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 moreSir Keir Starmer is under fresh pressure over Brexit as a petition calling for Britain to rejoin the EU racks up tens of thousands of signatures.MPs will almost certainly debate the call in the Commons after 36,000 voters signed the petition in just three weeks. With 100,000 signatures a petition is considered for debate in parliament, although the government must respond to it after 10,000 signatures.The petition calls for the UK to “apply to join the EU as full members as soon as possible”, which its creator and ardent Remainer Robert McMaster said will “boost the economy, increase global influence, improve collaboration and provide stability and freedom”.Keir Starmer is sticking with pledges made during Opposition, ruling out a return to the single market or customs union More

Louise Haigh defends Labour’s budget measures after farmer tax protestYour 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 moreFarmers are set to stage large-scale protests in London on Tuesday to urge the government to change course over its inheritance tax plans.First unveiled in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget, the plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1m have sparked fury among rural communities, who have contested the government’s assertion that small family farms will not be impacted by the changes.The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has organised an event in which 1,800 of its members will meet with local MPs at Westminster to voice their anger on Tuesday, as thousands are also separately expected to stage a demonstration in Whitehall. Warning of “complete disillusionment and distrust” within the farming community, NFU president Tom Bradshaw – who was meeting with environment secretary Steve Reed on Monday evening – warned: “Farmers are cross, they’re worried, they feel they’ve nothing to lose, I don’t know where this ends.”The government argues that tax exemptions have led to wealthy non-farmers seizing agricultural land and pricing out genuine young farmers, and point to Budget funding of £5bn to help farmers produce food.No 10 refuses to be drawn after Elon Musk claims government ‘going full Stalin’ on farming taxDowning Street has refused to be drawn into a row with Elon Musk, after the tech billionaire described the government as “going full Stalin” in its approach to farmers.Asked for a response to Mr Musk’s criticisms, Downing Street said it would not “get into a back and forth on individual comments”.A No 10 spokesperson said: “The responses I gave this morning continue to be the case: that we will continue to engage with the industry and explain how the process works, and it remains the case that we expect the vast majority to be unaffected by the changes.”They would not be drawn into saying whether the government rejected Mr Musk’s premise, saying: “The prime minister’s own words are very clear in terms of the support that we have for farmers and their importance, and we will continue to communicate how the scheme works to provide that reassurance.”Andy Gregory19 November 2024 02:00Letters | For born farmers like us it’s not about the value of the land, it’s about the legacyIn a letter to the editor, Linda Roberts from Culmington, in Shropshire, writes:A lot of people wouldn’t get out of bed for the money we make. We’re born farmers. It isn’t about the value of the land; it is about legacy. When my Dad died in 2021, he believed that the farm would be passed to the next generation. His reward for a lifetime of hard work and investment would be the opportunity for his grandson and those beyond to continue and build.In one sweeping statement, the chancellor has robbed my family, and many others, of that opportunity. The government has quoted facts and figures from HMRC but those figures do not show the reality of how family farming works, or the amounts of money involved. The thresholds are simply far too low.Andy Gregory19 November 2024 01:00Confusion over how many farms will be hit by controversial tractor taxConfusion has broken out over how many farms will be affected by Rachel Reeves’ controversial changes to inheritance tax after new figures showed her claims of one in four may be wide of the mark.Figures produced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have been interpreted by farmers’ groups to suggest that up to two thirds (66 per cent) of farms could be hit by the tax grab which critics claim will destroy Britain’s family farms.This is in stark contrast to the 28 per cent that the Treasury had claimed with officials in the two departments understood to be at loggerheads over the chancellor’s shock announcement. But a source close to environment secretary Steve Reed has blamed the National Farmers Union (NFU) for confusing the issue with incorrect analysis of Defra figures.Our political editor David Maddox has more in this report:Andy Gregory19 November 2024 00:01Where will farming tax row end?At the moment there seems to be something of an impasse, with Sir Keir Starmer and his ministers sticking to their guns on the issue, and farmers insisting the planned tax changes must be reversed.Farmers are taking to the streets for a rally, with thousands expected to turn out in Westminster on Tuesday to show their anger at what one of the organisers, Lincolnshire farmer Andrew Ward, described as a “spiteful Budget which threatens the very heart of the countryside”.He said: “Food production, wildlife and generations that have built a business will suffer, and Labour have to realise just how many people will be affected.”And ahead of the mass lobby of MPs by the NFU also taking place on Tuesday, NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “I don’t believe the government have any choice but to rethink this policy”.That shows no sign of happening yet, but the impact of Tuesday and any future protests is yet to be seen.PA18 November 2024 23:01Farmers warn 75% of British food production will be hit by Reeves’s tax raidRachel Reeves’inheritance tax raid will hit three quarters of food produced by British farmers, industry chiefs have warned, as the government battles a growing backlash over its extension of death tax.While the government has insisted that only a minority of farmers will be impacted, Tom Bradshaw, chief executive of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said around “75 per cent of the total farmed area” would be subject to the extended death tax.Andy Gregory18 November 2024 22:02Watch: Farmer accuses Starmer of ‘fleeing like a rat to London hideout’ after tax protestFarmer accuses Starmer of ‘fleeing like a rat to London hideout’ after tax protestAndy Gregory18 November 2024 21:04Farm incomes plummeted by 50% in a year, official figures reveal as fears grow over ‘tractor tax’Farm incomes plummeted by more than 50 per cent in just one year, official figures show, amid growing fears over the impact of the government’s “tractor tax”.Average farm business incomes fell from £103,100 in 2022/23 to £45,300 in 2023/24, figures published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show.While the government said the fall in income “followed exceptional highs for some farm types in 2022/23”, in real terms, this is the lowest average farm incomes have been since 2015/16.Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full report:Andy Gregory18 November 2024 20:10Editorial | Rachel Reeves’s flawed inheritance tax for farmers demands a rethinkAfter revealing £40bn of tax rises on business and the better-off in last month’s Budget, Rachel Reeves could – just about – argue that “working people” had not been directly affected.But anyone in the government who thought her decision to impose inheritance tax on some family farms would be without consequences needs to think again.It is increasingly obvious that the chancellor was unwise to include farmers on her hit list by announcing that, from April 2026, agricultural estates worth more than £1m will face an effective 20 per cent rate of inheritance tax – half the usual 40 per cent rate.Read The Independent’s full editorial here:Andy Gregory18 November 2024 19:15Minister says food shortage plan in place as farmers threaten strike action over taxA senior minister has revealed that plans are being put in place to deal with food shortages if farmers go ahead with their threat to strike over the controversial family farm tax. In an interview with Sir Trevor Phillips on his Sunday morning show on Sky News, transport secretary Louise Haigh said the government would be “setting out” its contingency plans for the winter, as concerns mount over the furious backlash to a decision to apply inheritance tax to farms.Our political editor David Maddox has more details:Andy Gregory18 November 2024 18:22Why do farmers say the changes are a problem?According to the NFU, while farms may have a high nominal asset value – the value of their land and business assets – the returns from farming are often very low, so farming families may not have the reserves to pay for inheritance tax liabilities without selling off assets.The NFU’s president Tom Bradshaw said the change had left elderly farmers in the “cruellest predicament”, as they may not live for another seven years to take advantage of exemptions for gifting assets, or to hand over assets in a way that qualifies for the gifting exemption.He has also warned the changes could undermine investment as farmers will be wary of increasing the balance sheet as they will be liable to pay inheritance tax on it.There are also concerns that it could affect tenant farmers if landowners no longer benefit from having a tax exemption for farmed land.Mr Bradshaw said there was a feeling among farmers that the government did not understand food production.PA18 November 2024 17:31 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 moreMinisters have been accused of hiding the cost of a deal to hand the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius after questions were raised about how much the UK will pay to retain a strategically-important military base on the archipelago.With revelations that Donald Trump is looking for a way to veto the deal struck by foreign secretary David Lammy because of concerns over the airbase on Diego Garcia island, the Labour government is facing calls to publish the costs to the taxpayer of the deal.As part of the agreement, the UK and US believe they have secured use of the airbase for at least 99 years, but have so far refused to publish how much they will pay to be allowed to use it.Answering an urgent question last week, Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty told MPs it was not normal practice to reveal the value of payments made by the UK for military bases across the globe due to security risks.Foreign Office minister in the Lords, Baroness Jenny Chapman also said: “We never reveal the cost of basing our military assets overseas—we never have, we never will, and I do not think other nations do either. There are very good reasons for that. If we started to do so, I expect we would see the prices of these things start to go up fairly rapidly. No, we will not be disclosing that.”Stephen Doughty answered an urgent question last week 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 doubled down on his claim that the “vast majority of farms and farmers” will be unaffected by changes to inheritance tax announced in the Budget ahead of a major demonstration over the tax hike on Tuesday.The row has rumbled on since the Budget, when it was announced that farmers will have to pay 20 per cent of tax on inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m from April 2026. Critics warn that the new tax grab will destroy family farms, which make up around two-thirds of Britain’s agricultural base. The PM has attempted to persuade farmers that the sector is a priority for the government, telling reporters on Sunday that the money the Treasury has put into farming is “not to be overlooked”.His latest comments came as farmers gear up to stage a major protest in London on Tuesday. Separately, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) will hold a mass lobby of MPs in an attempt to persuade the government to rethink its plans.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Danny Lawson/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 moreMinisters are facing questions about whether they will exclude Chinese companies from operating in Britain in a bid to protect health data from foreign exploitation.Senior Tories have questioned whether Labour will follow steps taken by the US and Europe aimed at protecting the UK’s genomics sector.Genomics, the study of humanity’s genetic material, has the potential for use in new medical technologies, and the UK is a global leader in the field.It could be used to provide improved, personalised treatment for patients, but there are also concerns about how access to genomic data could be exploited.Two Chinese biotechnology companies, BGI Group and MGI Tech, feature in a letter to the Government from shadow cabinet office minister John Glen, though both firms insist they have no ties with the Chinese state.Worries about Chinese involvement in the genomics sector come after similar concerns about China’s influence over other new technologies.Equipment made by Shenzhen-based telecommunications company Huawei was banned from the UK’s 5G network in 2020, and security concerns have since been raised about the Beijing parent company of social media platform TikTok.In a letter to Cabinet Office minister Abena Oppong-Asare seen by the PA news agency, Mr Glen claimed the Chinese genomics companies are being used by Beijing to “harvest as much DNA data as possible globally and dominate the genomics industry supply chain”.Beijing’s data laws require private companies to share information with state authorities, Mr Glen said.Europe and the US have taken steps to mitigate the risks of Chinese influence in the genomics sector, he added, including US efforts to limit access to government contracts.Mr Glen asked if Labour planned to take similar steps in office, either using its new Biological Security Strategy to protect against foreign companies of concern, or by debarring them from involvement in the UK’s genomics pipeline.Mr Glen told PA: “In light of the Prime Minister’s desire to pursue closer economic relations with China, many will want reassurances that they are committed to protecting the critical genomics data industry from the security and privacy risks posed by over exposure to foreign companies.“It is vital that this data, which has significant implications for future UK healthcare strategies, cannot be leveraged by other states.”When the Tories were in power, then-minister Mr Glen said in correspondence that “significant work related to national security is being conducted” in relation to BGI.In response to the senior Tory’s letter, Cabinet Office Ms Oppong-Asare said moves to exclude companies from operating in the UK under the Procurement Act would be taken on a “case-by-case basis”.She added: “Debarment decisions will be taken after a rigorous investigation process with subsequent publication onto the relevant debarment list which will reference the reason for debarment.”Ms Oppong-Asare added ministers were “actively engaging with UK data repositories to ensure that their protocols reflect up to date risk assessments and patients’ data is protected”.BGI Group said it was not state-owned or state-controlled in any way and insisted all of its services and research are conducted for civilian and scientific purposes.The company also said it takes data protection extremely seriously and follows all local laws and data regulations, including GDPR rules in Europe.MGI Tech also emphasised it is an independent publicly listed company, and said there was no relationship with Beijing other than following its applicable laws and regulations.The Chinese government has never been involved in any part of the process of MGI’s overseas projects, the company added. 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 the world’s most iconic rural brands has thrown its support behind farmers who have been left furious at the new changes to inheritance tax rules, saying it’s essential that we “look after the people who feed us”.Ahead of a huge farmer protest expected in London on Tuesday in what is already being dubbed “rural England’s revolution”, French-based tractor producer Massey Ferguson, a subsidiary of US-based AGCO, has become the first international manufacturing firm to weigh into the debate that kicked off in the wake of Labour’s first Budget where Rachel Reeves imposed a new tax on family farms.The chancellor has provoked outrage with the so-called “tractor tax” by extending death duties to farms worth £1 million or more at a rate of 20 per cent. Farmers have warned it will be the death of their sector unless Ms Reeves performs a U-turn.Massey Ferguson’s UK, Ireland and Middle East sales promotion manager Lindsay Haddon agreed the company “of course” held concerns about the impact of the new tax on farmers. Farmers protested in Llandudno on Saturday, where the prime minister was giving a speech 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 senior minister has revealed that plans exist to deal with food shortages if farmers go ahead with their threat to strike over the controversial family farm tax.Transport secretary Louise Haigh revealed the plans, as part of the government’s “business as usual” preparations, in an interview with Sir Trevor Phillips on his Sunday morning show on Sky News, as concerns mount over the furious backlash to a decision to apply inheritance tax to farms.Farmers are set to descend on London in their thousands on Tuesday to protest against plans to impose a 20 per cent inheritance tax on farms worth £1m or more. They have warned that the policy will destroy family farms across the country or see them broken up.But more worrying for the government are the plans by farmers to go on strike and stop food production to give ministers a taste of what it would be like if the UK food-producing sector were no longer operating.Transport secretary Louise Haigh has said she is not concerned about the prospect of empty shelves More