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 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private secretary to the influential Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden, predicted the measure would not be repealed in the October 30 statement.The former chief executive of the Resolution Foundation and new MP for Swansea West warned against politicians making undeliverable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

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 ThomasEditorPrimary school pupils should be given ice lollies in science lessons to ensure learning is grounded in engaging real-life experiences, a coalition of scientific associations has said.A new primary science curriculum should be introduced which offers a series of “essential experiences” in class so all children have opportunities to relate to scientific concepts, according to a report.The Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute of Physics, Royal Society of Biology and Association for Science Education have published recommendations for reforming the primary school curriculum in a bid to reduce inequalities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) education.Eating ice lollies, playing musical instruments and planting vegetables are some of the listed experiences which they suggest children should have by age 11 through science lessons in primary school.Children with limited first-hand experiences are “undeniably at a disadvantage”, the report suggested.Essential experiences like this promote learning on a personal level, so we believe they should be part of the curriculumAylin Ozkan, Royal Society of ChemistryIt said: “This is a fundamental equity issue, and the provision of rich essential experiences for children (particularly in the early and lower primary years) will go some way in addressing this.“These concrete experiences form a basis from which children can draw evidence for their ideas, making children ready for the more abstract learning they will encounter at secondary school.”The Government launched its curriculum and assessment review last month, which will be chaired by education expert Professor Becky Francis.The Department for Education (DfE) has said the views of experts, parents, teachers and leaders will be pivotal to the recommendations of the review, which are due to be published in 2025.Aylin Ozkan, a teacher and education policy specialist at the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “One of the recommendations for chemistry is that by the age of 11, all children should start to understand how temperature works and how heating and cooling can change things. What better prop is there for a teacher to help explain this than an ice lolly?“Essential experiences like this promote learning on a personal level, so we believe they should be part of the curriculum.“It’s a cheap solution, and will allow children the opportunity to develop their scientific confidence whatever their background – this is exactly what curriculum reform should be aiming to do.”Not all children have access to a garden or school fields and we want children to experience the world around them while empowering teachers to bring science in to everyday activitiesLauren McLeod, Royal Society of BiologyCharles Tracy, senior adviser in learning and skills at the Institute of Physics, said: “Many children enjoy making noise – but harnessing this in the classroom can help teach the basics of concepts such as pitch and volume. We want to help the review team to make the primary science curriculum as inclusive as possible.“We are recommending that teachers should be supported to bring global, historical, and societal context into their science lessons and that they should build science capital equitably by giving all students access to genuine scientific experiences that are currently the preserve of a lucky few.”Lauren McLeod, head of education policy at the Royal Society of Biology, said: “By celebrating green spaces, growing vegetables in the classroom, and visiting the local garden centre children can experience the life-cycles of living things and be involved in making healthy and sustainable choices.“Not all children have access to a garden or school fields and we want children to experience the world around them while empowering teachers to bring science in to everyday activities.”Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at school leaders’ union the NAHT, said: “Using real-life scenarios and objects can help bring science to life for pupils, and this happens in schools across the country, even under the current curriculum.“What is needed is not a whole new Stem curriculum, but to build upon what works best and a reduction in the current bloated programme – time is currently a big issue and there is scope to improve the experience of pupils and teachers by streamlining content.“The curriculum and assessment review must take a coherent and collective view of the whole curriculum, creating the space and time needed for schools to make it relevant to their pupils, improving engagement and fostering a real love of learning.”Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “Making science relatable to children’s real-world experiences in a hands-on way is an excellent approach to learning and something that primary schools are pretty good at doing.“The big challenge for the government’s curriculum review is going to be in making sure that there’s enough time for science alongside English, maths and everything else that primary schools have to deliver. At the moment, timetables can be quite congested because of the range of demands on schools.”A DfE spokesperson said: “High and rising standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.“The curriculum and assessment review will bring together leading education experts, leaders and staff, to consider how to ensure young people get the opportunity to access a broad and balanced curriculum, as well as the crucial work and life skills necessary to succeed in both the workplace and throughout their lives.” 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 ThomasEditorHalf of the public believes Nigel Farage is “personally responsible” for the recent riots that erupted across the UK, a new poll has revealed. The survey, conducted by Savanta between 9 and 11 August among 2,237 participants, found 51 per cent of British voters hold the Reform UK leader accountable for the violent disorder which led to more than 1,000 arrests and hundreds of charges.The right-wing MP came under intense scrutiny following a video he posted shortly after three young girls were stabbed to death while attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport. In the video, he accused the police of withholding the truth from the public and repeated misinformation which claimed the suspect was under surveillance by security services. In another clip, the Reform UK leader condemned the violence taking place on Britain’s streets. But he went on to claim there is a widespread impression of “two-tier policing”, which he said is contributing to a “sense of injustice”.Right-wing MP Nigel Farage came under intense scrutiny following a video he posted about the Southport stabbings More