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 ThomasEditorRachel Reeves has said Labour’s economic inheritance is the worst since the Second World War and ordered civil servants to compile a dossier on the state of the economy after 14 years of Conservative rule.The chancellor said she had repeatedly warned about the dire state of the public finances during the general election, and “what I have seen in the past 72 hours has only confirmed that”.“Our economy has been held back by decisions deferred and decisions delayed… political self-interest put ahead of the national interest,” Ms Reeves said at her first press conference as chancellor.Chancellor Rachel Reeves giving a speech at the Treasury in London (Jonathan Brady/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 ThomasEditorFollowing Labour’s landslide general election victory, Sir Keir Starmer’s new government has wasted no time in signalling its intentions to improve upon the current Brexit deal negotiated by Boris Johnson.In a visit to Edinburgh on Sunday, the new prime minister said work had already begun to build closer ties with the European Union as he told reporters “that we can get a much better deal than the botched deal that Boris Johnson saddled the UK with”.Writing in The Local Europe, foreign secretary David Lammy – who could attend the September meeting of the EU foreign affairs council – added that the new government would “reset relations with Europe as a reliable partner, a dependable ally and a good neighbour.”And Irish prime minister Simon Harris said Brussels would be willing to offer the UK a new deal on post-Brexit issues, suggesting there was “space” to work more closely with Britain as he pledged that Ireland would be an ally in any negotiations.Here The Independent takes a look at what Labour has said about different aspects of the UK’s relationship with the EU.Freedom of movementFollowing the UK’s departure from the EU, the rights of British to travel and work within the bloc – and vice versa – were restricted.This has had a huge impact on the music, travel and other industries, while passport queues could be set to get even worse in the months ahead if Brussels implements its much-delayed automated EU Entry/Exit system, which will see biometric photos and fingerprints required for Britons to enter into the Schengen area.Britons rights to work in the EU have been restricted 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 ThomasEditorWatch as chancellor Rachel Reeves sets out her plan for the economy in a speech on Monday 8 July.The UK’s first female chancellor will make kickstarting economic growth a “national mission” with major changes to speed up infrastructure projects and unlock private investment.In her first major speech, Ms Reeves will vow to take “difficult decisions” because there is “no time to waste”.Labour will “fix the foundations” of the British economy, she will say, arguing that 14 years of Tory rule had cost £140 billion in lost growth.Sir Keir Starmer’s administration has made faster economic growth, and the tax revenues that would flow from it, a key plank of its strategy to fund public services which are struggling for cash.The Labour manifesto committed to wholesale planning reforms to make it easier to build and a greater focus on driving through key infrastructure projects which have become mired in delays and boost housebuilding.The manifesto pledged to “immediately” update the National Policy Planning Framework to undo changes made by the Conservatives, including restoring mandatory housing targets.The party also plans to allow building on some greenbelt land, promising to take a “more strategic approach” to “build more homes in the right places”. More

Kwasi Kwarteng refuses to rule out Tory comeback from himself or Liz TrussSupport 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 race to replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader is unofficially underway in the wake of the Conservative Party’s wipeout at the general election.With some frontrunners casting the contest as a battle for the soul of the Conservative Party – after Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform UK inflicted losses for the Tories in scores of seats – ex-minister Kevin Hollinrake is among those to suggest the race could last until the end of the year, adding: “I don’t think there is any rush”.While no candidate has yet formally launched a bid, Suella Braverman’s hopes were dealt an early blow, as one source described the twice-sacked home secretary’s campaign to The Times as “dead before it even started”, accusing her of “going too hard, too soon”.It came as multiple reports suggested right-wing MP Danny Kruger would support Robert Jenrick, further diminishing Ms Braverman’s hopes of being the flagbearer of the Tory right.Other possible Tory leadership race contenders on the party’s right include Kemi Badenoch and Priti Patel, while James Cleverly, Jeremy Hunt, Tom Tugendhat and Victoria Atkins are among more moderate figures who could launch bids.Show latest update 1720449116Scottish Tory justice spokesperson signals he could run in leadership raceScottish Tory justice spokesperson Russell Findlay has signalled that he is considering a run at the party leadership north of the border.Mr Findlay, a former journalist who prior to entering Holyrood was attacked with acid while investigating organised crime in Glasgow, said: “Tories across the UK have taken a beating – although our success in Scotland in holding constituencies shouldn’t be overlooked.“Everyone should take time to reflect on the message we have been sent.“Scotland needs to play a big part in rebuilding an election-winning conservative movement and, along with many others, I’ll be taking careful consideration of the new circumstances we are in and of how I can best contribute to that task.”Russell Findlay is considering a bid to replace Douglas Ross 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 ThomasEditorSuella Braverman’s Tory leadership hopes have suffered an early blow as a key backer reportedly prepares to back Robert Jenrick instead.Although no-one has formally launched a campaign to replace Rishi Sunak following the disastrous 4 July election result, Ms Braverman is expected to be a front runner. However, the former home secretary’s expected campaign has been described as “dead before it has even started” as right-wing MP Danny Kruger is said to support Mr Jenrick.In an indication of how long the contest could drag on, former business secretary Kevin Hollinrake said on Monday a leadership race could last until the end of the year, adding that “I don’t think there is any rush”.Former home secretary Suella Braverman is expected to be preparing a Tory leadership bid (Andrew Matthews/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 ThomasEditorThe new education secretary has pledged to recruit thousands of teachers just days after Labour took power in a landslide victory. Bridget Phillipson announced on Monday that the Department of Education (DfE) will begin work on delivering the government’s pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers. As one of her first steps in post, the education secretary will write to all sector workforces to “make clear the valuable role” they will play in the Labour government’s agenda. Ms Phillipson will hold a reception with key education stakeholders later this week, as well as making it a priority to meet with teaching unions in the coming days.Bridget Phillipson is the new education secretary 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 ThomasEditorBritain’s new history making chancellor Rachel Reeves will warn that she must “make difficult decisions” to “fix the foundations of the economy” as she gives her first speech as chancellor today.The UK’s first female chancellor in 803 years of the office existing, is set to deliver a speech to business leaders from some of Britain’s most pioneering industries – including its financial services and green industries – in central London.They are due to hear Ms Reeves vow to “fix the foundations of our economy so we can rebuild Britain and make every part of our country better off” and claim that Tory decisions meant the economy failed to grow by £10 billion for each of their 14 years in charge.The new chancellor wants to “waste no time” and start off on the front foot as she pushes ahead with what she believes will be a high growth agenda for the UK economy.Rachel Reeves will claim the Tories left a £140bn economic black hole 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 ThomasEditor A coalition of the French left won the most seats in high-stakes legislative elections Sunday, according to near-final results, beating back a far-right surge but failing to win a majority. The outcome left France facing the stunning prospect of a hung parliament and threatened political paralysis in a pillar of the European Union and Olympic host country.That could rattle markets and the French economy, the EU’s second-largest, and have far-ranging implications for the war in Ukraine, global diplomacy and Europe’s economic stability.In calling the election on June 9, after the far right surged in French voting for the European Parliament, Macron said sending voters back to the ballot boxes would provide “clarification.” On almost every level, that gamble appears to have backfired. Results so far showed France plunged into a political fog, with the three main blocs — a leftist coalition, the far-right National Rally and Macron’s centrists — all falling well short of the 289 seats needed to control the 577-seat National Assembly.“Our country is facing an unprecedented political situation and is preparing to welcome the world in a few weeks,” said Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who plans to offer his resignation on Monday. With the Olympics looming, he said he was ready to stay at his post “as long as duty demands.” Macron has three years remaining on his presidential term.Attal made clearer than ever his disapproval of Macron’s shock decision to call the election, saying “I didn’t choose this dissolution” of the outgoing National Assembly, where the president’s centrist alliance used to be single biggest group, albeit without an absolute majority. Still, it was able to govern for two years, pulling in lawmakers from other camps to fight off efforts to bring it down. The new legislature appears shorn of such stability. With most ballots counted, the leftist coalition was leading Macron’s centrist alliance, with the far right in third. That confirms the picture also given by pollsters’ projections.In Paris’ Stalingrad square, supporters on the left cheered and applauded as projections showing the alliance ahead flashed up on a giant screen. Cries of joy also rang out in Republique plaza in eastern Paris, with people spontaneously hugging strangers and several minutes of nonstop applause after the projections landed.Marielle Castry, a medical secretary, was on the metro in Paris, when the projections were first announced.“Everybody had their smartphones and were waiting for the results and then everybody was overjoyed,” said the 55-year-old. “I had been stressed out since June 9 and the European elections. … And now, I feel good. Relieved.” A redrawn political map Even before votes were cast, the election redrew France’s political map. It galvanized parties on the left to put differences aside and join together in a new alliance, the New Popular Front, behind pledges to roll back many of Macron’s headline reforms, embark on a massively costly program of public spending and, in foreign policy, take a far tougher line against Israel because of the war with Hamas.Macron described the left’s coalition as “extreme” and warned that its economic program of many tens of billions of euros in public spending, partly financed by tax hikes for high earners and on wealth, could be ruinous for France, already criticized by EU watchdogs for its debt.Yet, with the projections and then the near-final results showing the New Popular Front with the most seats, its leaders immediately pushed Macron to give the alliance the first chance to form a government and propose a prime minister to share power with the president.The most prominent of the leftist coalition’s leaders, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, said it “is ready to govern.”Although the National Rally fell far short of its hopes of securing an absolute majority that would have given France its first far-right government since World War II, the anti-immigration party with historical links to antisemitism and racism was on track to have more seats than ever in the National Assembly.After the party finished top of the first-round vote last weekend, its rivals worked together to dash its hopes of an outright victory in Sunday’s runoff, by strategically withdrawing candidates from many districts. That left many far-right candidates in head-to-head contests against just one opponent, making it harder for them to win. Many voters decided that keeping the far right from power was more important to them than anything else, backing its opponents in the second round, even if they weren’t from the political camp they usually support.National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, thought to be eyeing what would be her forth run for the French presidency in 2027, said the elections laid the groundwork for “the victory of tomorrow.” “The tide is rising,” she said. “It did not rise high enough this time.”“The reality is that our victory is only deferred,” she added.Jordan Bardella, Le Pen’s 28-year-old protégé who’d been hoping to become prime minister, rued that the outcome of the vote “throws France into the arms of the extreme left.”In a statement from his office, Macron indicated that he wouldn’t be rushed into inviting a potential prime minister to form a government. It said he was watching as results come in and would wait for the new National Assembly to take shape before taking “the necessary decisions.” Unknown territory A hung parliament is unknown territory for modern France. Unlike other countries in Europe that are more accustomed to coalition governments, France doesn’t have a tradition of lawmakers from rival political camps coming together to form a majority. France is also more centralized than many other European countries, with many more decisions made in Paris.The president was hoping that with France’s fate in their hands, voters might shift from the far right and left and return to mainstream parties closer to the center — where Macron found much of the support that won him the presidency in 2017 and again in 2022.But rather than rally behind him, millions of voters seized on his surprise decision as an opportunity to vent their anger.In last weekend’s first round of balloting, voters backed candidates from the National Rally, while the coalition of parties on the left took second and his centrist alliance was a distant third.The sharp polarization of French politics – especially in this torrid and quick campaign – is sure to complicate any coalition-building effort. Racism and antisemitism marred the electoral campaign, along with Russian disinformation campaigns, and more than 50 candidates reported being physically attacked — highly unusual for France.___Associated Press journalists Barbara Surk in Nice, France, and Helena Alves and Alex Turnbull in Paris contributed to this report.___Follow AP’s global election coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/global-elections/ More