Author: UK News

Should the two-child benefit cap be scrapped? Join The Independent Debate Charities have long called for an end to the two-child benefit cap, and with the issue hitting the headlines again we want to know your views. On Sunday, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting came to the defence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, after he criticised the cap as “cruel.” The policy sees families claiming benefits who have a third or subsequent child after April 2017 denied more than £3,000 compared with families whose kids were born sooner. Justin Welby said the limit was neither “moral nor necessary” and it…

Paula Vennells: key questions the ex-Post Office boss must answer | Post Office Horizon scandal There is no bias in the title provided. It is a moment wrongly convicted post office operators have waited years for. From Wednesday the former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells will appear before the long-running inquiry into how hundreds were pursued in the courts, fined and jailed over accounting shortfalls that were actually the fault of the Horizon IT system. Vennells, who held the top job between 2012 and 2019, has become the highest-profile face of the scandal since the ITV drama Mr Bates…

Harry to skip Hugh Grosvenor wedding to avoid William as he celebrates with Meghan in LA – latest news There is no bias in the title provided. The Duke of Sussex is set to swerve the Duke of Westminster’s wedding next month to avoid clashing with his brother the Prince of Wales, who is serving as an usher. Hugh Grosvenor, 33, will marry 31-year-old Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral on 7 June in a 400-strong guestlist celebration. One of Britain’s youngest billionaires, Grosvenor is a godfather to Harry’s first-born child, Archie, who turned five earlier this month. However, according to…

NHS trusts across England say cost of living crisis has worsened health | NHS Almost every NHS trust across England surveyed has seen health worsen in their area as a result of poverty and the cost of living crisis, research has found. The survey, conducted between February and March 2024, spoke to leaders at 72 NHS trusts, accounting for a third of all trusts in England. The trusts surveyed included acute, mental health, ambulance and community. Ninety-six per cent of NHS trusts surveyed said the cost of living crisis had worsened health in their local area, with more than half…

Gove’s extremism warning as antisemitism incidents rise by 147 per cent Michael Gove will today warn that the rise of antisemitism in Britain is a sign that the country is “descending into darkness”. The community secretary is set to speak to the Jewish community in London amid huge concerns at the way there has been a 147 per cent increase in antisemitic incidents since 2022. The number has risen from 1,662 in 2022 to 2,699 incidents in the UK during the period on or after 7 October 2023 – the day when Hamas terrorists slaughtered and kidnapped hundreds of Jews…

Wales's 20mph default limit to be debated in Senedd this week after mammoth petition There is no bias in the title provided. The petition collected more than 450,000 signatures – the most in Senedd history The article discusses the impact of climate change on global food security. Researchers warn that rising temperatures and extreme weather events are threatening crop yields and food production worldwide. The changing climate is also leading to increased food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in vulnerable communities. Urgent action is needed to mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture and ensure a sustainable food supply for…

UK risks ‘descending into darkness’ of antisemitism, Michael Gove to say | Antisemitism Michael Gove is to warn that Britain risks “descending into the darkness” if it fails to tackle growing antisemitism in the wake of the 7 October attacks. In a major speech, the communities secretary will say the safety of the Jewish community in the UK is the “canary in the mine” for the health of the whole political system. “When Jewish people are under threat, all our freedoms are threatened,” he will say on Tuesday. “The safety of the Jewish community is the canary in the mine.…

World leaders need to ‘get serious’ about AI, experts warn as summit opens Some of the world’s leading AI scientists have called for stronger action on AI risk from world leaders, as the AI Seoul Summit begins on Tuesday, warning that progress has been insufficient since the first AI Safety Summit in the UK six months ago. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will co-host a virtual meeting of world leaders with South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday to open the summit, where he will say that managing the risks posed by artificial intelligence is “one of the most profound…

‘Real-life Martha’ from Baby Reindeer allegedly ‘sent Keir Starmer nearly 300 abusive emails’ Baby Reindeer’s “real-life Martha” reportedly sent Sir Keir Starmer nearly 300 abusive emails while living in his constituency. Fiona Harvey allegedly sent the Labour leader abusive messages over an eight-month period which described him as a “stupid little boy” and used a disabled slur to insult his wife, according to The Sun. The 58-year-old is accused of sending 276 emails to his parliament address between January and August 2020 while she was living in Kilburn, which neighbours Sir Keir’s Holborn and St Pancras ward. Each of the…

Brexit row as Cameron admits EU could soon be policing Gibraltar border David Cameron has admitted that the plan is for EU Frontex border guards to police the entry into Gibraltar in a deal to allow “a fluid border” between the Rock and Spain. The foreign secretary was giving evidence to the European Scrutiny Committee which has raised serious concerns over the impact on UK sovereignty with the proposed treaty. The row has broken out because of a need for Gibraltar to come to a longer border solution with the EU as a result of Brexit. Had the UK voted…

Labour MP Stella Creasy targeted with graphic and ‘misleading’ anti-abortion leaflets An MP’s constituency has been targeted by an anti-abortion organisation with graphic leaflets, The Independent has learned. The Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform UK, which has compared abortion to the holocaust, is behind the campaign in Walthamstow – and the Advertising Standards Agency says there is nothing it can do about it. Speaking exclusively to The Independent, Labour MP Stella Creasy said the leaflets “shocked” and “distressed” her constituents. She has raised concerns that the leaflets showing an image of an embryo are misleading. “Children and women who experienced miscarriage picked…

Woman mauled to death by her pet XL Bullies in east london home There is no bias in the title provided. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsA woman has been mauled to death by her own XL Bully dogs inside a home in east London.Armed officers swooped on the scene after reports the victim, in her fifties, was attacked by a dog on Cornwall Close, Hornchurch, at 1.12pm on Monday.The woman was treated by medics from London Ambulance Service, but…

Labour to pledge new generation of towns to tackle housing crisis Labour will build a new generation of towns in a bid to tackle the housing crisis, Angela Rayner will say in an attempt to impress the house-building sector. The deputy Labour leader has said the “foundations of our past” are the inspiration for the proposals, pointing to her party’s record in government following the Second World War, when towns like Stevenage and Basildon were built. Speaking at the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), a property industry conference, Ms Rayner is expected to say Labour will back…

UK minister slams International Criminal Court seeking arrest warrants as ‘repugnant’ There is no bias in the title provided. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA Tory foreign minister has slammed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders as a “repugnant” moral equivalence.UK deputy foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell said the court’s request “smacked of an unworthy and ludicrous” comparison between Israel and Hamas – and it would not help end the war.The ICC sought arrest warrants for Israeli…

Paula Vennells ‘refused to quit £50k-a-year NHS role’ after Horizon scandal broke Paula Vennells reportedly refused to give up a job as chair of an NHS trust after news of the Post Office scandal broke. The former chief executive of the Post Office allegedly rejected private requests from directors at Imperial Hospitals Healthcare NHS Trust for her to step back. The trigger was only pulled when one director threatened to resign if Ms Vennells did not go, according to The Times. The paper reported Ms Vennells gave assurances about her conduct to remain in her posts as chair at Imperial…

Tesco apologises as Black magazine publisher ‘racially profiled’ and offered bananas There is no bias in the title provided. Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent’s Race Correspondent Nadine WhiteSign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race ReportTesco has apologised after a Black publisher says she was “racially profiled” while shopping and then offered a bunch of bananas after she complained.Serlina Boyd, 42, was with her two children at a branch in Hampshire when she says was followed by two security guards for no apparent reason. When she challenged them and asked to see the manager,…

Infected blood scandal: Sunak makes statement on after damning inquiry report There is no bias in the title provided. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailWatch live as prime minister Rishi Sunak makes a statement in Parliament after the findings of a report on the infected blood scandal were revealed on Monday, 20 March.The Government and the NHS were found to be complicit in a decades-long cover-up of actions which led to the infection of tens of thousands of people and the deaths of around 3,000,…

Illegal abortion trial collapses as jury discharged for legal reasons There is no bias in the title provided. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsThe jury in the trial of a teenager charged with arranging her own illegal abortion has been discharged for legal reasons.Sophie Harvey, 25, was on trial at Gloucester Crown Court accused of obtaining abortion pills to end her pregnancy after learning she was over the 24-week gestation period for a legal abortion in England.She denied procuring a…

Self-driving cars on roads ‘as soon as 2026’ as Bill becomes law Self-driving vehicles could be used on Britain’s roads in just two years, a Cabinet minister claimed, as a Bill outlining the legal framework for autonomous vehicles became law. Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the deployment of the technology will be “a real boost to both safety and our economy”. The Automated Vehicles Bill received royal assent on Monday. The legislation, which applies across Britain, delivers “the most comprehensive legal framework of its kind worldwide”, according to the Department for Transport (DfT). It means motorists will not be held…

London’s best cafe revealed as ‘delightful’ spot with unique pastries It’s no secret that London is full of spectacular places to eat, with restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and pubs down pretty much every street. As such, working out which one to pick can be pretty tricky, so you might look for the crème de la crème of the capital. And when it comes to baked goods, apparently it’s the borough of Richmond that you need to head to for the best spot in the city, and not central. A Swiss bakery in Ham has been crowned the best cafe in London…

Stockport nursery worker found guilty of killing nine-month-old girl A nursery nurse who strapped a baby girl face down on to a bean bag for more than a hour has been convicted of her manslaughter. Nine-month-old Genevieve Meehan was also tightly swaddled and covered with a blanket by Kate Roughley, 37, who put her to sleep when she was in her care at Tiny Toes nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport. Roughley, deputy manager at the nursery, discovered Genevieve’s lifeless body on the afternoon of May 9 2022 before colleagues and then paramedics attempted to revive the baby, affectionately known to…

Offshore energy investment billions ‘on hold’ over political uncertainty There is no bias in the original title provided. One of the UK’s biggest trade unions warned at the weekend that over £6.6 billion needs to be committed over the next six years to save over 30,000 Scots oil and gas jobs by the end of the decade having hit out at Labour’s policy of banning new licences for oil and gas projects in the North Sea following concerns over major job losses by 2030. The biggest union backer of Labour is pushing Labour, the favourites to win any forthcoming General Election,…

Clydebank crossbow bandit targets two houses over weekend There is no bias in the original title provided. Detective Sergeant Barry Convery of CID said: “It is fortunate that no one was hurt following this mindless behaviour. The homeowners were extremely shocked and those responsible should consider the impact this has on others. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24330971.clydebank-crossbow-bandit-targets-two-houses-weekend/?ref=rss

Glasgow MSP brands Celtic title party damage ‘unacceptable’ There is no bias in the title provided. Damage caused by the fans was branded “unacceptable” by city chiefs after bus stops and traffic lights at Glasgow Cross were smashed by unruly fans.   Four police officers were injured in the ‘disorder’ that broke out at the unofficial street party, with Police Scotland also reporting 19 arrests. The four injured officers required medical treatment. Police have said they will work to find those responsible.   Speaking on BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme on Monday, Labour MSP for Glasgow Paul Sweeney has branded…

Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre found guilty of unfair dismissal There is no bias in the original title provided. The centre had denied discrimination. They claimed that she had not been dismissed but had “simply resigned.” In a scathing verdict, employment Judge McFatridge described the evidence submitted by key members of ERCC as “entirely unsatisfactory.” He said Ms Adams had been subject to a disciplinary process “reminiscent of the work of Franz Kafka”. Shortly before she joined Edinburgh Rape Crisis, she met with the then Chief Operating Officer, Maggie Chapman. The two women went for a walk where she was she heard what…