UK

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorYvette Cooper is facing backlash over plans to reopen two troubled detention centres as part of a crackdown on immigration. On Wednesday, the home secretary announced a series of measures aimed at tackling illegal migration and improving border security, including a pledge to return the number of failed asylum seekers sent back to their home countries to 2018 levels over the next six months, meaning more than 14,000 deportations by the end of the year. However, the 14,000 figure is far lower than the 45,000 returned in 2010 under the former Labour government and less than the 19,000 migrants who have arrived in Britain by crossing the Channel in small boats so far this year.The government also revealed plans to increase detention capacity with 290 beds at two immigration removal centres, Campsfield in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, and Haslar in Gosport, Hampshire. But these plans are being criticised as a backwards step as both sites were plagued with problems before they shut in 2019 and 2015 respectively, including hunger strikes and suicides. Critics say the plans are a waste of taxpayer money, lack detail and fail to recognise “the dignity and humanity of migrants”, especially in the wake of recent racist riots that targeted hotels housing asylum seekers across the country.The home secretary Yvette Cooper has been accused of failing to get a grip on the issue More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorTransport secretary Louise Haigh said she plans to support local authorities who want to introduce 20mph speed limits, despite polling showing that 70 per cent of people are opposed to the policy. She said she wants to move on from the “culture wars” that made transport policy so controversial under the previous government.Ms Haigh dubbed the last government’s approach to 20mph speed limits, cycle lanes and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods “ridiculous” after it launched criticism of so-called “anti-motorist” policies.Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has said her officials are ‘looking at various options’ regarding the fare cap (PA) More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorGovernment borrowing surged by more than expected in July in a blow to Rachel Reeves as she prepares to deliver her first Budget.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said public sector net borrowing stood at £3.1bn last month, £1.8bn more than a year ago and the highest July borrowing since 2021.The total for July was £3bn more than predicted by Britain’s official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and higher than the £1.1bn most economists were pencilling in.Rachel Reeves is planning to raise taxes and cut spending in October’s budget More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorLabour will not use its first budget to scrap the two-child benefit cap, a member of Sir Keir Starmer’s government has said.Torsten Bell, parliamentary private secretary to the influential Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden, predicted the measure would not be repealed in the October 30 statement.The former chief executive of the Resolution Foundation and new MP for Swansea West warned against politicians making undeliverable or unfunded promises.The former Resolution Foundation chief is now Labour’s MP for Swansea West More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe UN special rapporteur on torture has urged Sir Keir Starmer to review the cases of thousands of people trapped in prison indefinitely under Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences.Dr Alice Jill Edwards appealed directly to the prime minister to end the injustice, criticising the scandal which has left thousands of people to “languish without hope” in prison as “a terrible indictment” of the UK’s justice system.First introduced by Tony Blair’s government in 2005 to allow courts to hand offenders jail terms with a minimum length but no maximum time limit, IPP sentences were scrapped in 2012 over human rights concerns.But some 2,734 people are still incarcerated under the abolished sentence as of June, down just 6 per cent on the previous year. An estimated 700 people have served at least 10 years longer than their minimum tariff.This publication has highlighted numerous such cases, including those of Thomas White, who set himself alight after serving more than 12 years for stealing a mobile phone, and Abdullahi Suleman, who has spent nearly 20 years behind bars for a laptop robbery.Shaun Lloyd recently expressed fears he could be hauled back to jail for the fourth time for stealing a phone almost 20 years ago, while Leighton Williams finally had his sentence quashed in May after serving more than 15 years in prison for a drunken fight at the age of 19.Another tragic case highlighted by The Independent includes Yusuf Ali, who did not eat for 61 days as he lost hope of ever being freed. When he was handed the IPP sentence in 2008 for seriously injuring another prisoner, he was told he must serve a minimum of three years. But almost 16 years later, after five failed parole bids, he is still inside.Abdullahi Suleman, 41, has been in custody for 15 of the last 19 years under an indefinite jail term as he battles mental health problems More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorMayor of London Sadiq Khan has suggested the UK could rejoin the EU in “the medium to long term”, in a departure from Labour’s stance on Brexit. Last month, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said he wants to “reset” relations with European allies. But he also noted negotiations on trade arrangements will not involve re-joining the bloc or a return to freedom of movement.Sir Keir added he did not believe Britain would return to the EU in his lifetime.However, Mr Khan said “in the medium to long term, there will need to be a conversation about whether we have a better future inside the EU or outside of it”, while conceding this would not be possible in the short term. The prime minister has previously said the government wants to repair the damage to relations with Europe caused by Brexit wrangles and strike a better deal with the EU than the “botched” trade agreement signed by Boris Johnson.Before the election, Labour rejected the possibility of an EU-wide youth mobility scheme scheme, saying the party would “seek to improve the UK’s working relationship with the EU within our red lines – no return to the single market, customs union or free movement”.Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and prime minister Sir Keir Starmer More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorTory leadership contender Robert Jenrick has admitted he previously used the Ozempic weight-loss jab but “didn’t particularly enjoy it”. The former immigration minister confirmed he took the medication for around six weeks last autumn to shed some pounds.Mr Jenrick was addressing rumours about his sudden weight loss over the past year after he reappeared in Westminster with a noticeably slimmer figure since leaving government.The MP for Newark, who resigned as immigration minister last year over Rishi Sunak’s now-scrapped Rwanda plan, revealed he didn’t enjoy the treatment. Robert Jenrick admitted he took Ozempic jabs for six months but ‘didn’t enjoy it’ More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorCampaigners are preparing to launch a fresh pilot for a four-day working week in the hope the new Labour government will be more open-minded to the scheme.And we want to know if our readers also think chopping a day off the average Monday to Friday is a good idea.Run by the UK’s 4 Day Week Campaign the project is due to take place in November and report its findings to the government next summer.It comes as staff who are consistently contacted by bosses outside of normal working hours could be in line for thousands of pounds of compensation under Labour plans.The government’s plans to introduce a right to switch off, establishing a barrier between workers’ professional and home lives, could see staff securing bumper payouts at employment tribunals.Do you think a four-day working week would be more productive for businesses and their employees? Should workers look to recalibrate their work-life balance, including a right to switch off?Share your thoughts by adding them in the comments — we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.All you have to do is sign up and 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.Join the conversation with other Independent readers below. More