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.

The car, which is understood to belong to Hounslow Labour Councillor and former Deputy Mayor, Hina Mir, was parked in a disabled parking bay on Tuesday while a full council meeting was taking place.

I'm going to be very clear, there won't be another referendum.

After 14 years out of office, last year's Autumn Budget was largely met with an understanding that tax rises were necessary. Labour had been dealt a poor hand by its predecessors, with borrowing elevated and debt rising. The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced tax rises to steady the ship and expressed hope that such an action would be a one-off. Yet, one year later, the Chancellor has reneged, announcing a further package of £26 billion worth of tax hikes.

Wednesday's silence on specific SME support is hugely disappointing. With 44% having delayed investment decisions until after the Budget, the absence of meaningful and targeted measures today will further hold back capital expenditure.

Rubbish could pile up in an area of east London over Christmas in a dispute at what bin collectors say is poor pay. GMB Union members voted by 97 per cent to take the industrial action against their employer FCC Environment, which provides the services on behalf of Waltham Forest Council. The strikes have been looming since the summer when outsourced workers rejected a 2.8 per cent increase, then a follow-up offer of 3.2 per cent.

This Budget creates a perfect storm for employment costs. Extending income tax and national insurance threshold until 2030-31, and the introduction of a £2,000 cap on national insurance relief from 2029 for pension salary sacrifice means businesses face a compound burden that will reshape hiring and retention strategies. What makes this particularly challenging is the timing. Employers are simultaneously preparing for the Employment Rights Bill changes and the Fair Work Agency's launch in April 2026.

If Palestine Action is still proscribed by the time my next book is due for publication, then that book will be available to readers all over the world and in dozens of languages, but will be unavailable to readers in the United Kingdom simply because no one will be permitted to publish it (unless I am content to give it away for free).

children in Jersey may now face fewer barriers to accessing inappropriate content than their UK counterparts

Young people leaving care in England face a sharper increase in homelessness compared to the population more broadly, latest figures show. It comes after warnings the youngest care leavers face a "devastating care cliff", which sees them losing support when they turn 18 and leave care, as well as difficulties with joblessness. Children's Commissioner for England Rachel De Souza told the BBC she was concerned the government were not providing care leavers with adequate long-term support.

The victorious Duke of Wellington said of the Battle of Waterloo that "it was the nearest-run thing you ever saw in your life". Yet compared to the Divorce Referendum in this country 30 years ago, Waterloo might be regarded as something of a walkover. The winning margin was less than 10,000 votes, as if the opposing sides had engaged in an epic arm-wrestling contest, winner takes all.

letting users spoof IP addresses from other countries so that the checks never appear in the first place. The BBC reported a few days after the law came into effect that five of the top 10 free apps on the iOS App Store were VPNs. WindscribeVPN shared data showing a spike in its user figures, NordVPN claimed a 1,000 percent increase in purchases that weekend, and ProtonVPN reported an even higher 1,800 percent increase in UK signups over the same period.

The Uncensored host then told Carlson he did not feel compelled to say derogatory stuff about gay people to make his points. Carlson said he agreed, but that f*ggot had become a magic word that people are not allowed to use anymore. Morgan then asked him if he would use it. F*ggot? I just did, Carlson said, before firing the word off several times. F*ggot, f*ggot, f*ggot. And I'm using it because you're not allowed to.

One of the massive benefits to driving an electric vehicle was that it was far cheaper to run than a petrol or diesel car, but a pay-per-mile tax risks eliminating that advantage, which could make drivers think twice about switching any time soon. It's almost sending mixed messages. We want people to switch to electric cars but they're dealing with limited charging infrastructure and other rising costs which can leave them questioning whether it's even worth it.

The clear part is that Ed Miliband's energy security and net zero department will create transitional energy certificates for limited oil and gas drilling in areas that are part of an existing field or adjacent to a licensed field. The idea is to keep those sites economically viable for longer by using existing rigs and pipelines. The approach sounds sensibly practical.