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.Read moreIntelligence-gathering satellites could be launched into space from Scotland under an initiative involving the German military.In a bid to strengthen Europe’s defence links, the German air force’s space command wants to use SaxaVord Spaceport for “sovereign launch” capabilities.It will mean the spaceport on Unst in the Shetland Islands will carry out launches of military as well as commercial satellites.“Sovereign launch” refers to the ability to reach space quickly and independently in the event of a conflict or disruption to vital satellites.Some in the space industry have pointed out that the US holds the vast majority of the world’s sovereign launch capability, while Europe currently has almost no equivalent.The approach of the Trump administration to transatlantic security has led to European countries reconsidering their defence priorities.A German company, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), hopes to carry out the first satellite launch from UK soil and is planning to blast off from the privately-owned SaxaVord later this year.RFA and SaxaVord made the announcement at the SpaceComm expo in London’s Docklands on Tuesday.SaxaVord chief executive Frank Strang said: “We have all our licences for orbital vertical launch already in place, and we are putting the finishing touches to infrastructure on site to support our partners – in particular Rocket Factory Augsburg, which has made a significant financial investment in our spaceport.“We live in an unpredictable and ever more dangerous world and space as a domain has an ever increasing role to play in keeping us secure and protecting our economies.“The UK and Europe have an asset in SaxaVord that can play a huge role in maintaining the status quo and, combined with RFA, a capability that can help defend our combined interests.”Major General Michael Traut, commander of the German air force’s space command, said: “For me, it has even become more important to strengthen links between our traditional European partners, especially in regard to space.“What we are seeing today between German and UK companies is very encouraging. Having access to sovereign launch will be very important for our security.”RFA co-founder Jorn Spurmann said: “By combining cutting-edge launch technology with SaxaVord’s strategic location, we are reinforcing the backbone of a resilient, agile European defence network in space.” 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.Read moreFarmers could be forced to sell fields for less than their potential value under measures included in the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill, a move which risks deepening the rift between the government and rural communities.The legislation would give councils greater powers to acquire land through compulsory purchase orders, allowing them to pay only the current value of land, rather than what it could be worth if it was developed – as is the case in the current system. This could result in farmers and other landowners being forced to sell off their land at a much lower value than they would expect under current rules, if the land is identified as being necessary for new homes, hospitals or schools. It comes amid growing anger from farming communities after the government extended inheritance tax to cover agricultural properties at last year’s budget, with thousands of farmers warning they will have to sell off family owned farms to afford the tax. Tim Bonner, of the Countryside Alliance, warned that the latest proposals are “a step too far” in light of the mounting challenge on farmers posed by inheritance tax changes. There is growing anger from farming communities 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.Read moreIt took eight months but Sir Keir Starmer may have finally found his voice as prime minister.The Labour leader may be the first PM to have almost no honeymoon period following a massive election victory but to actually come out stronger for it.The painful-to-listen-to speeches, the constant empty references to working people, and the interminable meaningless lists of first steps, missions, foundations and milestones, are becoming a fading memory as he at last focuses on what matters.His speech to the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) last night was his third career-defining moment in a fortnight and came with an assuredness, courage and ruthlessness that had been completely missing in the early part of his government.In turning on welfare payments in the way he has, Sir Keir has gone where no other Labour prime minister has dared to go. He has reclaimed the word labour to mean support for those in work rather than the old Tory derision that they were the party of benefits.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke with Donald Trump on Monday (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.Read moreWilliam Hague has called for tighter controls on children’s smartphone usage while urging ministers to stand up to tech giants. The Oxford chancellor said the government was wrong to water down proposals by Labour MP Josh MacAlister to introduce stronger controls for teenagers on the internet, including raising the age of “internet adulthood” from 13 to 16, banning smartphones in schools, giving Ofcom more powers and changing the way phones are advertised to children.“Study after study has shown that the more time young people spend on social media, the more they suffer anxiety and depression, are victims of harassment, endure poor sleep, low self-esteem and poor body image. Lord William Hague was elected as the next chancellor of the University of Oxford (The Office of William Hague/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.Read moreThe Met Police has launched an investigation into suspended Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe.The MP was stripped of the whip on Friday amid allegations he made “verbal threats” against Zia Yousaf, the party’s chairman. In a statement on Friday, the party revealed they had referred Mr Lowe to the police. Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has deneied the allegations (Jordan Pettitt/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.Read moreKeir Starmer has delivered an extraordinary condemnation of the current welfare benefits system, calling it “unsustainable, indefensible and unfair”.He was speaking at a private meeting of Labour MPs as the Government is poised to announce major cuts in benefits payments.Sir Keir’s comments mark one of the strongest condemnations of the welfare system ever delivered by a Labour prime minister and signals the biggest overhaul of the system since Iain Duncan Smith’s reforms to create universal credit in 2010.He warned that the bill for people of working age on long term sickness and disability benefits will hit an eye watering £70 billion by 2030.Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer say they are focusing on growth (Darren Staples/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.Read more Portugal’s minority government was in danger of falling Tuesday as parliament prepared to vote on a confidence motion, with an overwhelming majority of opposition lawmakers saying they will choose to oust the center-right administration.Under the Portuguese Constitution, the government’s defeat in a confidence vote triggers its collapse. That would bring Portugal’s third general election in three years at a time when Europe’s security and economy are under threat.The government asked for the confidence vote, saying it was needed to “dispel uncertainty” about its own future amid a simmering political crisis that has focused on Social Democrat Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and distracted attention from government policy.The controversy has revolved around potential conflicts of interest in the business dealings of Montenegro’s family law firm.Montenegro, who says he’ll stand for reelection if the government falls, has denied any wrongdoing. He said he placed control of the firm in the hands of his wife and children when he became Social Democratic leader in 2022 and has not been involved in its running.It recently emerged that the firm is receiving monthly payments from a company that has a major gambling concession granted by the government, among other sources of revenue.Opposition parties have demanded more detailed explanations from Montenegro, and the main opposition center-left Socialist Party wants a parliamentary inquiry that would dog the government for months.The government, made up of the Social Democratic Party and its smaller ally the Popular Party, has 80 seats in the 230-seat legislature. It has been in power for less than a year.An election would pitch the European Union country of 10.6 million people into months of political uncertainty just as it is in the process of investing more than 22 billion euros ($24 billion) in EU development funds.Portugal has also been caught up in a rising European tide of populism, with a radical-right party surging into third place in last year’s election. Voter discontent with a return to the polls could play into the hands of the Chega (Enough) party, which has fed off frustration with mainstream parties.The Social Democrats are hoping that economic growth estimated at 1.9% last year, compared with the EU’s 0.8% average, and a jobless rate of 6.4%, roughly the EU average, will keep their support firm.The next general election in Portugal was scheduled for January 2028. 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.Read moreSir Keir Starmer has urged MPs to be realistic as he moved to crush a rebellion over massive welfare cuts planned for later this month in a speech to MPs in the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP).The prime minister has launched a preemptive strike as Labour MPs have privately voiced disquiet about plans by chancellor Rachel Reeves to slash benefits for the disabled and long-term sick as she tries to balance the books.He warned MPs: “The real world is moving quickly and people look to their government not to be buffeted about by that change – not even to merely respond to it – but to seize it and shape it for the benefit of the British people.”With Labour facing a tough by-election in Runcorn following the decision by disgraced MP Mike Amesbury to step down after being sentenced for assaulting a constituent, Sir Keir had an important message to get Labour MPs ready to fight their first real test since the election.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer marked International Women’s Day More