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    Where you went to school may decide how you vote

    Where a person went to school may be a deciding factor in how they vote at the next election, a new poll has revealed. Reform UK is now the most popular party among former pupils of state schools, new findings from polling firm More in Common show.Around a third (32 per cent) of this group would vote for the Nigel Farage-led party tomorrow if an election were called, reflecting its overall lead in nationwide polls.Labour is only attracting 20 per cent of this group in comparison, while its popularity among the privately educated is much higher. In this group, which makes up a much smaller proportion of the population, the government’s popularity is at nearly 40 per cent.The results mark More in Common’s first survey of voting intention, but the results are “consistent in other recent polls”, director Luke Tryl said.Mr Tryl told The Telegraph: “One of the things we know is that Reform polls very well with people who are understandably very unhappy with the status quo.“The truth is we have exceptionally volatile electorates, and I think the battle of the next few years is going to be which party can convince people it can bring about the change that they need.”The challenge for leading parties is to prove they “authentically speak for the working class, the middle class [and] show they get their concerns,” he said, adding: “I think Farage, because he’s plain-speaking, because he connects, has clearly done a good job of doing that so far. If Labour are going to get back in again, they need to show that they get it.”Labour’s success among former private school attendees may be surprising, considering its move to impose higher VAT on these types of schools shortly after coming into power last year.The survey of 2,037 adults in September found 38 per cent of privately educated people would vote for Labour in any immediate election.Reflecting on the results, top polling expert John Curtice told The Independent: “The folk who are voting for Reform are overwhelmingly people who voted for Brexit. Brexit was a division by age and by occupation.”Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has taken first position in several national polls of voting intention More

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    Former Navy chief slams Trump’s call for UK to use military to stop small boats as ‘load of nonsense’

    The former head of the Royal Navy has hit back at Donald Trump’s call for the UK to draft in the military to end the small boats crisis, calling the suggestion “a load of nonsense”.The US president on Thursday warned that illegal migration can “destroy” countries as he told the prime minister to “call out the military”, as Sir Keir Starmer struggles to bring illegal migration under control, with the number of crossings at a record high. Labour minister Peter Kyle on Friday admitted that the Royal Navy could be called upon to tackle small boats crossing the English Channel “if needed”. But former first sea lord Admiral Lord West said Mr Trump’s suggestion would make “no difference at all” because the UK cannot easily return boats to France.Lord West of Spithead rejected Donald Trump’s proposal More

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    Tax rises ‘inevitable’, experts warn after borrowing soars in another blow for Rachel Reeves

    Chancellor Rachel Reeves has suffered another blow after unexpectedly high borrowing figures led to warnings that tax rises in November’s Budget now look “inevitable”. The highest August borrowing for five years outstripped predictions at £18bn, £3.5bn more than in August 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Soaring interest on government debt also wiped out any boost from Ms Reeves’s controversial national insurance tax raid unveiled at last year’s Budget, according to the ONS.Martin Beck, chief economist at research and policy firm WPI Strategy, said: “The £10bn buffer the chancellor pencilled in against her key fiscal rule in March has almost certainly gone. That means tax rises in November look inevitable.”Chancellor Rachel Reeves has suffered another economic blow More

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    Donald Trump set to invite King Charles to White House after state visit success

    The King is set to be invited to the White House next year to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence as the royals continue to play a leading role in “keeping Donald Trump sweet”.Talks are underway for a major royal visit to mark the historic anniversary, and The Independent understands Prince William is prepared to attend in his father’s place if King Charles’s schedule does not allow.Sources say a visit by either King Charles and Queen Camilla or Prince William and Princess Kate is a key part of Britain’s diplomacy with the current White House administration.President Trump has always made clear his admiration for the royal family, describing the King as “my friend” while using his speech at the state banquet this week to praise the Prince of Wales as “a great man”.The state visit this week was a key part of Britain’s diplomacy with the Trump administration and helped ensure that the UK received favourable trade terms after he imposed global tariffs.Trump has always admired the royal family, describing the King as ‘my friend’ More

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    Starmer’s relief after success of Trump’s state visit won’t last long

    The stakes were high for Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK this week. From questions over the appointment of Peter Mandelson and the US president’s links with Jeffrey Epstein, to criticism of the UK’s free speech laws – there was certainly no guarantee of success. After a nightmare return to parliament for Keir Starmer, who saw the departure of both Mandelson and his deputy Angela Rayner in the space of two weeks, the prime minister needed a boost amid growing speculation that he may not remain in post until the next election.There were a few sticky moments, such as when Trump told the prime minister to call the army in to tackle migration. He also admitted disagreements over the recognition of Palestine.Keir Starmer held a joint press conference with Donald Trump at Chequers on Thursday More

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    Navy could be used to tackle small boats crisis, minister admits after Trump calls for action

    The Royal Navy can be brought in to tackle small boats crossing the English Channel “if needed”, a minister has said. After Donald Trump called on Sir Keir Starmer to use the military to bring illegal migration under control, Peter Kyle said Britain’s armed forces are currently focused on “key issues around the world”. But he said “we do have the functional relationship that we need between our military and keeping our borders safe and secure”.A small boat carrying people thought to be migrants near the French coast on Friday morning More

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    Voices: ‘After this latest debacle, I’m out’: Independent readers weigh in on Your Party row

    Independent readers are deeply divided on the future of Your Party after the latest row threatened to further destabilise the fledgling party.Jeremy Corbyn is seeking legal advice after co-leader Zarah Sultana sent an “unauthorised email” from Your Party’s account, inviting its supporters to become paid members.It is the latest chapter in a public spat between the co-leaders, which began when the new venture was originally announced by Sultana, who said in July she was quitting the Labour Party to co-found the new venture with Corbyn.While some expressed sympathy for Sultana, praising her initiative and frustration at what she called a “sexist boys’ club”, others argued her unilateral action showed she was a liability and too ambitious to be a team player. Several readers said the spat had already undermined confidence in the fledgling movement, with one warning it risked being “strangled at birth”.A number of commenters who have signed up to Your Party criticised the handling of membership fees, with some reporting difficulty cancelling payments and warning that their trust had already been broken.For these readers, Sultana’s move looked like poor organisation and a power grab that could sink the project.Others, however, dismissed the row as “hullabaloo” and said they were glad to see action being taken, arguing that new parties inevitably face teething problems. Some insisted the left urgently needs an alternative to Labour, warning that without a strong challenge, Nigel Farage could capitalise on disillusionment.Overall, readers were divided, torn between excitement at the promise of a grassroots socialist party and frustration at the chaos of its early days.Here’s what you had to say:Three strikes and you’re outThree times now that Sultana has done this. Firstly, she announced the new party months before its launch. Then she had the public berating of Corbyn over being too soft on the AS smears and now this. It’s clear she wants to be leader, but may have killed it off before it’s even started. I paid £2.50 for the concessionary monthly, to see how it went, and would have either stayed and paid the annual membership (£25 for concessions) after it was founded depending upon rules and policies, or I would have quit, not losing much.But had to spend 20 minutes on the phone to cancel. My bank revealed that they had many calls on the same thing, with many paying £55 (full rate). Luckily mine hadn’t gone through and was pending so it’s been stopped along with future payments.After this latest debacle, I’m out. And they’ll have to get themselves sorted if they even want me to consider voting for them. But the Greens have a new leader and they may get my vote instead.LadyCrumpsallWhat do you think – was Zarah Sultana right to go it alone, or has she damaged Your Party before it’s even begun? Share your thoughts in the comments below.We must have a new compassionate socialist partyI had an email this morning asking me to sign up for £55. I was on the point of paying up then I thought that something didn’t feel right about the email. At that point I hesitated until I worked out what was not right. I am pleased that I did.The important thing is that we must have a new compassionate socialist party in the UK, and that Starmer’s party must be kicked out.PeterLoud3A vote for Your Party isn’t a vote for anythingGiven that this party is quite likely to sink Labour at the next election, just as surely as Reform sank the Conservatives at the last, many might think that maybe Jeremy Corbyn sees it more as a ticket back into the Labour Party leadership, because why would he want to do that to the party he once led?Simple, because quite apart from anything else, he’s only lost general elections, and wouldn’t be touched by them, especially if Angela Rayner was Labour’s leader, because why would she want him back in the fold, let alone move over for him, especially if this is what he is really like?It goes without saying that Sir Keir Starmer wouldn’t have him back.A vote for Your Party isn’t a vote for anything. It’s a vote against Labour, and against the left, to help a man who has been publicly rejected and humiliated prove a personal point, but millions of voters will still do it.ppunditThere may be other splits to comeIf you look at the members of Corbyn’s “Independence Alliance” I think you can see why Sultana has called them a sexist boys’ club. One thing we know is that they voted against private schools paying VAT, which is a bit odd if they are socialists (Corbyn abstained).This split partly involves control of the membership money. There may be other splits to come.RegCostelloWe are doomedThe party that wins the next election will be the one that draws the widest spread of opinions together into a single disciplined entity. That means all members accepting that some issues will not be handled in the way we would prefer.Unfortunately in a world of social media, AI-amplified half-truths and an online life lived in blinkered micro-bubbles, we the electorate are going in the opposite direction, towards smaller and smaller issue-specific groups.And so the door is willingly opened by us to those who really shouldn’t be in charge in any scenario. We are doomed.TrueScunthorpeA Farage hissy fitBeginning to resemble Nigel Farage’s hissy fit that led to Rupert Lowe being ejected from Reform.I thought it very strange from the beginning that Sultana jumped the gun and announced that she and Corbyn were starting a new party prematurely instead of doing so in a coherent joint press conference.Just as there are a number of parties fighting viciously over who can be more anti-immigrant on the right there are a number of parties and factions on the left that are continually challenging each other to “handbags at dawn” duels.CanPeopleReallyBeThisStupidA communist futureJust think, this man could have been our PM just a few years ago.By now, we would have had 20 million migrants instead of 3 million, inflation would be running at 100 per cent, one pound would be worth about 13 cents, the country would have been paralysed by non-stop strikes, and national debt would be hitting 5x GDP. But the NHS – now stuffed to the brim with DEI commissars – would be even more the “envy” of the world than it is now. We might also have a 3-day working week, although this mostly due to power cuts, not socialist thinking.As it stands, we are on our way to a similar communist future, but fortunately in a much slower way. Pray no leftist assassinates Farage before he can reverse the ship.MooreCLanesGood on Zarah for standing on her ownI’ve joined as a member and paid up. I don’t care about what’s being said. It’s all hullabaloo. Don’t care if Jezza and Zarah have disagreed on the timing of the email. I’m glad it’s out now. Good on Zarah for standing on her own and getting something done! People will be quick to jump on the bandwagon to say “look how bad it is already” but it’s a brand new party. Something had to go awry, so get it out of the way and get this party started!DaggerzShe is a liabilityI think she is a liability, sadly, because this isn’t the first time she has just gone ahead unilaterally and done something fundamental – like launch the party – without telling Corbyn. She doesn’t appear to be a team player but one who wants to take all the decisions without consulting her colleagues.LizzieMHopes for hung parliamentI really wanted this new party to succeed, but it’s looking more and more like it’s going to be strangled at birth. I’m 65 now, and time is running out for a real change in my lifetime. I just hope that at the next election, voters split to such an extent that we have a hung parliament, and can push through PR. My expectations are low, based on experience.bloodwortCollegiate?Ye gods Zarah. I thought that the new party was supposed to be collegiate. That means that off piste announcements and actions are unacceptable.PinkoRadicalYour Party needs to get its act togetherIf this story’s true Your Party needs to get its act together.We currently have an incompetent “Labour” government – so far to the right that the Conservatives would have been to the left of it a few decades ago.There HAS to be serious opposition to this – or Farage will walk it to No. 10. We already have the Green Party, in Scotland the SNP, and in Wales Plaid Cymru. But Britain also definitively needs an explicitly left-wing party to oppose Starmer, and in so doing stop Farage from becoming Prime Minister.FoodForThoughtSome 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

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    Andy Burnham refuses to rule out Labour leadership bid in threat to Starmer

    Andy Burnham has moved a step closer to posing a leadership threat to Sir Keir Starmer, declining to rule out stepping down as Greater Manchester mayor early. Leaving his post would pave the way for a return to the Commons, opening the door to a possible Labour leadership challenge.He is one of the favourites among Labour MPs to succeed Sir Keir, whose dismal poll ratings have led to speculation that he could be ousted before the next general election, due by 2029.Mr Burnham said yesterday that it was his “full intention” to remain in position in Manchester until 2028, when his mayoral term ends. But significantly, he added: “If events change, I’m not necessarily going to be stuck religiously in one way of thinking.”Andy Burnham suggested someone from the North would be a good choice for Labour’s new deputy leader More