UK Politics

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentAn ex-immigration minister has warned the Tory party’s“Stop The Boats” slogan fuelled the violent far right riots that erupted across the UK last month.Lord Timothy Kirkhope, the Conservative Party’s former immigration minister, argued discussions about migrants had fostered a climate of hostility towards refugees ahead of August’s violent unrest.He told the BBC that the “Stop the boats” rhetoric had inadvertently whipped up “emotionally” charged sentiment and had been hijacked by those “in support of more extreme views and activities”.It comes after rioters attacked mosques, ambushed riot police, set fire to a hotel housing migrants and torched a public library and Citizens Advice Bureau building in the aftermath of the fatal stabbing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport at the end of July.There were multiple incidents of ethnic minorities being attacked on the streets. In the aftermath of the Southport stabbing, false information spread rapidly online claiming the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker who came to the UK on a small boat crossing.Rishi Sunak made the ‘Stop the boats’ message a key part of his campaign to clamp down on migration More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentPresident Joe Biden and Sir Keir Starmer came together for talks in the White House on Friday night under growing pressure from both Ukraine and Russia over the potential use of long-range missiles in the war. The leaders met under the shadow of nuclear threats from Vladimir Putin and desperate demands from Volodymyr Zelensky, who wants to be allowed to use Storm Shadow weapons at targets in Russia. No final decision was made during the talks on the use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine, according to Politico. After the meeting Sir Keir said the issue will be taken up again at the UN General Assembly at the end of this month. “We’ll obviously pick up again in UNGA in just a few days time with a wider group of individuals,” he said.But their talks were overshadowed by:Putin expelling six UK diplomats from Moscow, accusing them of spying.The Russian president also threatening that permission to use the missiles would mean Russia would be “at war with Nato”, while reminding Starmer and Biden that Russia is a nuclear power.Zelensky warning that delay is costing lives of Ukrainian citizens.Russia remained silent on international condemnation for targeting a Ukrainian cargo ship carrying wheat in the Black Sea.Experts warned against Starmer and Biden backing down to Russian aggressionSpeaking to journalists in the Blue Room in the White House during a break in their meeting a bad tempered Biden scolded Sky News for asking a question but in response to concerns about Putin’s nuclear threat, he said: “I don’t think much about Vladimir Putin.”The meeting had originally been set for two hours and reduced to 90 minutes before Starmer’s arrival and then curtailed further as the two leaders avoided making a final decision on the crucial issue of the Storm Shadow missiles.However, even as Mr Biden and Sir Keir prepared to meet, President Zelensky increased the pressure with a direct plea via X to the two leaders.Mr Zelensky also praised the past actions of Boris Johnson, who he met on Friday at a summit in Kyiv.Mr Zelensky said: “We are now in the third year of a full-scale war. After so much death, destruction, and countless Russian war crimes, Putin can still afford to destroy life in Ukraine as he pleases, buy and produce missiles, bombs and artillery, and issue ultimatums to the world. He expects the world to fall for his madness.Starmer and Lammy hold meetings in Washington DC More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentPresident Joe Biden and Sir Keir Starmer came together for talks in the White House on Friday night under growing pressure from both Ukraine and Russia over the potential use of long-range missiles in the war. The leaders met under the shadow of nuclear threats from Vladimir Putin and desperate demands from Volodymyr Zelensky, who wants to be allowed to use Storm Shadow weapons at targets in Russia. No final decision was made during the talks on the use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine, according to Politico. After the meeting Sir Keir said the issue will be taken up again at the UN General Assembly at the end of this month. “We’ll obviously pick up again in UNGA in just a few days time with a wider group of individuals,” he said.But their talks were overshadowed by:Putin expelling six UK diplomats from Moscow, accusing them of spying.The Russian president also threatening that permission to use the missiles would mean Russia would be “at war with Nato”, while reminding Starmer and Biden that Russia is a nuclear power.Zelensky warning that delay is costing lives of Ukrainian citizens.Russia remained silent on international condemnation for targeting a Ukrainian cargo ship carrying wheat in the Black Sea.Experts warned against Starmer and Biden backing down to Russian aggressionSpeaking to journalists in the Blue Room in the White House during a break in their meeting a bad tempered Biden scolded Sky News for asking a question but in response to concerns about Putin’s nuclear threat, he said: “I don’t think much about Vladimir Putin.”The meeting had originally been set for two hours and reduced to 90 minutes before Starmer’s arrival and then curtailed further as the two leaders avoided making a final decision on the crucial issue of the Storm Shadow missiles.However, even as Mr Biden and Sir Keir prepared to meet, President Zelensky increased the pressure with a direct plea via X to the two leaders.Mr Zelensky also praised the past actions of Boris Johnson, who he met on Friday at a summit in Kyiv.Mr Zelensky said: “We are now in the third year of a full-scale war. After so much death, destruction, and countless Russian war crimes, Putin can still afford to destroy life in Ukraine as he pleases, buy and produce missiles, bombs and artillery, and issue ultimatums to the world. He expects the world to fall for his madness.Starmer and Lammy hold meetings in Washington DC More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentSir Keir Starmer has insisted he is serious about his post-Brexit reset – but admitted there was a long way to go.Speaking to The Independent on a flight to Washington DC to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war with US president Joe Biden, Sir Keir said he had put the UK’s relationship with Europe at the top of his agenda since Labour swept to power. “I’m very serious about it,” he said. “I think that’s clear enough from the work we’ve been doing in the last few weeks since the election.“I made this very clear initially at the Nato summit in Washington with European colleagues then at the summit with the European political community, which we hosted. And then obviously, as you’ve seen, I’ve been twice to Berlin, twice to Paris. I was with the taoiseach [Simon Harris] last Saturday.“We’re very serious about that. Obviously, we have a long way to go.”The prime minister met with German chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin in August to start talks for a bilateral deal More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentSir Keir Starmer has claimed he “sympathises” with millions of pensioners who have lost their winter fuel allowance and no longer stands by Labour’s own research that the cut will lead to thousands of deaths.The prime minister was pressed on the issue which has dominated domestic politics in the UK as he flew to Washington DC for a strategic summit on Ukraine and the Middle East with Joe Biden.Asked if the removal of winter fuel allowance was “a punishment beating” for a demographic which usually votes Conservative, Sir Keir retorted “absolutely not!”But he admitted that the first two months of his premiership has been framed a “gloom” but insisted he would fight the election on his record and delivering on his promises, dismissing recent polls which have seen his approval ratings plummet.Sir Keir Starmer talks to the media on board his plane as he flies to Washington DC (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentA 31-year-old controversially made a peer by Boris Johnson set up a PR firm that accumulated more than £2m in assets in just 12 months – and includes the former prime minister as one of its clients. Ross Kempsell – now Lord Kempsell – is listed as the sole director of the firm Hyannis Strategy, which also has a contract with news channel GB News, which the ex-Tory leader is due to join as a presenter and commentator. The elevation of Lord Kempsell, Mr Johnson’s former spokesperson and tennis partner, to the House of Lords attracted claims of cronyism from Labour. He took up his seat in July last year.Lord Kempsell, who was reportedly involved in “Operation Save Big Dog”, the fight to keep Mr Johnson in office in the wake of the Partygate scandal, is also a former journalist and friends with Carrie Johnson.Last week The Independent revealed that the woman Mr Johnson made Britain’s youngest peer has a plum new job at an environmental consultancy chaired by the ex-PM.Ross Kempsell was given a life peerage by Boris Johnson More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentBoris Johnson has met Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine as Russia threatens war with the West. In an apparent dig at other politicians the Ukrainian president tweeted: “I am grateful for his attention to Ukraine and support in providing the necessary international assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Ukrainians always remember those who stand by them.” Earlier he expressed his frustration at the continued restrictions on the use of Western weaponry against Russian targets.He said that after meeting the foreign secretary David Lammy and his US counterpart Antony Blinken this week “there should be no unanswered questions” about why Ukraine needs long-range capabilities. Vladimir Putin has said his country would be “at war” with Nato if the west allowed long-range weapons to be used against Russia.In his statement, Mr Zelensky said: “When we ask for these systems, we repeatedly hear, ‘We are working on it’.”Time passes, but Russian missiles and Iranian drones continue to terrorise our skies and our people. Our soldiers are showing incredible heroism, but they need reinforcements.”These reinforcements mean equipped, ready-to-fight units in sufficient numbers to not only hold ground but regain it. We have been asking for this from our partners for months.”I am grateful to those who made the commitments and are fulfilling them, but we are still far from fully implementing what has been agreed.”It’s difficult to repeatedly hear, ‘We are working on this,’ while Putin continues to burn down our cities and villages.” More

Keir Starmer boards plane for Washington DC to meet Joe BidenYour support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseMy recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyondEric GarciaWashington Bureau ChiefSir Keir Starmer is visiting the White House where he will meet US President Joe Biden to discuss conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.During the trip, he admitted there had been no impact assessment of how the decision to cut winter fuel payments will affect millions of pensioners.However, the new measures have cost him points in favourability ratings as a new Ipsos poll found 46 per cent of people see him unfavourably, an eight-point increase in three months.Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has also been pressured over the upcoming October Budget, has seen her favourability fall by four points to 23 per cent.The prime minister and Mr Biden are expected to consider Kyiv’s request to be able to use Western Storm Shadow long-range missiles in Russian territory.But President Putin said such a move would mean that Russia would be “at war with Nato”. Speaking to reporters during a flight to Washington DC, Sir Keir said Russia started the conflict in Ukraine and that it can end the war “straight away”. Show latest update 1726238832Why Ukraine wants to use Western long-range missiles inside Russia?Ukraine is pushing for permission from its Western partners to use the long-range missiles they have provided to strike targets deep inside Russia, as Ukrainian forces struggle to hold back Russian advances in eastern Ukraine.Kyiv officials argue the weapons are vital to weaken Russia’s ability to strike Ukraine and force it to move its strike capabilities further from the border.Russia has warned that it would consider allowing such long-range strikes an act of war, and Ukraine’s Western allies are wary of antagonizing the country with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal.The issue is likely to weigh heavily on White House meetings today between US President Joe Biden and Sir Keir Starmer, as well as with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later this month.The long-range missiles include systems like the British-led Storm Shadow and the similar French-made SCALP or the U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System, ATACMS.Salma Ouaguira13 September 2024 15:471726238730Port Sudan ‘safer than London’, says bishopA city in war-torn Sudan is safer than London, according to a peer.The Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Rev Nick Baines, made the remark as he encouraged the soon-to-be-appointed UK special representative for Sudan to visit Port Sudan.The city on the Red Sea serves as the seat of the internationally recognised, military-backed government.Sudan descended into conflict in April 2023 when tensions between the military and a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, exploded into open warfare.The Foreign Office advises against all travel to Sudan because of the ongoing conflict in Khartoum and other parts of the country.The department’s travel advice notes the only functional civilian airport operating international flights is Port Sudan Airport.A man drinks water while another holds a loaf of bread, following devastating floods, in Arbaat, Sudan near Port Sudan More