#UK politics

#UK politics

Case in point: Downing Street is racking up empty desks after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's director of communications and chief of staff departed amid a firestorm over Peter Mandelson, who was dismissed as U.K. ambassador to the U.S. due to his Epstein links. Earlier this month, London's Metropolitan Police announced an investigation into a former government minister over alleged misconduct tied to the Epstein files.

Starmer apologized to Epstein's victims and said that he was "lied to" when vetting Mandelson before the appointment. He said he not only understood, but also shared the "anger and frustration" of politicians, including allies within the Labour Party, and the public. Mandelson was fired as US Ambassador last September as more damning evidence of the depth of his ties to Epstein began to come to light, but the most recently-released files have painted a clearer picture still, with the veteran politican now facing a police investigation.

Lord Mandelson started working for Labour in the 1980s and has been a central figure in the party for decades. He played a key role in the New Labour movement, which saw Sir Tony Blair win a landslide election victory in 1997. The MP for Hartlepool held a number of ministerial roles but was twice forced to resign in scandal.

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.

The Birmingham reggae band UB40 began as a quintessential product of the troubled era when Margaret Thatcher was the UK's prime minister, archly taking their name from the attendance card needed to claim unemployment benefit, and singing songs about life at the sharp end of her rule. Their peak period lasted until the early- to mid-1990s. In 2008, there came a rupture due to management and business disputes rather than anything musical which opened the way to the choice that now confronts

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.

Wes Streeting has asked Jonathan Haidt, a bestselling author and high-profile advocate of banning social media for under-16s, to speak to his officials in his push for the UK to consider following a landmark ban in Australia. The health secretary has invited Haidt to address an event with staff, charities and MPs after the prime minister, Keir Starmer, said he was open to stricter limits for young people.