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 moreCloseRobert Jenrick has suffered an embarrassing putdown in his first Commons outing as shadow justice secretary.Hours after his appointment was confirmed by new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, the hardline right-winger sought to attack Labour’s record in government from the despatch box.In his first intervention in his new post, Mr Jenrick lashed out at the party’s early release scheme for prisoners to free up space in the overcrowded estate.Mr Jenrick said that, since July’s general election, “the only group this Labour government’s popularity has increased with is criminals”.Robert Jenrick was left reeling after his first outing as shadow justice secretary 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 moreCloseKemi Badenoch has appointed a cross-party shadow cabinet in a bid to reunite the Conservatives after a fractious leadership campaign.The newly-elected party leader unveiled her top team on Tuesday morning ahead of its first meeting. The top jobs were split between One Nation moderates, Boris Johnson-backing right-wingers and those who backed Ms Badenoch’s leadership bid.Kemi Badenoch has appointed her defeated leadership rival Robert Jenrick to the shadow justice brief 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 moreCloseThey say God loves a trier and Chris Philp, the former minister for policing, is one Tory who can never be accused of failing to put in a shift, frequently appearing in the media to dutifully defend the latest party line on the issue of the day.The reward for his unwavering loyalty may now have arrived, as he takes a leadership role in Kemi Badenoch’s new cabinet, after being appointed as shadow home secretary. While the MP for Croydon South is not afraid to get his hands dirty, evidenced by his loyal defences of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss in the darkest hours of their respective premierships, some critics have suggested he does not share the communication skills and political nous displayed by some of his front bench colleagues.Alas, the former Home Office minister was left blushing again in April during an appearance on the BBC. There were audible gasps – and a very confused-looking shadow health secretary – when Mr Philp asked whether Rwanda and Congo were different countries, following what sounded like a relatively straight forward question from a Question Time audience member.The gaffe was not Mr Philp’s first and unlikely to be his last, given the ambitious politician’s propensity to get out on the airwaves and put his shoulder behind the government wheel.Chris Philp on Question Time 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 moreCloseRachel 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. Under plans announced in the Budget, inheritance tax will be charged at 20 per cent on farms worth more than £1m, although the chancellor has said that in some cases the threshold could in practice be about £3m.The move has triggered backlash from farming and rural communities and led to a dispute over the number of businesses that would be affected.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. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said it is not ‘affordable’ to keep the current system of inheritance tax (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.CloseRead moreCloseUniversity tuition fees will increase in England for the first time in eight years as part of a major overhaul of the higher education system, education secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced.The announcement appears to set Labour on course for a clash with one of their biggest voter bases, students. It follows other groups losing out with 10 million pensioners hit by the removal of the winter fuel payment and wages being hit by the hike in national insurance.Tuition fees have been frozen at £9,250 since 2017 but will now rise in line with the Retail Price Index inflation from September 2025. Matching them to the current rate of inflation at 2.7 per cent would mean they increase to around £9,500.In her announcement, Ms Phillipson said that the changes represented “a new relationship with universities” and warned that the sector will need to make changes as part of the package.“We are determined to maintain the sustainability of our university sector not just for now but for years ahead,” she said.The education secretary gave a statement to the House of Commons on Monday 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 moreCloseKemi Badenoch is set to make a highly controversial choice in one of the most senior jobs in her shadow cabinet with Dame Priti Patel set to be unveiled as shadow foreign secretary.However, sources close to the new Tory leader have told The Independent that she has “no concerns” over Dame Priti being previously sacked as a cabinet minister for unauthorised meetings in Israel.Dame Priti was sacked in November 2017 as international development secretary by Theresa May when it emerged she had held unauthorised meetings in Israel. Patel served in both Theresa May and Boris Johnson’s cabinet 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 moreCloseNew analysis suggests that the 50 per cent rise in a single bus ticket from £2 to £3 is the equivalent of a 1p income tax hike for working people who rely on public transport to get to work.The figures published by the Lib Dems appear to be a direct challenge to chancellor Rachel Reeves’s claims that she was protecting “working people” in her Budget last week.The claims are the latest stage in an ongoing row over who working people are after Labour refused to provide a clear definition of the term but applied it to freezing the main taxes of income tax, VAT and national insurance.The Lib Dems are calling for the 50 per cent increase to be reversed and say their analysis shows that the average commuter who takes the bus every working day of the week would face an extra £448 bill because of the change made by the government.Transport secretary Louise Haigh 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 moreCloseSince becoming prime minister on 5 July, Sir Keir Starmer has only met with one of the two candidates hoping to be elected president – and it was not with his natural Democrat ally Kamala Harris, but Republican rival Donald Trump.The lack of a meeting between Ms Harris and Sir Keir was not a snub from either side but reflects a twin-track approach that Labour has been taking in preparing for the outcome tomorrow for many months now, dating back to when they were still in opposition.In what always looked set to be a tight presidential race, the Labour prime minister has known for a long time that he faced two very different scenarios from an outcome dependent on a handful of counties in a few swing states.One was for an ally – who shares a similar legal background, is aligned ideologically and is on the same page regarding the big international issues – to be in the White House. But the other was for a US president with a volatile personality, who would happily rip up international consensus and sees his closest ally in Britain to be Nigel Farage on the hard right.Getting ready for the first scenario is much easier, but preparing for the second has involved painstaking diplomacy and meticulous planning.Starmer needs to be ready whichever candidate wins More