Author: David Pike

Infected blood scandal: How will the UK pay £10 billion in compensation? The Infected Blood Inquiry chairman has urged the government to pay billions of pounds in compensation to victims of the scandal which led to the deaths of thousands of people. Sir Brian Langstaff said the UK must pay up immediately after the probe found politicians, doctors and civil servants were involved in a chilling cover-up of the worst treatment disaster in the history…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

‘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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…