UK Politics

Angela Rayner is fighting for her political future after finally admitting to have avoiding £40,000 in tax when purchasing a property. The deputy prime minister has faced mounting calls to resign after revealing she underpaid the amount of stamp duty owed on the purchase of an £800,000 seaside flat in Hove.Admitting to the error after weeks of speculation, Ms Rayner blamed the error on dodgy legal advice in an emotional statement. Angela Rayner said she will pay the additional tax owed More

Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch face off in Prime Minister Questions on Wednesday (3 September).It is the first time the pair will battle it out in front of fellow MPs following Parliament’s summer recess, which began on 23 July and ended on Monday (1 September).It comes just hours after Rachel Reeves set the date for the Budget as 26 November, whilst admitting that the UK’s economy “isn’t broken” but is not “working well enough”.It is the latest possible date for an autumn Budget, with Ms Reeves appearing to try to buy time before making decisions on tax.She is required to give the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) 10 weeks’ notice but has instead opted to give the watchdog almost 12 weeks.Other potential topics up for debate include issues on immigration policies, after Yvette Cooper announced plans to suspend all applications under the family reunion route, and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza.Just before the Commons exchange kicked off, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner admitted that she did not pay enough stamp duty on her £800,000 second property and has referred herself to the ethics adviser.The prime minister could also use this session to criticise Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage for failing to attend, having flown out to the US for a conference. More

A senior cabinet minister has criticised the police after comedian Graham Linehan was arrested over tweets about transgender people. Health secretary Wes Streeting said that the government wants to see people being kept safe by “policing streets, not just policing tweets” and suggested legislation could be looked at if the law was “not getting the balance right” on free speech.He said: “It’s very easy for people to criticise the police. The police enforce the laws of the land that we as legislators provide”, he told Times Radio. “So if we’re not getting the balance right, then that’s something that we all have to look at and consider.”Mr Steeting’s intervention followed intense controversy following the arrest of Father Ted writer Linehan at Heathrow airport on arrival on a flight from the US.While signalling disapproval of Linehan’s treatment, Mr Streeting said it was wrong to blame police for what had happened.“They were simply acting in accordance with laws on combating online abuse which had been approved by Parliament”, he told BBC Radio Four: “They are there to enforce the laws Parliament makes and if we aren’t getting the law right we cannot have a go at the police.”Mr Streeting said It was right to outlaw those who used social media to harass and abuse others, or sell drugs and weapons illegally. However, when dealing with free speech online, “context is king,” he added: “We have to tread really carefully when it comes to the boundaries of free speech.” Mr Streeting was proud to “live in a country where we come down like a ton of bricks on racism and discrimination”, but there had always been: “legitimate boundaries when it comes to free speech – which is about protecting others from harm… Sometimes those boundaries are blurred”.Mr Streeting’s intervention follows the Irish comedian’s claims on Tuesday that he was arrested “like a terrorist” by five armed police officers as he arrived from Arizona in Heathrow Airport, who told him he was “under arrest for three tweets”.Graham Linehan was detained by five officers at Heathrow airport More

Sir Keir Starmer is considering introducing digital ID cards in a bid to crack down on small boat crossings, Downing Street has said.The prime minister did not say whether identification cards would be made compulsory, but confirmed the government is considering a rollout of the technology. It comes days after one of Sir Keir’s top ministers Pat McFadden said Britain is “behind the curve” and called for the rollout of digital IDs.No 10 has previously steered clear of digital ID cards as a way to deter Channel crossings, despite repeated calls from senior figures including former Labour prime minister Sir Tony Blair.Asked on Tuesday whether ministers were considering rolling out a compulsory national ID card, the PM’s spokesman said: “We’re willing to look at what works when it comes to tackling illegal migration, and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Mr McFadden referenced that over the weekend in terms of applications of digital ID to the immigration system.Keir Starmer is considering rolling out digital IDs More

Rachel Reeves is under renewed pressure to drop her tax hike on businesses after new research suggested it had the greatest impact on small firms.The findings seen by The Independent revealed that the number of job vacancies at small businesses fell by a fifth (18 per cent) in the three months to July, compared to the three months to October, when the chancellor announced the increase in employer contributions to national insurance in her 2024 Autumn Budget.The analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures carried out by the Liberal Democrats, as the party calls on the chancellor to scrap the so-called “jobs tax”, has come with a dramatic warning from the Federation of Small Business (FSB) that their members “do not feel the government has their backs”.No 10 denied the reshuffle had dealt a blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ authority (Matthew Horwood/PA) More

Tory MPs have revealed that whips have been ringing them to encourage them to go to Kemi Badenoch’s first party conference as leader in October amid concerns that it will be poorly attended.An email has been sent to MPs to urge them to attend, while MPs have reported calls from party whips asking if they are planning to turn up at the Manchester event with the tone described as “pleading”.One veteran MP told The Independent: “I don’t remember whips calling before like this.“I was actually planning to go but I think there is a concern that not many people will attend.”Kemi Badenoch has been leader for almost a year More

Rachel Reeves’ authority has not been dealt a blow by Sir Keir Starmer’s shake-up of his Downing Street team, No 10 has insisted as it sought to calm market jitters.The government’s “ironclad commitment” to its fiscal rules remains, the prime minister’s official spokesman emphasised against a backdrop of soaring long-term government borrowing costs.This week’s reshuffle saw the chancellor’s deputy, Darren Jones, move into a new role as chief secretary to the prime minister – a move many saw as an attempt to sideline the beleaguered chancellor, who has faced criticism for her handling of the economy. Sir Keir also brought in Baroness Minouche Shafik, a former Bank of England deputy governor, as his chief economic adviser, and senior Treasury mandarin Dan York-Smith as his principal private secretary.The reshuffle has been seen as a sign the prime minister is seeking to bolster No 10’s economic firepower before a tricky budget this autumn, with speculation rife over tax rises.Sir Keir and Ms Reeves spoke “at length over the summer about how these changes would bolster their joint approach to the growth agenda,” the prime minister’s spokesman told reporters.Asked whether Ms Reeves’ role has been diminished, the official said: “No, and as I say it reflects the strengthening of the relationship between the prime minister and the chancellor, a determination to drive growth in the economy, a recommitment to our robust fiscal rules.”Rachel Reeves’ former number two in the Treasury, Darren Jones, has become the Prime Minister’s chief secretary (James Manning/PA)It comes ahead of what are expected to be a difficult few months for the chancellor, amid growing speculation that she is likely to have to announce major tax rises in the Budget amid growing worries over the UK’s finances. The yield on UK government bonds – also known as gilts – jumped to the highest level since 1998, at 5.698 per cent, meaning it costs more for the government to borrow from financial markets.The pound also fell on Tuesday morning, down 1 per cent to 1.34 US dollars and 0.6 per cent lower at 1.15 euros.Without commenting on specific market movements, Sir Keir’s spokesman said: “Our ironclad commitment to our robust fiscal rules remain.“You’ll have seen since this government took office that we have taken the necessary decisions to stabilise the public finances, drive growth.“Our fiscal strategy has been backed by the IMF and others, and our approach has helped interest rates to be cut five times since the election, which is the best way to bring borrowing costs and inflation down.”Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer shut down attempts by Cabinet colleagues to sing him Happy Birthday (Anthony Devlin/PA)When she entered the Treasury, Ms Reeves set out two key fiscal rules: the first to ensure that day-to-day spending is matched by tax revenues by 2029-30 rather than borrowing, and the second to reduce net financial debt as a share of the economy.Analysts have suggested the latest spike in gilts is a sign that investors do not have confidence the Treasury will stick to its borrowing rules.The prime minister’s spokesman stressed that Mr Jones is “someone who has been involved in the work to stabilise the economy, invest in public services and an approach to the economy that’s brought borrowing costs down, brought interest rates down”.Sir Keir earlier brought together his senior ministers for their first Cabinet meeting after the summer recess and since the mini-reshuffle – on what was also the prime minister’s birthday.Sir Keir told his Cabinet that “phase two” had begun, with changes made to the No 10 operation to help deliver higher living standards, improvements to public services and more secure borders.“He said he and the chancellor had spoken at length over the summer about how these changes would bolster their joint approach to the growth agenda and ensure it is a key factor when taking decisions,” the prime minister’s spokesman said.Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch compared the shake-up to “shifting the deckchairs on the Titanic”, adding: “I don’t think it’s going to make any difference.”Speaking to reporters on a visit to Scotland, she said: “I don’t know what this says about his confidence in the Chancellor, but the fact that he’s taken his chief secretary of the Treasury and put him into No 10 does not inspire me with confidence because he’s one of the people who’s been making the mess.”Sir Keir, who turns 63 today, shut down an attempt by Cabinet colleagues to sing him Happy Birthday, according to his spokesman. More

As a new poll shows even Reform UK supporters back a youth mobility scheme with the EU, Independent readers have reignited a debate over the scheme and the wider ramifications of Brexit.Many readers said young people had a particular reason to feel aggrieved – most were too young to vote in 2016, and those who could largely opposed Brexit, yet they are now the most restricted when it comes to living, working and studying abroad. Others stressed that the vote to leave was one of the worst economic mistakes in modern history, and that Britain must edge closer to the EU for growth and stability. Some said a youth mobility scheme is just the start, with eventual rejoining the only long-term solution.But not all agreed. Several insisted such schemes do not “unpick Brexit”, pointing out that the UK already has similar arrangements with countries outside the EU. One commenter argued that remainers are now defecting to Reform, and claimed a second referendum might return an even bigger Leave vote – if led by a government fully committed to Brexit.Here’s what you had to say:A compelling moral case for youthWe all need more flexibility in terms of travel to, and mobility in, the EU all round. There’s a compelling moral case for younger people, because fewer of them had a chance to vote and most of those that did opposed Brexit. However, it is a burden on all people, not just the young. In my field (university research) it is a nightmare because it’s an area which relies heavily on international collaboration and mobility.Tanaquil2One of the worst economic decisions in historyThe vote to leave the EU in 2016 was one of the most catastrophically bad economic decisions in this nation’s history. That David Cameron didn’t introduce a “super” majority vote (60/40) is a good measure of his arrogance and hubris. The sooner we can re-join the better. We should also seek early admittance to the Eurozone. Like it or not, the world is settling into a number of powerful economic and military blocs and the UK, without EU membership, is just a minnow now. That we had such an advantageous membership of the EU and we simply threw it away is nothing short of a tragedy. HampsYouth mobility is not freedom of movementThe UK has youth mobility schemes with various countries, hence a youth mobility scheme does not “unpick Brexit”.The UK already has youth mobility schemes with Australia, Canada, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, Iceland, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Those were set up by Conservative UK governments. Sunak approached several EU members and asked them for a youth mobility scheme too. They informed the EU Commission that in turn informed all other EU members and the EU27 decided to write up a joint proposal to Sunak.To be eligible for this visa, the candidates must have sufficient financial means and a comprehensive health insurance – both to be tested before and throughout the stay. Also, it is valid for only one EU member state, it does not include FOM inside the EU. Real EuropeanThe Farage mistakeHere we go. Who’s going to break it to them gently that following Farage was, and if they do so in the future will be, a big mistake with many unforeseeable penalties.Him, together with Johnson and the other band of prominent Brexiteers, have done more damage to the UK than anyone can probably imagine.Companies have gone to the wall, food imports and exports are tied up in UK red tape as much as any produced in the EU, the UK’s seas and waterways are filthy compared to how they were when the UK was part of the EU, the economy is a mess, food is more expensive, jobs have gone, and there are so many things that haven’t changed for the better. Wait until you have to pay for ETIAS and the biometric data obligation, then you’ll know you belong to a third country. Now suddenly it seems they want to start cherry-picking the bits of EU membership that made their lives easier. They’ll soon find out cherry-picking isn’t on the EU agenda.They’d better think carefully when they go to the polls because any attempt at sending Farage to negotiate anything with the EU would be a total waste of time. He’d undoubtedly come back claiming it’s the EU’s fault he achieved nothing – which he wouldn’t – because Farage is one of those people who’s never to blame, it’s always the others. The kid that broke the window leaving someone else to take the blame! It doesn’t suit Farage to be part of the EU because he has his own ideas about empowering and enriching himself.The EU was glad to see the back of him and they certainly won’t want any dealings with someone who was always out for trouble, causing disruption where he could as well as being rude and insulting! AmbigirlsBrexiteers have a case to answerNo wonder Reform and Farage are being very coy about Brexit these days. A policy they were very closely involved in and supported has been seen as a major failure.It is clear the British public realises it.That said, why should voters trust these people to make the right call on anything else? I did not support Brexit but it was implemented. Those who supported it have a case to answer. What was so good about it? Or did they just tell porky pies?Do not trust such people again. 49ninerThe slow non-EU queueSo Brexiters don’t like having to stand in the slow non-EU queue at airports. That’s strange because it’s what they voted for and now they have the added burden of EES and ETIAS to come. Oh dear. Hammer71Youth mobility is not rejoinA youth mobility scheme has nothing to do with steps towards rejoin – the UK has youth mobility schemes with many countries. And Starmer will not take any step towards rejoin. That’s the one promise he is sticking with. Real EuropeanExcluded from Johnson’s dealIt does “unpick Brexit” to the extent that the agreement Boris Johnson made with the EU (in contradiction to much of what he said before the vote) excluded youth mobility along with the rest of freedom of movement. I don’t think he ever gave a reason for this betrayal of what was voted for. EpaminondasOnly closer ties can fix the messEven a good idea like the youth mobility scheme won’t bring back the billions and billions Farage and the Tories have lost us. Closer ties with the EU are the only way to address economic growth and the global immigration issue. The Tories and Reform don’t have it in their DNA to do so. Hammerhead72Remainers defecting to ReformAll this indicates is that remainers are now defecting to Reform. My bet is that another Brexit referendum today would produce the same result as last time, possibly with an even bigger margin.Pollsters might just begin to ask the obvious question about what if we actually had a government fully behind our decision to leave, rather than the supine pair who made no effort to make it work so far. OlTom Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day’s top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click ‘log in’ or ‘register’ in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here. More