UK politics

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UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 days ago

Map: Council tax winners and losers after government reveals funding

The Independent requests donations to fund on-the-ground journalism and reports on a £78bn multi-year council funding settlement shifting resources to deprived areas.
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
3 days ago

Ex-top judge says ban on antisemitic chants exceptionally difficult' to prosecute

Prosecuting chants like 'globalise the intifada' is legally difficult because conviction generally requires proving an intention to provoke violence against particular groups.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 hours ago

First asylum seekers expected to arrive in East Sussex barracks in new year

Hundreds of asylum seekers will be housed at Crowborough military camp in East Sussex in January despite local protests and legal challenges.
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 hours ago

Best of: Angela Rayner, Nicola Sturgeon, Catherine Ashton and Andy Burnham podcast

You can listen to the full episode with Angela Rayner here You can listen to the full episode with Nicola Sturgeon here You can listen to the full episode with Catherine Ashton here You can listen to the full episode with Andy Burnham here
UK politics
fromIndependent
3 hours ago

Aristocrat's lawsuit over hunting rights holds up development of 100m solar farm

Legal row over Lord Waterford's right to shoot, hunt and fish could open up new front in planning wars
UK politics
fromBusiness Matters
6 hours ago

Leonardo warns it could exit UK helicopter manufacturing without 1bn defence contract

Leonardo has warned the UK government that it may be forced to shut down its helicopter manufacturing operations in Britain if it fails to secure a flagship £1 billion Ministry of Defence contract, a move that would threaten the future of the country's last remaining helicopter factory. In a letter to defence secretary John Healey, Roberto Cingolani, chief executive of the Italian defence group, said the contract to replace the long-serving Puma helicopter was central to Leonardo's long-term commitment to the UK.
UK politics
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
8 hours ago

UK economy entering 2026 amid sharp private sector downturn, says CBI

Britain's private sector is entering 2026 in a sharp downturn with falling output, reduced investment and hiring, and shrinking job vacancies.
#reform-uk
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago
UK politics

Not clear' who was behind FCDO hack, says minister, amid reports of China link UK politics live

Reform UK retained a Cornwall council seat in a byelection while the FCDO reported a cyber hack in October with uncertain attribution.
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago
UK politics

Reform candidate who told Lammy to go home' questioned other MPs' loyalty to UK

A Reform UK mayoral candidate asserted multiple minority-ethnic politicians lack primary loyalty to Britain and told David Lammy to 'go home to the Caribbean'.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
21 hours ago

Recovery period after doctors' strikes is concern for NHS, says Streeting

The NHS is managing a five-day resident doctors' strike but faces a difficult post-strike recovery amid peak seasonal demand and an unresolved dispute over pay and training.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 day ago

You're barred!': Labour's battle with pubs promises a new year headache

Pubs across the country are banning Labour MPs in protest over business rates, increasing hostility toward MPs and limiting their access to local public spaces.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
15 hours ago

The Guardian view on Labour's difficult year: denial of hard choices is no longer an option | Editorial

A large majority alone cannot secure stable government; structural economic malaise and zero-sum politics undermine leaders and fuel internal challenges.
fromwww.theguardian.com
16 hours ago

Starmer lacks coherent' social mobility plan, says advisory body chair

Keir Starmer has no coherent strategy to tackle entrenched inequalities harming the life chances of millions of people, the government's social mobility commissioner has said. A major official report warned last week that young adults in Britain's former industrial heartlands were being left behind as a result of failed or abandoned promises by successive governments. The Social Mobility Commission (SMC), a government advisory body, said big cities such as Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol were starting to thrive. In a Guardian interview, the commission's chair, Alun Francis, urged Starmer to outline a bold vision to tackle the defining social mobility challenge of our generation.
UK politics
UK politics
fromLondon Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
17 hours ago

2025's final HMRC tax statistics show increased takings across all major revenue streams - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

Tax receipts rose across major streams, surpassing £900bn in 12 months, driven by fiscal drag despite rising unemployment and higher government borrowing.
#animal-welfare
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
22 hours ago

UK failure to seal EU tax exemption hands industry mountain of paperwork

UK exporters face extensive CBAM-related paperwork and potential taxes from January on £7bn of EU-bound exports after failure to secure an exemption.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
16 hours ago

UK asylum seekers not widely abusing modern slavery rules, report finds

Asylum seekers are not widely abusing the modern slavery referral system; limited abuse occurs and earlier detection could reduce it.
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
13 hours ago

King's Foundation chair and nominee peer admits 'misleading' doctorate claim

Dame Ann Limb admitted she never completed her PhD at the University of Liverpool but used the "Doctor" title because she holds honorary degrees.
fromwww.bbc.com
18 hours ago

Trail hunting to be banned as part of new animal welfare strategy

Trail hunting is set to be banned in England and Wales as part of a new animal welfare strategy to be published by the government on Monday. The practice sees an animal-based scent trail laid for dogs to follow rather than a real animal, while a group of hunters follows the pack on horseback. It has remained legal since the 2004 hunting ban came into force, because it does not explicitly involve the killing of animals.
UK politics
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
21 hours ago

Andrew Tate loses comeback fight as pressure grows on PM to extradite him to UK

Andrew Tate faces pressure to be extradited to the UK to face 21 charges including rape, assault, human trafficking, and controlling prostitution.
#hunger-strike
fromwww.independent.co.uk
14 hours ago

Palestine Action activist on hunger strike taken to hospital

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. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
UK politics
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

Was 2025 the year that business retreated from net zero?

A political and corporate backlash against net zero is weakening emission pledges even as renewable deployment and clean-energy investment grow.
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
1 day ago

Rachel Reeves refuses to rule out further tax rises in 2026

Chancellor Rachel Reeves increased taxes to build fiscal headroom, refused to rule out future tax rises, and prioritized low interest rates to support home ownership.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 day ago

Pressure grows on DWP over misleading' response to carer's allowance scandal

Prof Liz Sayce, the chair of a scathing review into the government's treatment of unpaid carers, last week called for an overhaul of management and culture at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Days after the publication of the review, the DWP's top civil servant in charge of carers' allowance, Neil Couling, said carers themselves were at fault for the decade-long failures.
UK politics
UK politics
fromLondon Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
1 day ago

UK number plate ban proposal: What it could mean for 1 in 4 motorists - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

Proposed BS AU 145e changes would ban raised-style plates, likely affecting many motorists and legitimate suppliers while failing to target unregulated plate suppliers fueling fraud.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

As Tory after Tory defects to Nigel Farage, I say this: be careful which turncoats you wish for | Simon Hart

Welcoming Conservative defectors to Reform UK risks internal distrust and political backlash that unites former colleagues against defectors and destabilizes party plans.
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 days ago

Scrap Rayner's workers' rights reforms, Starmer-linked think tank urges

A think tank linked to Keir Starmer calls for abolishing about 80% of Angela Rayner's Employment Rights Bill reforms, risking major party conflict.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

New leader says Unison will end support for destructive' Labour right wing

Unison will end support for Labour's right wing, oppose Wes Streeting as 2026 leader, and confront Labour on strikes and Palestine solidarity.
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
3 days ago

Nigel Farage avoids police probe into election spending

Nigel Farage avoids a probe after Essex Police found the spending complaint fell outside the one-year statutory prosecution limit under the Representation of the People Act 1983.
#local-elections
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

Alan Milburn to review rise in youth minimum wage

Rising youth minimum wage increases risk of pricing young people out of entry-level jobs and could worsen youth inactivity without targeted labour market reforms.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago

Reform-run Kent council accused of blocking scrutiny of claim it saved 40m

Kent County Council delayed over five months releasing evidence for claimed £40m savings from cancelling two unapproved environmental projects.
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

Merry Christmas, Keir Starmer: despite everything, you're still the best man for the job | Simon Jenkins

How long had you to go: months, weeks, hours? We all know bad news sells. Political reporters cannot handle prime ministers sleeping soundly at night. But the terminal gloom around Keir Starmer's position is absurd. Not a morning passes without rivals being declared, and not an evening without the BBC's Chris Mason dragged from his supper to stand in the cold. He just frowns and forecasts Armageddon.
UK politics
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 days ago

One chance to stop major projects being built on your doorstep in nimbyism crackdown

Labour's Planning and Infrastructure Act reduces legal challenges to government-backed major infrastructure projects, limiting local campaigners' opportunities to oppose large developments.
fromLondon Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
2 days ago

Labour must follow up plan to return to Erasmus by re-joining EU - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

Although Keir Starmer would deny it, re-joining the Erasmus programme is a symbolic first step towards re-joining the EU. Leaving the programme was an act of educational vandalism which Boris Johnson allowed despite denying in 2020 that it would ever happen,
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

My warning as the new head of Unison: never again will we prop up politicians hostile to unions | Andrea Egan

Trade unions are meant to be vehicles for workers to collectively organise, represent and lead ourselves, so my election should be an unremarkable event. Yet I will be the first ordinary member to lead my union in its history. This represents a huge opening for the democratic renewal of the labour movement. The fact that my election is so unprecedented tells its own tale.
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 days ago

Angela Rayner to publish memoir' amid growing speculation over leadership challenge

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.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

Society of Editors decries Starmer's plan to reduce media scrutiny of No 10

Downing Street's director of communications, Tim Allan, unveiled the plan on Thursday without consulting the group of political journalists known as the lobby who traditionally attend briefings twice a day to question the prime minister's spokesperson. Allan said the government would be reducing the briefings to one a day, and would sometimes replace the single briefing with a press conference. Held at 9 Downing Street, lobby briefings are on the record but not broadcast.
UK politics
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

It's rather rude': Tory members club accuses Liz Truss of poaching tactics

Liz Truss has been accused of poaching members from Mayfair's exclusive 5 Hertford Street to join her new Leconfield club charging a £500,000 founding fee.
#ageing-population
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
3 days ago

Government data stolen in hack, minister confirms

Government data was stolen in a hack; officials closed the vulnerability, an investigation is ongoing, the perpetrator remains unknown, and individual risk is assessed as fairly low.
UK politics
fromBusiness Matters
2 days ago

UK borrowing hits second-highest level on record despite tax take surge

UK government borrowing reached £132.3 billion between April and November, the second-highest on record for that period, despite stronger tax receipts.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

Disabled people in England betrayed' by cuts to new-build accessibility targets

Government proposals reduce accessible new-build home targets to 40% with no wheelchair-accessible minimum, prompting disabled people to feel betrayed and excluded.
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 days ago

Foreign prison officers get visa exemption to prevent UK jail chaos

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. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
UK politics
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 days ago

XL bully ban upheld after campaigners lose Court of Appeal challenge

Court of Appeal dismissed challenge to XL bully ban, upholding addition to the Dangerous Dogs Act despite the government failing its public sector equality duty in assessments.
UK politics
fromComputerWeekly.com
2 days ago

UK government's G-Cloud 15 framework: Everything you need to know | Computer Weekly

G-Cloud 15 expands framework value and contract lengths substantially, prioritising larger cloud deals and potentially reducing accessibility for small and medium-sized enterprises.
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 days ago

Hugh Grant and Richard Curtis back Red Cross's family reunion campaign

UK refugee family reunion visa was axed and restricted, prompting charities and celebrities to campaign for reinstatement amid concerns about separated families.
UK politics
fromTheregister
2 days ago

Cornish recycling promo confuses Reg Standards Bureau

A reader suggested using a Cornish pasty as a unit of weight after Cornwall collected 20,000 tonnes of food waste, sparking confusion at the bureau.
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 days ago

Bank of England governor delivers warning over AI's impact on jobs

Widespread AI adoption will likely cause significant job displacement in the UK, mirroring the Industrial Revolution and requiring training, education, and AI-related skills.
fromwww.bbc.com
3 days ago

100 contactless card limit to be lifted

Banks and card providers will be given the power, from March, to set a maximum - or unlimited - single payment amount without the need to enter a four-digit PIN. But they are also being encouraged by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to allow cardholders to set their own individual limits, or switch off contactless entirely. Some banks already offer this function.
UK politics
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago

Farage avoids police investigation over alleged electoral law breach

A police probe into alleged overspending by Nigel Farage's 2024 campaign was blocked by the one-year prosecution limit, while the Electoral Commission continues assessment.
#kings-speech
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago
UK politics

Potential lack of funding for plan to prevent violence against women deeply concerning', says victims' commissioner UK politics live

fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago
UK politics

Potential lack of funding for plan to prevent violence against women deeply concerning', says victims' commissioner UK politics live

UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
3 days ago

Elections face further delays over councils shake-up

Ministers may delay local council elections to 2027 at councils' request amid a Labour-led reorganisation and disputes over political impact and costs.
fromwww.bbc.com
3 days ago

Farage will not face police inquiry into spending

Essex Police said it could not investigate the Clacton MP because more than a year had passed since the alleged offence. It followed a former member of Farage's campaign team claiming Reform spent more than the 20,660 spending limit set by law. A police spokeswoman said: "Any prosecution for such an offence must commence within one year." She said an "allegation around misreported expenditure by a political candidate" in July 2024 was made on 5 December.
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
3 days ago

Welsh ministers 'humiliated' by Starmer government, says Labour MS

It is not fair that Wales is treated the way it is, and it is not fair that Welsh ministers are humiliated and we saw it this afternoon having to run to catch up because they don't know what's being said from London,
UK politics
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
3 days ago

'Secret bugging' of SNP MSP unacceptable - Swinney

A staff member allegedly placed listening devices in an SNP MSP's office; the conduct is described as completely and utterly unacceptable.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago

Sir Keir as Eliot Ness, Radon Liz proving TV gold all in another year of Westminster psychodrama

2025 was a chaotic political year marked by self-inflicted scandals, internal inquiries, public relief, and satirical awards culminating in Angela Rayner's recognition.
#violence-against-women-and-girls
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago

Journalists condemn surprise shake-up of No 10 lobby briefings

No 10 normally holds two briefings on most days that parliament sits to allow the lobby political journalists that cover Westminster to question the prime minister's official spokesperson. But in an email on Thursday, Tim Allan, Downing Street's executive director of communications, said there would be no afternoon briefings from next month. He said No 10 would instead hold occasional afternoon press conferences with ministers, as well as technical briefings with officials.
UK politics
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
3 days ago

Starmer orders King's Speech for week after May local elections

Labour will unveil its agenda after next year's elections with a King's Speech on 12 or 13 May amid poor polling and potential leadership challenges.
UK politics
fromwww.standard.co.uk
3 days ago

Sadiq Khan reveals what really happened when Rachel Reeves 'kicked him out of her office'

Sadiq Khan denied being thrown out of anybody's office, described the exchange with Rachel Reeves as 'fraternal', and insisted his team does not leak.
#jury-trials
fromwww.independent.co.uk
4 days ago

Six councils granted power to raise council tax without needing to consult residents

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.
UK politics
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
3 days ago

Starmer to appoint career diplomat to replace Mandelson as US ambassador

Sir Keir Starmer appointed veteran diplomat Christian Turner as the UK's ambassador to the US after Lord Mandelson's withdrawal over undisclosed ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago

Angela Rayner to publish memoir amid talk of potential Labour leadership challenge

Angela Rayner will publish a memoir in late 2026 recounting her rise to deputy prime minister and fall after a stamp duty controversy.
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
3 days ago

Farmers frightened of what might lie ahead' amid major fears over tractor tax

Proposed inheritance tax changes are causing fear among farmers and prompted calls for a new deal recognising true food production and environmental costs.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
4 days ago

Jury-scrapping plans are madness', Labour MPs tell Starmer

Labour MPs oppose plans to remove thousands of jury trials, calling the restriction of the right to jury trial madness and urging reversal.
fromwww.theguardian.com
4 days ago

Want to understand the sickness of Britain today? Look no further a novel explained it all 20 years ago | Aditya Chakrabortty

Richard Pearson is visiting Surrey to close down his late father's home and settle his affairs and, everywhere he looks, the flag of St George is flying from suburban gardens and filling stations and branch post offices. How nice, he thinks, how festive. Soon he learns the truth. So runs the opening not of a recent piece of journalism, but a novel by JG Ballard, Kingdom Come, which despite being almost 20 years old anticipates today's Britain with eerie precision.
UK politics
UK politics
fromBusiness Matters
3 days ago

MPs warn UK agreements with Donald Trump are 'built on sand'

UK-US pharmaceutical tariff agreement lacks legal text and relies on political statements, leaving commitments fragile and exposing the NHS to higher medicine costs.
fromTheregister
4 days ago

Brit broadband grilling descends into confusion

Chair of the committee Dame Chi Onwurah started by asking about cellular coverage, noting that the government's aim in its Proposed Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP) is to have high-quality standalone 5G in all populated areas of the UK by 2030. She asked what that meant. Sadly, Baroness Lloyd struggled to articulate what "high-quality standalone 5G" means. She offered that "standalone 5G, which is sometimes called 5G-plus, is the next capability on from 5G. It allows much better data transfer."
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago

Starmer appoints career diplomat Christian Turner as US ambassador

Keir Starmer has appointed the career diplomat Christian Turner as the new ambassador to Washington, government sources have confirmed. Turner will be replacing Peter Mandelson who was forced to quit over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Turner, the ambassador to the United Nations, was previously political director at the Foreign Office and brokered a close relationship with the new Labour administration before he left for New York.
UK politics
#bank-of-england
UK politics
fromLondon Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
3 days ago

It is 'absolutely critical' the government listens as the Employment Rights Bill passes - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

Regulatory changes introduce guaranteed hours provisions that require precise definitions and pragmatic implementation to prevent exploitation and protect flexible contracting and economic growth.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago

PPE company linked to ex-Tory peer Michelle Mone goes into liquidation

PPE Medpro, owned by Doug Barrowman and linked to Michelle Mone, has been liquidated owing the DHSC 148m for unusable Covid-19 PPE.
UK politics
fromHomebuilding
4 days ago

'Biggest planning reform in decades' proposed by government

Government launched consultation on revised National Planning Policy Framework to boost housing supply and streamline planning so developments meeting national standards reach construction faster.
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