UK politics

UK politics

Donald Trump's state visit to the United Kingdom his second, with the same pomp and protocol was to be the most significant event scheduled to kick off the new British political year. A series of unexpected and serious factors, such as the dismissal of the ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, over his friendship with billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and the murder of far-right American activist Charlie Kirk, have disrupted Downing Street's plans and foreshadow political tension and unprecedented security measures throughout the week.

"Look at the way in which Tommy Robinson sort of fawned on Musk, look at the way in which Farage fawns about Trump, that, you know, they're seeking to turn this country into sort of little MAGA Britain. "We need to be just much clearer in calling out that this is in whatever shape or form, a form of extraterritorial interference into our democratic culture... which they would never tolerate in the US."

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A senior Labour MP has said "red flags were missed or ignored" before Peter Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador to the US, in an emergency debate about his sacking. Dame Emily Thornberry, chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said "something went very wrong" given Lord Mandelson's known links to convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein. Lord Mandelson was sacked last week after the publication of emails that showed the Labour peer had sent supportive messages to Epstein as he faced jail in 2008.

From 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.

The leader of the Liberal Democrats says he does not regret publicly asking the party's Welsh leader to reflect on her position in light of her role in a historic church abuse case. Speaking ahead of the Liberal Democrat party conference in Bournemouth, Sir Ed Davey said it was "good" Jane Dodds had apologised. Dodds, a Member of the Senedd (MS) for Mid and West Wales, previously admitted their relationship "would take time to repair".

Just what has Stephen Doughty done to upset Keir Starmer? Are there no limits to the prime minister's contempt and hatred? Not that Steve is a total nobody. He's not a run-of-the-mill backbencher. But he has risen as high as he is likely to go as a junior minister in the Foreign Office. Probably higher than Steve ever expected. Certainly higher than his mates expected. Put simply, Steve is a dependable plodder.

From 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.

Opher told the BBC they were held in a passport office before being handed a "legal form insisting that we leave the country" and then "escorted to a bus" back to Jordan. The Stroud MP said he was told they were not being admitted on "public order" grounds and that representations from the Foreign Office to Israeli authorities had been rejected.

"I am extremely frustrated by the slow progress on the clinical trial. The reason it's taking its time is because it is absolutely vital that we get the research programme right, so that at the end of that programme, the evidence can be trusted and not subject to challenge."

Quick update on Keir Starmer's government of national renewal: having just lost his deputy and housing secretary over her failure to pay the required stamp duty, the prime minister has also lost his US ambassador over his known close association with a known paedophile sex trafficker. Hang on he's now also lost his director of political strategy for relating some dirty jokes about Diane Abbott.

Appearing at Westminster magistrates court in central London on Tuesday, the three all denied the same charge of displaying an article, namely a placard, in a public place, arousing reasonable suspicion that they are a supporter of a proscribed organisation, contrary to section 13 (1) of the Terrorism Act 2000. The defendants, who appeared before the chief magistrate, Paul Goldspring, were allowed to sit outside the dock as two are hard of hearing and hearing loops could not be found for them.

John Swinney and Donald Trump remain at odds on a whole range of issues - but something has fundamentally changed in their relationship. On Wednesday, Scotland's first minister will don his sharpest evening wear to attend a State banquet at Windsor Castle in honour of the US president. Six months ago there seemed little chance that the SNP leader would have anything to do with President Trump's second state visit to the UK.

The partnership leading the HS2 redevelopment site around Euston station had expected funding to be agreed earlier this year, newly released minutes from last year have revealed. The Euston Partnership Board was established in July 2020 to enable closer collaboration and joint working between all partners involved in the Euston programme. They publish redacted copies of their meetings, but sporadically. Last week, a large batch was released, covering the period from November 2024 to March 2025.

Downing Street has denied that the government's returns deal with France is in chaos after plans to forcibly remove from the UK people arriving in small boats were abandoned for a second day. Asked by reporters if the latest delay meant the so-called one in one out agreement was a shambles, the prime minister's spokesperson said No. The response came after plans on Monday and Tuesday to fly rejected asylum applicants to Paris were dropped.

Today's figures are a stark warning: retail jobs have plunged to a record low with 97,000 jobs lost over the last year, and almost 400,000 lost over the last decade. The rising cost of NICs and NLW, together costing the industry over £5 billion this year, are hitting retail employment hard. And worse could be yet to come, with the Employment Rights Bill having a "materially negative impact on employment" according to the OBR.

A police investigation into claims former Conservative MP Mark Menzies misused donors' money to pay "bad people" has been dropped after he agreed to repay the money. Police opened an investigation into Menzies last year after accusations the then-MP for Fylde had used campaign funds for personal expenses. BBC News understands that at least some of that money was used to pay sex workers.

You can't get a bus to Birmingham today, it's impossible. It is really just up the road, our big regional centre but there are no buses. How ridiculous is that? said Philip Adams. Adams, who has lived in Ludlow for many years, remembers the bygone days of the poppy red buses of the Midland Red company toing and froing to Birmingham, until the publicly owned business was broken up in 1981 and sold off under Margaret Thatcher's deregulation and privatisation agenda.

The Conservatives are over,