UK politics

UK politics

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. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.

He needs to explain the comments, or alleged comments that were made, and he needs to do that as soon as possible. He hasn't got a good track record in relation to this because Sarah Pochin, his MP, made some clearly racist comments and Nigel Farage has done absolutely nothing about it. He added: The man is spineless. If that had been someone in my party, I'd have dealt with it straight away.

Only two days after Labour party conference we were in Manchester together in the aftermath of the terrible attack on the synagogue there. I spoke to Andy as soon as I heard about that attack when I was in Denmark. It was one of the first calls I made to get an assessment on the ground. I spoke to him the next day then I went up and met him and went through the briefings.

"all four governments failed to appreciate the scale of the threat or the urgency of response it demanded in the early part of 2020." Ministers were in part relying on "misleading assurances" that the UK was prepared, she said. Government scientists underestimated how quickly the virus was spreading and in the early days were advising restrictions should not be introduced until the spread of the virus was nearer its peak to help build up herd immunity, Lady Hallett added.

In September, the government announced plans to issue all legal residents a digital identity by August 2029, which in the first instance is set to be used to prove eligibility to work. Prime minister Keir Starmer said digital IDs were "an enormous opportunity for the UK." As well as making it tougher to work illegally, they would also "offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly," he said.

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. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.

Gambling companies don't lose very often but nor are they usually playing a game of poker against the chancellor of the exchequer. At next week's budget, Rachel Reeves is widely expected to announce an increase in the duties that bookies and casinos pay to the Treasury, ending months of speculation and frenzied lobbying designed to sway the government. The tax rise could cost the industry

All of the users of the tunnel pay for access. When business rates go up, that's split amongst the different users, said John Keefe, director of public and corporate affairs. At this stage, the numbers aren't one hundred percent known, because we're hoping we can talk a bit more with the government about this But there is a mechanism whereby everybody contributes.

A man has pleaded guilty to the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Warwickshire, in a case that prompted anti-asylum protests in Nuneaton. Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, of no fixed abode, changed his plea at Warwick crown court on Friday, admitting to the single charge of rape of a child under 13 on 22 July. Mulakhil, an Afghan national, had previously denied abducting a child, three counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 at a hearing on 28 August.

Deprived towns and cities in the Midlands and the north of England are the big winners in a shake-up of local authority funding that will redirect cash from affluent rural areas to urban councils hit hardest by austerity. Ministers said the changes put in place a fairer system that recognised the extra needs and weaker council tax-raising powers of councils in so-called left behind areas. It guarantees them real-terms funding increases for the next three years.

People who migrate to the UK will be eligible for benefits and social housing only when they become British citizens and those who arrive by small boats could wait up to 30 years for long-term residency under new plans outlined by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood. The plans could result in migrants only becoming eligible for benefits and social housing if they first become British citizens, rather than upon being granted settlement as is currently the case.