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 morePrice hikes and job cuts are inevitable following Labour’s Budget, business leaders have warned Rachel Reeves as they accused her of failing to grow the economy.The bosses of some of the UK’s biggest firms have said the government failed to engage with them ahead of the Budget, while a survey of business chiefs found that two thirds believe it will make Britain a less attractive country to investors.Despite a manifesto pledge not to increase taxes for working people – including national insurance contributions (NIC), income tax and VAT – the chancellor increased employers’ NICs from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent at the Budget. She also reduced the threshold at which employers start paying the tax, slashing it from £9,100 per year to £5,000.The Chancellor set out her tax-grabbing Budget last month (Ben Whitley/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 moreWes Streeting has warned NHS bosses that they will be sacked and blocked from taking a job in the sector again if their hospitals fail.The health secretary made it clear that he intends to end the culture of NHS executives being fired from one job for failure, only to be given another job at a different trust.Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Streeting told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “where we have poorly performing senior managers, I’ll make no apology for managing those people out, because people know – and this is the guilty secret of the NHS – there are very senior managers who are paid on average let’s not forget £145,000 a year, who are managed out, given a payoff in one trust and then reincarnate in another NHS trust.“Those might be the rotten apples, and I want to recognise that there are some outstanding leaders right across the NHS, but those rotten apples are unacceptable and give the rest of the profession a bad name.”The drive for efficiency saw a surprised Mr Streeting compared to X boss Elon Musk who has just been handed a role advising Donald Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).Health secretary Wes Streeting is on ‘no holds barred’ mission to reform the NHS 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 moreKeir Starmer has signed a new defence deal with Romania in the latest step in his plans to reset relations with the European Union after Brexit. The UK has now agreed to work more closely with a second EU ally in as many weeks, as Europe braces itself for the impact of a Trump presidency. The president-elect has picked Fox presenter Pete Hegseth, who has complained the US is spending too much supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russia, as his choice for defence secretary.Last month the prime minister scored the first major breakthrough in his great Brexit reset with a landmark defence deal with the EU’s largest economy Germany. Defence secretary John Healey said the latest agreement “demonstrates how quickly the UK’s defence relationship with Romania is growing and … shows our shared commitment to peace and security in Europe.” Keir Starmer welcomed Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu to No 10 on Wednesday 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 moreChancellor Rachel Reeves is coming under more pressure over the so-called “charity tax” which will see the operators of Britain’s 500-strong charity lotteries forced to pay the new gambling levy aimed at the big bookmakers.The sector is warning that it will take away £1 million from good causes.The row has emerged as a number of charities, particularly hospices, have already warned about the impact of the increase in employers contributions to national insurance on their running costs after Ms Reeves refused to give them the same relief as the public sector on not having to pay it.This morning health secretary Wes Streeting confirmed that hospices providing end of life care will be hit by the tax rise at a time when MPs are preparing to vote on legislation to allow terminally ill people to have assisted dying.Culture Secretary Lisa Nandyis being asked to exclude charity lotteries from the gambling levy (Lucy North/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 moreThe future of the Chagos Islands and a secretive UK/US airbase is set to be an early flashpoint between Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer as the president-elect seeks to veto the controversial deal signed off by the prime minister and endorsed by Joe Biden, it can be revealed. The Independent understands that Mr Trump’s transition team has requested legal advice from the Pentagon over the agreement that handed the Chagos Islands, which is under British control, to Mauritius.US government sources say Mr Trump is looking to veto the deal, which is set to come into force after his inauguration in January, over global security fears.It comes after The Independent revealed how allies of Nigel Farage had pushed Mr Trump’s team to investigate the consequences of the Chagos Islands deal ahead of last week’s US election. Ahead of an urgent question in the Commons today, Mr Farage told The Independent that Mr Trump would be attempting to veto the deal. He said: “It’s happening!”The Chagos Islands decision impacts the Diego Garcia airbase 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 moreTransport secretary Louise Haigh has issued a warning to train operators over prosecuting passengers for ticketing errors, as she labelled the system “far too complicated”.While she warned that deliberate fare-dodging had “no place on our railways”, the Department for Transport (DfT) has launched an independent review into rail fare prosecutions following claims of train operators taking “disproportionate action” against passengers. Last month, a university student said he feared getting a criminal record and being fined hundreds of pounds after being told he was being prosecuted by Government-owned operator Northern because he unknowingly used a railcard at the wrong time, resulting in a £1.90 underpayment.Northern dropped its action against him following media coverage.On Wednesday, Ms Haigh announced that regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) will analyse how suspected fare evasion is handled. This will include an assessment of whether ticketing terms and conditions are clear for passengers, and when prosecution is appropriate.Transport secretary Louise Haigh said on Wednesday that regulator the Office of Rail and Road will analyse how suspected fare evasion is handled 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 moreWatch live as Sir Keir Starmer faces Kemi Badenoch at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 13 November, following the announcement of Labour’s plans to name and shame failing NHS hospitals as part of a package of measures aimed at tackling poor performance.Wes Streeting has announced proposals for NHS managers to be sacked if they cannot improve patient care and take control of finances.The health secretary has warned there “will be no more rewards for failure” and NHS England will carry out a “no holds barred” review of performance across England, with the results made public in league tables which are regularly updated.Trusts will be ranked on a range of indicators such as finances, delivery of services, patient access to care and the competency of leadership.Health leaders have criticised the move, saying it could demoralise staff, and accused ministers of “falling for the appealing notion of a magic productivity tree which will make the NHS more efficient just by shaking the magic tree harder”. 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 moreRachel Reeves is set to face protests in her own constituency against her decision to strip winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners.The protests, organised by the Unite trade union and the Yorkshire and Humber Pensioners’ Convention, will take place in Leeds on Thursday – just days before farmers descend on London in a row over the chancellor’s tax hikes.Ministers have defended the changes, saying they have to “get the money from somewhere” and blaming the last Conservative government for leaving a £22bn black hole in the public finances.But critics have warned many pensioners will have to choose between heating and eating this winter, especially if Britain suffers a cold snap.New polling by Survation shows that in Ms Reeves’ own constituency of Leeds West and Pudsey, just a third of voters support the introduction of means testing for the winter fuel allowance. Meanwhile, 68 per cent of voters think it is unfair that pensioners on incomes as low as £220 a week will no longer get the money to help pay their fuel bills.( More