the lights off for millions of people. It can shut down the power grids. This is the hidden war Russia is waging with Ukraine.“Given the scale of that hostility, my message to members today is clear: no-one should underestimate the Russian cyber threat to Nato. The threat is real. Russia is exceptionally aggressive and reckless in the cyber realm.”Mr McFadden is expected to specifically call out Unit 29155, a Russian military unit the Government says was previously found to have carried out a number of attacks in the UK and Europe.There are gangs of “unofficial hacktivists” and mercenaries not directly under the Kremlin’s control “but who are allowed to act with impunity so long as they’re not working against Putin’s interests”, he will say.It comes after South Korea, a Nato Indo-Pacific partner, was targeted in response to its monitoring of the deployment of North Korean troops to Kursk, where Russia is fighting against Ukraine.The attack has been widely attributed to a pro-Kremlin cyber gang, with Mr McFadden warning that such groups act with “disregard” for geopolitics and “with just one miscalculation could wreak havoc on our networks”.The Cabinet Office minister is expected to set out details of how the UK will seek to boost its protections against emerging cyber threats in a speech on Monday, as well as how the country is stepping up work with Nato allies.He and senior national security officials will also meet business leaders next week to discuss how they can protect themselves. 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 moreRussia is prepared to launch a series of cyber attacks on Britain and other Nato members as it seeks to weaken support for Ukraine, a senior Cabinet minister will warn in a major speech next week.Moscow will “not think twice” about exploiting defence gaps to target UK businesses, and allies must “not underestimate” the threat it poses, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden will say.Mr McFadden will also warn that cyber interference enables Russia to “turn the lights off for millions of people” and represents the “hidden war” it is waging against Kyiv, as first reported by the Sunday Telegraph.In a speech to the Nato Cyber Defence Conference at Lancaster House, the minister is expected to say: “Military hard-power is one thing. But cyber war can be destabilising and debilitating. With a cyber attack, Russia can turn the lights off for millions of people. It can shut down the power grids. This is the hidden war Russia is waging with Ukraine.”Russia won’t think twice about targeting British businesses in pursuit of its malign goalsPat McFaddenHe will add: “Given the scale of that hostility, my message to members today is clear: no one should underestimate the Russian cyber threat to Nato. The threat is real. Russia is exceptionally aggressive and reckless in the cyber realm.”Mr McFadden is expected to specifically call out Unit 29155, a Russian military unit that the Government says was previously found to have carried out a number of attacks in the UK and Europe.There are gangs of “unofficial hacktivists” and mercenaries not directly under the Kremlin’s control “but who are allowed to act with impunity so long as they’re not working against Putin’s interests”, he will say.It comes after South Korea, a Nato Indo-Pacific partner, was targeted in response to its monitoring of the deployment of North Korean troops to Kursk, where Russia is fighting against Ukraine.The attack has been widely attributed to a pro-Kremlin cyber gang, with Mr McFadden warning that such groups act with “disregard” for geopolitics and “with just one miscalculation could wreak havoc on our networks”.“Russia won’t think twice about targeting British businesses in pursuit of its malign goals. It is happy to exploit any gap in our cyber or physical defences,” he will add.“It means making sure that businesses and other civilian organisations are doing everything they can to lock their own digital doors. Their security is our security.”The Cabinet Office minister is expected to set out details of how the UK will seek to boost its protections against emerging cyber threats in a speech on Monday, as well as how the country is stepping up work with Nato allies.He and senior national security officials will also meet business leaders next week to discuss how they can protect themselves. 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 moreKeir Starmer has faced accusations his government has ‘let off’ City lawyers and private equity firms while stripping cash from pensioners in the Budget.Labour peer Lord Sikka even suggested enough money could be raised to cancel the party’s highly controversial winter fuel payment cut and scrap the much-criticised two-child benefit cap. The row centres on the Rachel Reeves’ decision to hike employers’ national insurance contributions last month. The move has led to howls of protest from businesses, charities and even GPs, who stand to be impacted. But members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs) escaped the tax raid.LLPs escaped Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes (Dominic Lipinski/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 moreA staunch ally of Donald Trump has warned Sir Keir Starmer that the UK will face severe economic consequences if it helps to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu. Senator Lindsey Graham said the US should “crush” the economies of all those who comply with the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).The prime minister of Israel faces arrest if he enters Britain, Downing Street has said. On Friday No 10 refused to explicitly comment on the case, saying it was a hypothetical situation, but added that the UK would follow its legal obligations.The ICC has also issued an arrest warrant for Yoav Gallant, Israel’s former defence minister, over alleged war crimes in Gaza.But the move has provoked fury among Republicans in the US. In response, Mr Graham tweeted: “Any nation or organization that aids or abets this outrage should expect to meet firm resistance from the United States, and I look forward to working with President Trump, his team, and my colleagues in Congress to come up with a powerful response.” Senator Lindsey Graham threatens allies who assist the ICC 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 moreOne of its own peers has hit out at Labour warning it is “almost becoming the cruel party” as anger over the “tractor tax” mounts.The chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing a revolt in rural England over her decision to extend inheritance tax to family farms. Thousands of farmers brought Westminster to a standstill on Tuesday when they descended on the capital to voice their opposition to the changes.Baroness Mallalieu, who is president of the Countryside Alliance and joined farmers on the march, has now warned her government that it is losing the trust of rural communities.And, in an echo of a phrase Theresa May once infamously used to describe the Tories (“the nasty party”), Lady Mallalieu said: “We are almost becoming the cruel party.”Farmers protest in central London 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 moreUrgent action has been taken to secure prisons in England and Wales after it emerged that blueprints of jails had been leaked online. The Ministry of Justice said immediate steps had been put in place in the wake of the major security breach. There are fears organised crime groups could use the information to plan escapes or smuggle drugs or weapons to prisoners.Last year former soldier Daniel Khalife escaped from HMP Wandsworth and spent four days on the run.The 23-year-old slipped out of the jail by clinging to the bottom of a food catering truck using a sling made from kitchen trousers, triggering a major manhunt which saw him arrested on a canal towpath next to the Thames. There are fears maps could be used to plan escapes 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 moreDiane Abbott has not spoken to Sir Keir Starmer properly in four years since the pair served in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, she has revealed.The 71-year-old, who was elected as the first Black woman MP in 1987, says there is a clear divide in the Labour Party and accuses the prime minister of trying to “force the left out”.In a wide-ranging interview with The Independent, Abbott, who is now the Mother of the House as the longest continuously serving female MP, insists she does not regret standing up to Sir Keir and says she has been thanked by the more radical members of her party for her stance.“I’ve not spoken to Keir Starmer in a very long time.”In fact, she says, the last time they had a “proper” conversation “might have been when Jeremy was leader and we were both in the shadow cabinet”.The pair’s relationship came under scrutiny during the election campaign earlier this year following speculation Abbott may not be allowed to stand as a Labour candidate. Labour’s Shadow Cabinet members in 2019 (L-R) Dawn Butler, Ian Lavery, Emily Thornberry, Keir Starmer, Diane Abbott and John McDonnell wait for Jeremy Corbyn to take to the stage on September 24, 2019 in Brighton, England More