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 moreComputer scientist Dr Craig Wright is to be given a court order stopping him from bringing future legal action after using the courts to “terrorise his perceived enemies”, the High Court has heard.The Australian began claiming he was Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym attributed to the person widely credited with establishing Bitcoin, in 2016 and asserted intellectual property rights over the cryptocurrency.He brought legal proceedings against those who challenged his claims and was himself sued by the non-profit cryptocurrency group Crypto Open Patent Alliance (Copa) last year.After a trial in London, a judge ruled in March last year that Dr Wright was not Satoshi and that he had “lied extensively” during the trial, also barring him from launching or threatening further legal action related to Bitcoin through a court order.In December, he was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for two years, for contempt of court after issuing a new claim for more than £900 billion related to Bitcoin.At a High Court hearing on Friday, Copa asked a judge to issue a civil restraint order (CRO), which stops Dr Wright from reapplying to the High Court and all county courts for three years.Jonathan Hough KC, for Copa, said in written submissions that Dr Wright had used the English legal system to “terrorise his perceived enemies”.Mr Hough also asked for Dr Wright’s case to be referred to the Attorney General to extend the order beyond the three-year limit.He said: “First, Dr Wright has brought a large number of baseless legal actions, founded on lies and backed up with copious forgeries.“Secondly, in those actions he has claimed huge sums against a large number of individuals and companies, causing them serious distress, inconvenience and cost.“Thirdly, his actions have taken up very significant court resources, running to nearly 100 court days in this jurisdiction.”Mr Hough continued: “The undisputed consequence of his claims has been significant disruption to innovation in an important industry.“There is a clear and serious risk of him repeating his campaign of litigation in one form or another.”Dr Wright did not attend the hearing or contest the application.Mr Justice Mellor granted the CRO and the referral to the Attorney General, adding that he will give full written reasons at a later date. 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 moreReducing smartphone harms in law relies on a “process”, not one “big bang” event, a Labour MP has said.Josh MacAlister warned that children are “moving less, smiling less, learning less” as a result of increased smartphone and social media use, including in the classroom.He introduced the Protection of Children (Digital Safety and Data Protection) Bill for its second reading in the Commons on Friday, which if passed would instruct UK chief medical officers to publish advice for parents on the use of smartphones and social media by children.It would also compel ministers to say within a year whether they plan to raise the age at which children can consent for their data to be shared without parental permission.Mr MacAlister had originally planned for his private member’s Bill to include a ban on smartphones in school classrooms and playgrounds, but this was dropped so his draft new law could “secure explicit Government backing”.The MP for Whitehaven and Workington told the Commons he began his career as a teacher in 2009 when “there was the odd phone in the classroom, the odd instance of a child being bullied through their device”.He said: “Neither I nor any other teacher at the time could have imagined the impact these devices would come to play in childhood.”Mr MacAlister told MPs that the average 12-year-old spends 21 hours a week on their smartphone, “that’s the equivalent of four full days of school teaching per week”, and added: “This is a fundamental rewiring of childhood itself and it’s happened in little over a decade.“Children are spending less time outside, less time reading, less time exercising, exploring, meeting people, communicating in person – all the things that make childhood special and the things that are necessary for healthy childhood development.“Instead, many children now spend their time captured by addictive social media and smartphone use, often sat alone doomscrolling, being bombarded by unrealistic representations of life, communication through asynchronous large group chats rather than through looking at facial expressions, eye contact, body language, learning to interact – moving less, smiling less, learning less.”He continued: “This rewiring of childhood has only one winner – the balance sheets of social media companies.”Mr MacAlister referred to laws abroad which limit children’s smartphone use, including in the US state of Utah where app stores must verify users’ ages and get parental consent for minors to download apps to their devices, and Australia, which introduced a smartphone ban in its public schools last year.The MP described a “stark difference” in the conversations which MPs are having, compared with discussions in public among parents and children, adding: “The public are well ahead of politicians on this issue.”Sir Ashley Fox, the Conservative MP for Bridgwater, intervened in Mr MacAlister’s speech and said: “Nothing he has said so far requires legislation.“The Bill he’s brought today could all be achieved by a minister just deciding to ask the chief medical officer to produce a report or the minister to produce a plan.“What has happened to the legislative action that was clearly in earlier drafts in his legislation?”Mr MacAlister later addressed Sir Ashley’s point in his speech, when he said: “This Bill has been drafted to secure explicit Government backing.“It’s been written to achieve change rather than just highlight the issue.“That is why the Bill before us is narrower than where I started when this campaign began six months ago.”He went on to say: “We must act on excessive screen time today in the same way we acted on smoking back then, and like debates that were had on smoking and car seatbelts, it took a process of legislation rather than one ‘big bang’ event.“That’s why starting today with these initial steps and then following them through with major action soon will be so important.” 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 moreAn MP seeking to ban smartphones in schools has watered down his proposals in a bid to receive government backing.Shortly after entering parliament in July, Labour MP and former teacher Josh MacAlister brought a private member’s bill calling for a legal requirement that all schools in England are mobile-free zones.Mr MacAlister had warned MPs in October that the equivalent of “seatbelt” legislation was needed to help children manage addictive content on social media, as he stressed the risk of widespread harm from children “doom scrolling” for hours a day.While the bill is set to be debated by MPs on Friday, Mr MacAlister has now watered it down so that the call to ban smartphones in schools has now been replaced with calls for official research and guidance on children’s use of smartphones and social media.The move has prompted disappointment from MPs, with Lib Dem technology spokesperson Victoria Collins warning that “parents and families across the country are crying out for change when it comes to support in the online world”.The initial bill had proposed banning smartphones in England’s schools 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 Sadiq Khan has warned Donald Trump to prepare for protests across London when he arrives for his second state visit to the UK. The mayor of London said he is expecting the public to “use their right to free speech and the right to protest” when the US president arrives in the capital. He refused to “relitigate” the long-standing back-and-forth conflict he has had with Mr Trump, which has seen the president describe Mr Khan as “very dumb” and a “stone cold loser”. In the past Sir Sadiq has described Mr Trump as “sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic and racist”. Sadiq Khan hinted he would allow the Trump baby blimp or a replacement to be flown in 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.Read moreSir Keir Starmer will talk to European leaders on Friday morning as he continues his diplomatic push for peace in Ukraine. The prime minister will be briefed on the outcome of a summit of EU leaders aimed at boosting support for Ukraine and bolstering the continent’s defence capabilities. At the summit, the 27 EU leaders signed off a move to loosen budget restrictions so that willing EU countries can increase their military spending, which could free up around 650 billion euros (£545 billion).They also committed to providing Ukraine with a total of £30.6 billion euros to fund Volodymyr Zelensky’s resistance against Russia’s invasion in 2025. The call on Friday will see Sir Keir speaking to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, president of the European council.Keir Starmer will be briefed on the outcome of a European summit 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 moreForeign Office (FCDO) minister Stephen Doughty is being urged not to waste time with talks to end more than 50 years of division on the island of Cyprus unless Sir Keir Starmer is prepared to change decades of British policy.Mr Doughty will land on the strategically crucial Mediterranean island on Friday where the UK owns two military bases that are vitally important for security within easy reach of the Middle East.The minister will meet the recognised government of Cyprus in the Greek Cypriot controlled south and then hold a first meeting of Sir Keir’s government with the president of the unrecognised breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Ersin Tatar.Stephen Doughty is arriving in Cyprus to talk to the recognised government in the Greek Cypriot south, and then the president of the unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus 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 moreNigel Farage is facing serious questions over his leadership for the first time since the general election last year. Fellow Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe, the former chairman of Southampton football club, warned it was “too early” to know if Farage would deliver as leader, and accused him of having “messianic” tendencies.Mr Lowe, MP for Great Yarmouth, was touted as a replacement for Mr Farage by Elon Musk earlier this year.His criticism comes after polling suggested that the party may have hit their ceiling with a surge in support since the general election coming to an end three weeks ago.The latest weekly Techne UK poll for The Independent puts Reform on 25 per cent for the third week in a row and has Labour pulling ahead by three points on 28 per cent after praise for Sir Keir Starmer following a week of diplomatic talks over the Ukraine crisis.MP Rupert Lowe is the only senior figure in Reform to go public with concerns over Mr Farage(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 moreWatch again as UK defence secretary John Healey and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth held talks in Washington on Thursday, 6 March, where they were expected to discuss the US decision to pause intelligence-sharing with Ukraine following Donald Trump’s explosive meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky.The pair held a bilateral meeting on a possible peace plan while efforts continue to bridge a transatlantic rift over the country’s future security.CIA director John Ratcliffe told Fox Business Network on Wednesday there has been a “pause” on “the intelligence front” following the chaotic Oval Office confrontation.The decision could affect Ukraine’s ability to effectively use long-range western weapons, such as US-made Himars launchers and deprive Kyiv of advance information about potential incoming threats.It comes as European leaders hold crisis talks in Brussels on support for Kyiv.French president Emmanuel Macron said he would confer with allies about the prospect of using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect the continent in the face of threats from Russia at a summit of EU leaders.Mr Healey’s trip was agreed after Sir Keir Starmer announced a rise in the UK’s defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP. More