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 moreGovernment departments have reportedly been asked to identify 20 per cent of their lowest priority spending areas as Rachel Reeves eyes up billions of pounds in cuts ahead of the Spring Statement.The chancellor presented earmarked savings to the government’s spending watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), on Wednesday before she delivers her statement on 26 March. Treasury sources have said several factors have impacted plans presented under Ms Reeves’ October budget, with increased borrowing costs and weak economic growth likely to require further spending cuts in order to meet commitments on managing the public finances.Curbing the cost of welfare and a drive for greater efficiency across Whitehall are expected to contribute the bulk of the savings.Chancellor Rachel Reeves is likely to cut the cost of welfare to help manage public finances (Yui Mok/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 moreKeir Starmer’s intense round of diplomacy on Ukraine over the past week has seen him rewarded with his highest poll ratings in six months, according to YouGov.Conversely, anger over Donald Trump’s behaviour appears to have hit his closest ally in the UK Nigel Farage, whose own favourability score went down four points from 30 per cent to 26 per cent.The prime minister jetted to Washington DC where he won plaudits for his handling of Donald Trump, before warmly welcoming Volodymyr Zelensky in Downing Street after Ukraine’s president left the White House after angry scenes with Trump and JD Vance in the Oval Office.Sir Keir Starmer met with Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukranian president left the White House following a breakdown in talks with Donald Trump (Justin Tallis/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 moreSir Winston Churchill’s grandson has accused Donald Trump’s team of despising Europe after a furious row which saw vice-president JD Vance criticised for disrespecting Britain’s war dead. Conservative peer Sir Nicholas Soames, 77, told the House of Lords that the US administration “despise Europe really”.He also predicted that in future the “special relationship” between the UK and the US would not be “what it was”. “I don’t think they want it to be,” Lord Soames told the international relations and defence committee on Wednesday.Donald Trump has paid tribute to Churchill, reinstating the bust of the former prime minister in the Oval Office as one of his first acts in power upon his return to the presidential office in January.Lord Soames’s comments come after Mr Vance faced widespread condemnation for appearing to describe the UK as “some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”. Lord Soames is critical of the US administration’s stance on Europe and the UK 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 moreDonald Trump’s plans to impose tariffs on US imports will shrink the British economy, Rachel Reeves has been warned by Britain’s top economists. In a blow for the chancellor, members of the Bank of England’s interest rate-setting committee said the implications of the US president’s plans “are fairly clear” for economic growth. “Tariffs would push down growth,” Megan Greene, an external member of the monetary policy committee told MPs on Wednesday. Donald Trump’s tariffs will hit UK economic growth 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 moreA poll has shown Britons’ fury at Donald Trump’s second state visit invitation, with almost half saying it should be cancelled after his White House clash with Volodymyr Zelensky. Some 42 per cent of voters said the historic second invitation to Mr Trump should be withdrawn amid growing outrage at the US administration’s increasingly critical stance on Ukraine.Sir Keir Starmer has faced pressure from across the political spectrum to withdraw the invitation, which he hand-delivered to Mr Trump just a day before his Oval Office shouting match with Mr Zelensky. That is only likely to increase since Mr Trump’s decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine.Starmer hands the invitation to Trump. Many Britons now want it taken back 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 moreRachel Reeves is planning billions of pounds of cuts to benefits and other public spending ahead of this month’s Spring Statement, it has emerged. The chancellor will present major changes to the government’s spending watchdog on Wednesday amid fears her fiscal wiggle room after October’s Budget has been wiped out. Treasury sources said “the world has changed” since Ms Reeves delivered Labour’s first Budget in power, when she had a £9.9 billion buffer in her spending plans. Since then, economic growth has flatlined, while inflation and borrowing costs in the UK have risen. Donald Trump’s looming tariff wars also threaten to hit the British economy, even if Britain is exempt, Ms Reeves warned on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer confirmed talks have begun with Mr Trump’s administration on a trade deal which would let Britain avoid a tariff war with the US. But a Treasury source told The Independent that, given the rate at which the welfare bill is spiralling, “this is something we would need to do” anyway. The chancellor is expected to oversee a deep cut to benefit spending 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 delivered a powerful rebuke to US vice president JD Vance at Prime Minister’s Questions, opening the session with a roll call of the 642 British soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.The US vice president was accused of erasing the experiences of Britons who served overseas after his latest tirade against America’s European allies, where he suggested Britain hadn’t fought a war in more than 30 years.Addressing the Commons on Wednesday, the day after Mr Vance’s comments, Sir Keir said: “Tomorrow marks 13 years since six young British soldiers were on patrol in Afghanistan when their vehicle was struck by an explosive tragically killing them all. ( 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 faced his first Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 5 March, since his visit to the United States and the explosive meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.It comes after the US president criticised European leaders, including the British prime minister, on Monday, deriding their weekend talks over Ukraine and launching a furious new attack on the Ukrainian president for saying a peace deal is still “very, very far away”.Mr Trump fired off a tirade just as the PM was on his feet in the House of Commons insisting the US was vital, sincere and indispensable in the path to peace.Sir Keir has dismissed calls from MPs for Britain to shun Mr Trump and America after last week’s extraordinary ambush on Mr Zelensky in the White House Oval Office.The US president and JD Vance shouted over Mr Zelensky as a critical meeting on Ukraine erupted into a shouting match.The meeting appeared to go south when the US vice president accused the Ukrainian leader of being “disrespectful” when Mr Zelensky said US security guarantees are necessary for a ceasefire.Mr Trump talked over Mr Zelensky repeatedly, warning him he is “not in a good position” as Mr Zelensky looked visibly irritated.The Republican has since said he received a letter from Mr Zelensky praising his “strong leadership.”The US president boasted in an address to Congress that he “appreciated” Mr Zelensky sending the letter, which expressed willingness to come to the negotiating table and end the war as soon as possible.There was no direct mention of a rare earth minerals deal in Mr Trump’s speech, although he quoted Mr Zelensky’s letter as saying Ukraine was ready to sign. More