Author: News Desk

The Independent’s latest virtual event explored Brexit’s impact nearly five years post-EU departure. Experts clash over Brexit’s impact five years on in The Independent’s latest virtual event The Independent’s latest virtual event explored Brexit’s impact nearly five years post-EU departure. Panellists included Labour MP Stella Creasy; Conservative MP Mark Francois; former Brexit Party MEP Claire Fox, Baroness Fox of Buckley; and Professor Anand Menon, director of UK in a Changing Europe. Chaired by our chief political commentator John Rentoul, the discussion addressed reversing Brexit, economic implications, youth mobility, and public sentiment shifts. Experts clash over Brexit’s impact five years on…

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned on Tuesday, as months of student and civic protests began to take their political toll. Vucevic is a member of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and a close political ally of President Aleksandar Vucic. The mayor of Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, and fellow SNS party member Milan Djuric also resigned. “This shows that we who were elected to assume responsibility are assuming responsibility so that the situation does not spill over onto the streets and lead to disputes between citizens and divisions in society,” Vucevic said at a press conference in Belgrade. Shock…

Sir Keir Starmer invokes Thatcher in deregulation promise UK politics – live: Starmer invokes Thatcher and vows to slash red tape ahead of Reeves economic reset speech Sir Keir Starmer has invoked Margaret Thatcher and vowed to slash “thickets of red tape” to clear the way for economic growth, just hours before Rachel Reeves will announce a raft of policies to try and get Britain growing again. Ahead of PMQs later today, the prime minister said that for “too long regulation has stopped Britain building its future” and criticised the “morass of regulation” which has stunted billions of pounds of…

Labour changes to the winter fuel payment continue to prove divisive Pensioners ‘missing meals’ after Labour’s winter fuel payment changes Thousands of pensioners are missing meals, cutting back on essentials and feeling more cold at home this winter following the government’s changes to the winter fuel payment, a damning new survey has found. Research conducted by trade union Unite has found that over two-thirds of its retired members have had to turn down the heating this year, while a third are taking fewer baths and showers. In the poll of around 6,000 retirees, 63 per cent said that they had…

English local authorities generated a combined £127.3 million in revenue from bus lane fines in 2022/23 Give warning letters not fines for first bus lane offence, says RAC Councils should issue warning letters rather than fines to drivers for their first offence of driving in a bus lane. the RAC has said. The RAC commissioned a poll which found that more than a third (36 per cent) of drivers have accidentally driven in a bus lane Two out of five (42 per cent) of respondents who said they have entered a bus lane by mistake were caught on camera and…

Healthier options now cost more than double per calorie compared to less healthy alternatives Healthier food grows more expensive at twice the rate of unhealthy options  The cost of healthy eating in the UK has soared, outpacing price increases for less nutritious food, according to a new report. The Food Foundation’s annual Broken Plate report reveals that healthier options, lower in fat, salt, and sugar, now cost more than double per calorie compared to less healthy alternatives. This disparity has grown over the past two years, exacerbating the challenge of maintaining a healthy diet, particularly for low-income families. Healthier food…

The chancellor says growing the economy is Labour’s main priority, but the Joseph Rowntree Foundation says economic growth alone won’t pull millions out of poverty Reeves’ growth drive rubbished by charity as report exposes scale of UK poverty  An influential anti-poverty charity has rubbished claims by Rachel Reeves that her growth agenda will drive up living standards in the UK as it pushes the government to strengthen Universal Credit instead of chipping away at benefits. The chancellor has said growing the economy is Labour’s main priority, but a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has said economic growth “alone”…

Police have revealed 848 dogs were surrendered by their owners and euthanised after the ban came into force – with no assessment of their dangerousness – costing £340k in vet fees  XL Bully ban will cost police £25 million in vet and kennel fees this year with no clear reduction in attacks The XL Bully ban is predicted to cost police £25 million in vet and kennel fees this year, as chiefs admit it could take several years to see a reduction in dog attacks. The National Police Chiefs’ Council have revealed the “huge burden” the ban is having on…

Officials have been told that Wednesday’s report from the National Audit Office should serve as a ‘wake-up call’. Cyber threat against UK Government severe and advancing quickly, warns watchdog The cyber threat towards the UK Government is “severe and advancing quickly”, according to a new report from the Government’s spending watchdog, with cyber resilience levels “lower” than Whitehall had estimated. Officials have been told that Wednesday’s report from the National Audit Office should serve as a “wake-up call” and push them to “get on top of this most pernicious threat”. A shortage of cyber skills within Government and risks posed…

More than a dozen people were killed and many more injured in a crush at a huge religious festival in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state on Wednesday. India’s Kumbh Mela is a Hindu festival held by the banks of the Ganges river. The stampede appears to have happened when people who were sleeping on the river bank were trampled on by other worshippers who were trying to bathe in the holy waters.  Worshippers killed in India stampede at world’s largest religious festival