UK Politics

Starmer refuses to rule out national insurance rise at PMQsYour support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseThe health secretary has declined to rule out extending the freeze on income tax thresholds as speculation about possible tax increases in the Budget continued to mount.Wes Streeting said he would not guess measures that the Chancellor might introduce in the Budget, but told broadcasters on Sunday morning that he had already agreed health spending with Rachel Reeves.Mr Streeting told Sky News: What we’re not going to do is duck the difficult decisions, have Government by gimmick, short-term sticking plasters, because that is exactly how we ended up in this situation.”He went on to say: “There are a whole load of choices that we will have to make that we would have preferred not to. But if we don’t make the choices now, we will end up paying a much heavier price for failure.“We’re not prepared to do that. We’re going to make the right long term decisions.”We’ll be bringing you all the latest updates ahead of the big event on 30 October here, on The Independent’s liveblog.Show latest update 1729434616Lib Dems will oppose national insurance increasesLiberal Democrats deputy leader Daisy Cooper said the party will oppose the increase of national insurance contributions for employers, if the rumoured policy is in the Government’s Budget later this month.The party’s Treasury spokeswoman said she was worried about the impact on care providers, which could send some from a state of “crisis to collapse”.Speaking to Trevor Phillips on Sky News, Ms Cooper said: “I think we are deeply uncomfortable about that proposal.“One of our concerns in particular is that there are many very small care homes and small care providers around the country, and they… are on the cliff edge as it stands.“If the Government were to put up employer contributions, particularly for these small businesses, for these small care homes, I think we might see many of them go from a state of crisis to a state of collapse with no choice but to close their doors.”She went on to say: “The rumour as it stands is that the Government intend to raise the national insurance contributions on all companies, irrespective of whether they’re small or large… I think we probably end up having to vote no against that.”Jabed Ahmed20 October 2024 15:301729431016UK faces ‘make or break moment’ in Budget, says SwinneyScotland’s First Minister will use a speech on Monday to urge the Chancellor to increase spending, as he said the Budget presents a “make or break moment” for the UK.First Minister John Swinney is expected to make his most outspoken intervention on the budget and push the Chancellor to invest in public services.Speaking at an event in Edinburgh on Monday in front of academics, think tanks and representatives of the private, public and voluntary sector, the First Minister is expected to describe the past seven years – which has seen Brexit, the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the subsequent energy price and inflation hikes – as a “long, dark economic winter”.He will add: “What is needed now is a collective commitment to public investment for economic renewal, investment that will allow us to move into an economic spring, with new growth, new opportunities and new hope.”Jabed Ahmed20 October 2024 14:301729427416Budget 2024: Inheritance tax set to rise – here’s what it means for youJabed Ahmed20 October 2024 13:301729423816Streeting says he cannot fix 14 years of NHS issues with one budgetWes Streeting said he had reached a deal on NHS funding with the Chancellor, but could not fix the problems of the last 14 years in one Budget.Asked about potential funding increases at the Budget, the Health Secretary told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “I’m not going to get into specific figures.“I’ve settled with the Chancellor, but we are not going to fix 14 years in one Budget.”He also stressed the need for reform as well as investment in the NHS, saying he was “conscious” that money spent on health was money that could not be spent in other areas.He added: “There isn’t a single part of Government and the public sector where there aren’t real crises.”Jabed Ahmed20 October 2024 12:301729421356Streeting refuses to rule out income tax threshold freezeWes Streeting has refused to rule out that the Government will freeze income tax thresholds in the upcoming Budget.Mr Streeting had previously voted against the measure in opposition while Rishi Sunak was prime minister.Speaking on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky News, Mr Streeting said: “I’m not going to speculate on what the Chancellor might do in the Budget.“If you’re asking me whether I would vote against anything in the Chancellor’s Budget? The answer is no, of course I’m not going to do that.”He went on to say: “This country is paying a heavy price for Conservative failure, and we’re going to have to make some big and difficult choices in this Budget to make sure we fix the foundations of the economy and we don’t end up back here.”He later added: “What we’re not going to do is duck the difficult decisions, have Government by gimmick, short-term sticking plasters, because that is exactly how we ended up in this situation.”Jabed Ahmed20 October 2024 11:491729415820Full report: Starmer denies election pledges will be broken as Reeves plans stealth taxesJabed Ahmed20 October 2024 10:171729411380Reeves considers raising tax on vaping in BudgetRachel Reeves is considering raising the tax on vaping products in the upcoming Budget as figures lay bare how many children access them in the UK, The Guardian reports.The tax on vaping products was originally announced by the Conservatives in March, to come in to force in 2026. It is now understood that Ms Reeves could look to increase this.Under current plans, the new rates from April 2026 will range from £1-3 per 10ml of liquid, depending on nicotine level.Jabed Ahmed20 October 2024 09:031729404060When is the 2024 Budget and what might be in it?Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver Labour’s first Budget on Wednesday 30 October.Each year, the chancellor of the exchequer – who is in charge of the government’s finances – makes a Budget statement to MPs. .The speech outlines the government’s plans for spending and taxes.The Budget speech usually starts around 12:30pm and lasts about an hour. The Independent will be bringing you all the latest updates on the big day.Ms Reeves may be considering pushing the freeze beyond its current expiry date of 2028 in a move that could raise £7 billion, according to the Financial Times.Other measures reported to be under consideration include increasing employers’ national insurance contributions, raising fuel duty for the first time since 2010, changes to rules on inheritance tax and stamp duty, and a levy on e-cigarettes, according to reports across the media.The Treasury has so far declined to comment on Budget speculation.Jabed Ahmed20 October 2024 07:011729396800Government will keep manifesto pledges, says StarmerPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said that the government will keep to manifesto pledges ahead of the Budget.Asked about whether reported tax changes under consideration would keep to their promise of not increasing taxes for working people, Sir Keir told a press conference in Berlin: “We are going to keep our manifesto pledges.”He added: “I’m not going to pre-empt the individual measures that will be outlined by the Chancellor in due course.“This is going to be a Budget that will fix the foundations and rebuild our country.”When asked further about potential tax rises, the Prime Minister said that “you’ll just have to wait until the Chancellor lays that out in full, but the structure if you like, the framework, is going to be to fix the foundations and to rebuild our country.”Jabed Ahmed20 October 2024 05:001729389600Comment: Labour were right to break their promise on taxes – we should all be paying moreJabed Ahmed20 October 2024 03:00 More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseLeaked recordings have sparked fears the British High Commission in Mauritius had its phones hacked around the time the UK opened negotiations for the handover of the Chagos Islands. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has confirmed police in Mauritius are investigating after audio of apparent discussions between the British high commissioner Charlotte Pierre and other political figures were featured on the Mauritian Facebook page Missie Moustass (Mr Moustache).The clips are claimed to feature a conversation between Ms Pierre and local businessman Ken Arian, chief executive of Airport Holdings, who has recently welcomed the “decolonisation” of the Chagos Islands.Sources told The Independent that the conversation is thought to have taken place around October or November 2022, meaning it is likely to have occurred towards the start of the negotiations over the Indian Ocean islands. At one point, Ms Pierre can be heard saying: “I don’t have a prime minister at the moment”, adding, “You know what, I can say it now but we haven’t had a prime minister for two months.”The Diego Garcia airbase is crucial for UK and US operations More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseWes Streeting has appeared to confirm that Rachel Reeves will carry out a tax raid on national insurance contributions to help fill the £40 billion gap in Labour’s spending plans.Meanwhile, his refusal to rule out extending the freezing of income tax thresholds beyond 2028 also appeared to confirm speculation that the chancellor is getting creative on raising taxes.The health secretary was speaking in a series of Sunday morning interviews, where he also revealed that his department’s spending settlement has already been agreed with a belief that he has managed to get billions extra for the NHS on the promise that he delivers long term cost cutting reforms.The interventions followed new reports that Ms Reeves also intends to raise an extra £1 billion by lowering the thresholds on inheritance tax in what will be seen as a tax raid on the middle classes.Wes Streeting said the Government’s 10-year plan would turn the NHS ‘on its head’ (Ben Whitley/PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseWes Streeting is set to reveal plans for people to monitor their own health from the comfort of their homes with a 10-year plan aimed at revolutionising the NHS.The health secretary wants to roll out smartwatches to more members of the public in a bid to tackle debilitating conditions like heart disease and diabetes.The devices would allow people to monitor their blood pressure and glucose levels, and be warned about spikes before their health took a turn for the worse.The innovation is part of a wider set of reforms aimed at bringing back community-led health treatment and eventually cutting the cost of healthcare in the UK.It appears it will be linked with a massive investment of billions as the government attempts to “fix” the NHS with a 10-year plan.Mr Streeting said: “Our 10-year health plan will turn the NHS on its head – transforming it into a Neighbourhood Health Service – powered by cutting-edge technology, that helps us stay healthy and out of hospital. We will rebuild the health service around what patients tell us they need.Smartwatches could provide vital health monitoring More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseA former Tory peer who called out her own party for being Islamophobic has in a shock move given her backing to Kemi Badenoch, saying she “hopes and prays” that the candidate will bring sanity to the Conservatives.In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sayeeda Warsi, who has recently published her book Muslims Don’t Matter, said she might regret voting for Ms Badenoch but sees her as the least bad option.She said: “I know I am probably going to regret doing this but I also know the alternative is far far worse. Taking a chance on Kemi. “Hoping and praying she can find a way back to sane, non culture war, grown up, serious and trusted politics once this leadership battle is over.”Sayeeda Warsi is voting for Kemi Badenoch More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseSir Keir Starmer has come under pressure to quickly appoint an envoy for religious freedom after frustration over the delay to replace former Tory MP Fiona Bruce.The row has broken out as a leading Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) priest has appealed to the UK for help in urging President Volodymyr Zelensky to end his crackdown on the church and priests in his country.Metropolitan Arseniy, the abbot of the Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra, was arrested over suspicions he was “disseminating information about the movement or location of armed forces” to Vladimir Putin’s Russia. But he has claimed that it is part of a wider persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by Mr Zelensky’s government in the current war.He has spoken exclusively to The Independent urging the UK to use its influence to stop the persecution of his church.Metropolitan Arseniy was arrested over suspicions he was ‘disseminating information about the movement or location of armed forces’ to Russia More

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseMinisters have banned the use of the term “free childcare” to describe a key government policy as anger mounts over nursery fees. Tory Jeremy Hunt announced plans to give every child aged 9 months and older 30 “free” hours of childcare in his Budget last year, as part of last-ditch efforts to stay in power.But Labour accused the Tories of announcing a “pledge without a plan”. The new government will stick with the policy, which will see a massive expansion of the current provision next September. But in a change of tack, they have ditched the word “free” and instead will refer to the hours as “funded”. Ministers said the move was a bid to be “really clear” about expectations for the scheme. Ministers said they wanted to be “really clear” about expectations for the scheme More

Starmer refuses to rule out national insurance rise at PMQsYour support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreCloseSir Keir Starmer has insisted the government will keep its manifesto pledges amid reports the Chancellor could extend the freeze on income tax thresholds in this month’s Budget.Rachel Reeves may be considering pushing the freeze beyond its current expiry date of 2028 in a move that could raise £7 billion, according to the Financial Times.Continuing the freeze could help plug some of the £40 billion gap the Chancellor is grappling with in an effort to avoid a return to austerity.Labour’s manifesto promised not to increase rates of income tax, but included no mention of tax thresholds.The Treasury has so far declined to comment on Budget speculation, but when asked about possible tax changes during a press conference in Berlin, Sir Keir Starmer said: “We are going to keep our manifesto pledges.”He added: “I’m not going to pre-empt the individual measures that will be outlined by the Chancellor in due course.”Other measures reported to be under consideration include increasing employers’ national insurance contributions, raising fuel duty for the first time since 2010, changes to rules on inheritance tax and stamp duty, and a levy on e-cigarettesWe’ll be bringing you all the latest updates ahead of the big event on 30 October here, on The Independent’s liveblog.Show latest update 1729348244What should I do with my savings ahead of the Budget?Jabed Ahmed19 October 2024 15:301729344704Workers set for income tax hike as Rachel Reeves ‘to extend freeze on thresholds’Jabed Ahmed19 October 2024 14:311729340924Reeves’ capital gains tax plans will sidestep homeowners, reports sayExperts have long anticipated that Labour will put capital gains tax up in the Budget on 30 October. This is the levy is paid on the profit made when an asset which has increased in value is sold. This includes houses, assets and shares, all paid between 20 and 28 per cent.The latest reports indicate that Ms Reeves will respond to calls to raise capital gains tax in line with income tax bands – meaning rates of 20 to 40 per cent – but will exempt property from the new rates.Jabed Ahmed19 October 2024 13:281729337384Reeves considers raising tax on vaping in BudgetRachel Reeves is considering raising the tax on vaping products in the upcoming Budget as figures lay bare how many children access them in the UK, The Guardian reports.The tax on vaping products was originally announced by the Conservatives in March, to come in to force in 2026. It is now understood that Ms Reeves could look to increase this.Under current plans, the new rates from April 2026 will range from £1-3 per 10ml of liquid, depending on nicotine level.Jabed Ahmed19 October 2024 12:291729333877Stamp duty threshold to drop as Reeves denies extensionThe chancellor is reportedly planning to confirm that the heightened stamp duty threshold will drop back to previous levels in March, costing housebuyers up to £2,500 more.In 2022, the Conservatives under Liz Truss increased the ‘nil rate’ threshold – when stamp duty starts being paid – from £125,000 to £250,000. For first-time buyers, it rose from £300,000 to £425,000.The approach is expected to raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029-30, but experts have warned the news will cause “chaos” in the property market as buyers rush deals to save money.Property expert Kirstie Allsopp told Times Radio: “It’s become so complicated that I can no longer tell anyone what they would be paying in stamp duty.”“It won’t claw back any money. Stamp duty is a dead tax.”Jabed Ahmed19 October 2024 11:311729330184Government will keep manifesto pledges, says StarmerPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said that the government will keep to manifesto pledges ahead of the Budget.Asked about whether reported tax changes under consideration would keep to their promise of not increasing taxes for working people, Sir Keir told a press conference in Berlin: “We are going to keep our manifesto pledges.”He added: “I’m not going to pre-empt the individual measures that will be outlined by the Chancellor in due course.“This is going to be a Budget that will fix the foundations and rebuild our country.”When asked further about potential tax rises, the Prime Minister said that “you’ll just have to wait until the Chancellor lays that out in full, but the structure if you like, the framework, is going to be to fix the foundations and to rebuild our country.”Jabed Ahmed19 October 2024 10:291729327398When is the 2024 Budget and what might be in it?Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver Labour’s first Budget on Wednesday 30 October. Each year, the chancellor of the exchequer – who is in charge of the government’s finances – makes a Budget statement to MPs. . The speech outlines the government’s plans for spending and taxes.The Budget speech usually starts around 12:30pm and lasts about an hour. The Independent will be bringing you all the latest updates on the big day. Ms Reeves may be considering pushing the freeze beyond its current expiry date of 2028 in a move that could raise £7 billion, according to the Financial Times.Other measures reported to be under consideration include increasing employers’ national insurance contributions, raising fuel duty for the first time since 2010, changes to rules on inheritance tax and stamp duty, and a levy on e-cigarettes, according to reports across the media.The Treasury has so far declined to comment on Budget speculation. Jabed Ahmed19 October 2024 09:431729303200What should I do with my savings ahead of the Budget?Ahead of the Budget on 30 October, there has been fevered speculation about changes to pension savers’ tax allowances and other perks.Reports that pensioners could have tax breaks cut or axed led to savers withdrawing chunks of their retirement pots ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s big announcement.Howard Mustoe19 October 2024 03:001729296000The real problem facing Rachel Reeves over the death tax…… is that not only is it deeply unpopular, cautions James Moore – but it’s only a drop in the ocean when it comes to plugging the UK’s vast fiscal black holeJames Moore19 October 2024 01:001729288801Tax-free cash withdrawals ‘surge while pension contributions plummet’ as savers panic over Budget rumoursRetirees are rushing to withdraw cash from their pensions ahead of feared cuts to tax-free benefits in the Budget, the boss of one of Britain’s top investment platforms has said.Savers can typically take 25 per cent of their pension as a lump sum, up to a limit of £268,275, allowing them to avoid paying income tax, but Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering a cut to the amount savers can withdraw without triggering a payment to HM Revenue & Customs.Howard Mustoe18 October 2024 23:00 More