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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 moreJD Vance has sparked a furious backlash for delivering an anti-immigration speech at the Munich Security Conference in which he attacked European leaders and backed those who voted for Brexit. The US vice-president was accused of “hypocrisy” and his speech described as “bizarre and dangerous” as he departed from the usual defence focus of speeches at the conference to lash out at the UK and EU over migration and free speech. Vance stunned gathered delegates as he lashed out at governments across the continent and accused Europe of “retreating from some of its most fundamental values”, claiming that freedom is in danger across the continent. JD Vance stunned European officials with a stinging attack on the continent 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 has said that she was never questioned about her expenses during her time working at Halifax Bank of Scotland.The chancellor was responding to a BBC report which found evidence of an internal inquiry into the spending habits of Ms Reeves and two other colleagues on their company cards but it appears that the investigation was never escalated to the point where action was taken. Insisting her expenses had been submitted and approved “in the proper way”, she added: “I was never questioned, never asked to pay back any expenses.”Ms Reeves worked at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) between 2006 and 2009.On Thursday, the BBC reported she was one of three employees investigated by HBOS for using her expenses to “fund a lifestyle” with inappropriate spending on dinners, events, taxis and gifts.It uncovered documents it alleged showed Ms Reeves was accused of spending hundreds of pounds on the items, including one gift for her boss. Concerns were reportedly raised about her spending on taxis and on a Christmas party, with one whistleblower believing it to be excessive, the BBC said.But Ms Reeves’s spokesperson said she did not recall being investigated by HBOS or facing questions over her expenses.And on Friday, Ms Reeves said: “I submitted, had processed and had my expenses signed off in the proper way as you would expect, and no issues were ever raised during my time at Halifax Bank of Scotland.”Rachel Reeves has defended herself from claims she was investigated over her expenses while working for a bank 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 moreMPs have been granted a pay rise that outpaces inflation, sparking debate over whether they deserve higher wages while many in the UK are struggling with the cost of living.While some argue that MPs need competitive salaries to attract top talent, many believe the timing is insensitive given the financial pressures on ordinary citizens. When we asked for your views, most expressed frustration and anger over the perceived disconnect between politicians and the public. Some demanded reform, citing distrust in how public money is managed.Many felt it was unjust for politicians to receive a generous pay increase when public sector workers face stagnant wages and households are grappling with rising bills.Critics argued that MPs should face pay freezes, cuts, or even be paid minimum wage to better understand everyday struggles. Many also called for stricter expense rules, transparency on second jobs, and penalties for absenteeism.Here’s what you had to say:Our MPs are underpaid, though I don’t like to say it. Basic pay should rise, but there should be greater scrutiny on expenses and dubious hiring practices for their offices. We may dislike the lot of them, but we need to pay them fairly and in comparison to similar democracies.AtreidesJ67Performance-related payThey should be on performance-related pay. This could be linked to an economic measure, such as the growth in GDP over the previous year, or the percentage by which the tax-free allowance for income tax has changed. Alternatively, it could be linked to some other policy area of public concern, such as a 2% reduction in NHS waiting lists or a 2 per cent reduction in small boat arrivals, which could translate into a 2% pay rise.KernowAlexLead by exampleThey don’t deserve a pay rise. Every government for the past 14 years has told us there’s no money, that we need to pay another rise in council tax, another rise in electricity and gas, another rise in water bills. No, they should lead by example and have a real-terms pay cut. The starting rate should be the same as benefits claimants because, according to them, you can live off that.DerbysGhostMPs’ pay and expenses badly need overhauling. For a start, MPs need smart cards so we know how much time they spend in the chamber, committees, subsidised restaurants and bars, gun clubs, film clubs, etc., with detailed diaries of all the work they claim to do in their constituencies. They should be paid hourly, with no more than the 28 days’ holiday that other public sector workers receive.For every day an MP is working in another job when they should be in Parliament, or doesn’t attend Parliament on its sitting days, they should receive no pay or expenses. Taxpayers must not be subsidising absentee MPs in second jobs. MPs should only be entitled to genuine out-of-pocket expenses.The second home should always be their London home to avoid flipping, with no second home costs if they live in an area that the DWP says is within commuting distance. If they want anything else, they should pay for it out of their salaries, just as other workers do.MPs’ salaries should be linked to the average weekly wage and not to some mythical figure that they claim. The tired old excuse is that they need high pay to attract the best people. Well, that excuse is wearing thin because, in most cases, we are not getting the best people. We are just getting people who went to the same schools and have learned to say “yes” a lot to their party whips and “no” a lot to their constituents.LadyCrumpsallCutting down on career politiciansMPs should get the minimum wage and then expenses. They might understand how life really is if they did, and it would cut down on career politicians. With the annual minimum wage being £23,873.60, they would still earn four times what most people earn and receive housing costs, food subsidies, and a subsidised bar – all for attending work when they feel like it.Diane1234Much closer scrutinyThey need to face reality and must not be awarded any pay rise. Period. If they wish to show some solidarity with the public, they should be asked to donate 2 per cent of their salaries to Shelter to help with the homeless issue. It should then be made public who did and didn’t agree to donate to this very worthwhile charity.The perks and expenses they are afforded should also be under much closer scrutiny, with fitting penalties for those ‘grifting’ to an abusive level.StigStagSalary freezeMPs’ and Ministers’ salaries should be frozen until April 2028, when the freeze on the personal tax allowance ends. After that, their remuneration should increase in line with GDP.sweepydogLimit expensesTechnically speaking, MPs are self-employed people representing their constituents. So the answer is no, they should not get a pay rise. In fact, they should be paid £270 for every day they attend Parliament; if they don’t attend, then no compensation.Their expenses should be limited to travelling costs from their constituency to the House of Parliament, the upkeep of their constituency office, and any expenses incurred while staying in London to attend Parliament – nothing else!AlexBRCarers vs politiciansCarers Allowance is set to rise by £1.40 – that’s if you haven’t lost it because of getting the State Pension. As a carer in this situation, I’d say NOT A CHANCE IN THE UNDERWORLD (you can bet the word I want to use wouldn’t get past moderation).Put a few politicians in the same room as a group of carers and ask the question – I’d love to read what was said in that meeting.BrummieGuySome of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article here.The conversation isn’t over. To join in, all you need to do is register your details, then you can take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here. More

‘70%’ chance Conservatives and Reform UK will merge before general electionYour 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 moreUS vice president JD Vance has backed Brexit voters in an anti-immigration rant at the Munich Security Conference.“No voter on this continent went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants,” he said.”But you know what they did vote for in England? They voted for Brexit and, agree or disagree, they voted for it. “And more and more all over Europe, they’re voting for political leaders who promised to put an end to out-of-control migration. Now, I happen to agree with a lot of these concerns, but you don’t have to agree with me.”Mr Vance then began to criticise freedom of speech laws in the UK and social policies across Europe. It comes as Sir Keir Starmer said he will visit the United States later this month to meet with President Donald Trump amid tensions between the two countries on potential tariffs and Ukraine.The Labour government has distanced itself from the Trump administration’s stance on Ukraine, as Sir Keir said Britain is committed to Ukraine being on an “irreversible path” to joining Nato after the US appeared to rule out membership.Starmer must be clear with Trump that his Ukraine proposals are ‘unacceptable’, Ed Davey saysLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said the Prime Minister should “seize the moment” and go to the Munich Security Conference to make clear to Donald Trump that his proposals on Ukraine are “unacceptable.”Responding to news of Sir Keir Starmer’s call with the US president on Thursday, Sir Ed said: “Keir Starmer must be clear with Donald Trump that his proposals on Ukraine are unacceptable.“There is not a moment to lose. It is critical that the Prime Minister joins the gathering of global leaders taking place this weekend at the Munich Security Conference, and does all he can to bolster support for Ukraine.“Keir Starmer must seize the moment and ensure that Trump’s plans to lock Ukraine, the UK and European allies out of decisions about our shared future do not succeed.”Jabed Ahmed14 February 2025 14:38Exclusive | Reform deputy who mocked Reeves over CV exaggeration found to have exaggerated on his own CVRichard Tice has repeatedly mocked Rachel Reeves for having allegedly embellished her CV, but The Independent can reveal the Reform UK deputy leader has in fact exagerrated his own business success on his CVJabed Ahmed14 February 2025 14:19Full report | Starmer on collision course with Trump over VAT and future of UkraineJabed Ahmed14 February 2025 13:59Politics Explained | Will Labour’s new towns succeed in fixing the housing crisis?The announcement of the project has prompted keen interest from local authorities. But will the plan work? Sean O’Grady looks at what happened last time new towns were builtJabed Ahmed14 February 2025 13:27Watch | Conservatives and Reform UK are ‘likely’ to merge before General ElectionConservatives and Reform UK are ‘likely’ to merge before General ElectionJabed Ahmed14 February 2025 12:59Firm behind beleaguered Bibby Stockholm migrant barge handed another £150m government contractOur Social Affairs Correspondent Holly Bancroft reports: Jabed Ahmed14 February 2025 12:39Full report | Starmer backs Ukraine’s ‘irreversible path to Nato’ in apparent swipe at TrumpOur Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell reports: Jabed Ahmed14 February 2025 12:18UK announces further sanctions on Putin’s inner circle Foreign Secretary David Lammy will meet the widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny at a major security summit as Britain announces further sanctions on people with links to Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.The Foreign Secretary will have talks with Yulia Navalnaya and reflect on her husband’s enduring legacy at the Munich Security Conference nearly a year on from his death.Mr Lammy said in a statement: “I am announcing further sanctions to keep up the pressure on Putin. Ukrainians are fighting for their country’s future and the principle of sovereignty across Europe at the frontline.“Nearly a year on from the death of Alexei Navalny, I am honoured to meet with Yulia Navalnaya and make clear our commitment to weaken Putin’s attempts to stifle political opposition and crack down on the Kremlin’s corrupt dealings globally.“We are calling on our friends and allies to continue to step up in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.”The sanctions announced target high-profile figures working in the Russian government, including Pavel Fradkov, a Russian defence minister, and Vladimir Selin, who heads up an arm of the Russian ministry of defence, the Foreign Office said.They also target Artem Chaika, whose extractives company supports Russian state-owned business.Jabed Ahmed14 February 2025 11:59Starmer to visit US to meet with Trump Sir Keir Starmer discussed “his forthcoming visit to the US” with Donald Trump on Thursday night during a meeting with the President’s special envoy to the UK, Downing Street has said.A spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister was pleased to host President Trump’s special envoy to the United Kingdom, Mark Burnett, at Downing Street last night, during which he took a call from President Trump and discussed his forthcoming visit to the US.“Mr Burnett and the Prime Minister agreed on the unique and special nature of the UK-US relationship, the strength of our alliance, and the warmth of the connection between the two countries.“Mr Burnett reflected on his personal connections to the UK, and his mother’s experience working part-time in Downing Street as a waitress over 30 years ago.“They emphasised the huge potential for even stronger collaboration on trade, tech and cultural matters between the US and the UK, and looked forward to working together.”( 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 moreRichard Tice has been accused of “rank hypocrisy” after he appeared to have exaggerated his own business success on his website just a day after mocking Rachel Reeves over errors on her LinkedIn page.The Reform UK deputy leader claims to have tripled the share price of real estate firm CLS holdings as chief executive from 2011 to 2014. But The Independent has discovered that the share price did not triple under Mr Tice’s tenure. It is an embarrassing revelation for Mr Tice, who on Thursday told this paper: “Rachel Reeves cannot even manage her own CV let alone manage the economy.” The former businessman, who was replaced as Reform leader when Mr Farage returned to fight the general election, has repeatedly attacked the chancellor as “Rachel from accounts”, a reference to allegations she embellished her CV relating to her time working at the Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS).Nigel Farage’s right hand man has repeatedly dubbed the chancellor ‘Rachel from accounts’ in a dig at her reportedly having embellished her CV 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 moreTechnology experts have expressed concern that the Government is “pivoting away from ‘safety’ towards ‘national security’” after it announced a rebranding of the AI Safety Institute.Peter Kyle, the Technology Secretary, rechristened the agency on Friday as the AI Security Institute (AISI), saying it would refocus its work on crime and national security issues.But while Mr Kyle insisted the AISI’s work “won’t change”, his department revealed it would no longer focus on “bias or freedom of speech”, sparking concern from experts in the field.Michael Birtwistle, associate director at the Ada Lovelace Institute, said he was “deeply concerned that any attention to bias in AI applications has been explicitly cut out of the new AISI’s scope”.He said: “A more pared back approach from the Government risks leaving a whole range of harms to people and society unaddressed – risks that it has previously committed to tackling through the work of the AI Safety Institute.“It’s unclear if there’s still a plan to meaningfully address them, if not in AISI.”Pointing to a series of scandals involving bias in AI in Australia, the Netherlands and the UK, Mr Birtwistle said there was a “real risk that inaction on risks like bias will lead to public opinion turning against AI”.As well as the AISI’s new name, Mr Kyle announced the creation of a new “criminal misuse” team within the institute to tackle risks such as AI being used to create chemical weapons, carry out cyber attacks and enable crimes such as fraud and child sexual abuse.Crime and security concerns already form part of the institute’s remit, but it currently also covers wider societal impacts of artificial intelligence, the risk of AI becoming autonomous and the effectiveness of safety measures for AI systems.Established in 2023, then-prime minister Rishi Sunak said the institute would “advance the world’s knowledge of AI safety”, including exploring “all the risks from social harms like bias and misinformation, through to the most extreme risks of all”.Mr Kyle said the AISI’s “renewed focus” on security would “ensure our citizens – and those of our allies – are protected from those who would look to use AI against our institutions, democratic values and way of life”.But Andrew Dudfield, head of AI at fact checking organisation Full Fact, said the move was “another disappointing downgrade of ethical considerations in AI development that undermines the UK’s ability to lead the global conversation”.Describing security and transparency as “mutually reinforcing pillars essential to building public confidence in AI”, Mr Dudfield added: “If the Government pivots away from the issues of what data is used to train AI models, it risks outsourcing those critical decisions to the most powerful internet platforms rather than exploring them in the democratic light of day.”Friday’s announcement comes after the Government began the year pledging to make the UK a world leader in AI and to put the technology at the heart of Whitehall.But it also comes in the same week that the UK joined the US in refusing to sign an international agreement on AI at a summit in Paris.The Government said it had declined to sign the communique issued at the end of the French-hosted AI Action Summit as it had not provided enough “practical clarity” on “global governance” of the technology or addressed “harder questions” about national safety. 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 is on a collision course with Donald Trump over the president’s latest threat to impose tariffs on the UK and over the future of Ukraine. The US president announced on Thursday that he would impose “reciprocal tariffs” on all other countries, charging the same amount as levies imposed on American exports – claiming such a move was “fair to all”.The impact of the announcement on the UK was not immediately clear, but the policy published by the White House included VAT as a target for reciprocal tariffs – which analysts have suggested could knock around £24bn off UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the next two years. It comes amid growing concern over how Mr Trump’s agenda could impact the global defence landscape, after he held shock talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and the US suggested Ukraine may be forced to give up some of its territory.Sir Keir Starmer was pressed on his response to Donald Trump’s tariffs at Prime Minister’s Questions (House of Commons/UK Parliament/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 Keir Starmer has reaffirmed Britain’s support for Ukraine joining Nato in a call with Volodymyr Zelensky as world leaders gather for a major security summit in Munich. In the first talks between the pair since Donald Trump and his defence secretary said it was unlikely Ukraine would join Nato, but in an apparent swipe at that stance, the prime minister reiterated the UK’s commitment to the country’s path into the alliance. “The prime minister reiterated the UK’s commitment to Ukraine being on an irreversible path to Nato, as agreed by Allies at the Washington Summit last year,” a readout of the call said, in a pointed message to the US. Keir Starmer reiterated Britain’s commitment to Ukraine joining Nato More