UK politics

UK politics

The attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester was outrageous. It took two innocent lives, and several others were injured. Yet it could have happened almost anywhere. It is an event with wider national meaning and lessons. On Thursday morning, Britain looked over the edge into one of the dark places to which modern public life has been heading. Having looked and seen, Britain now needs to learn and step back.

A Reform UK council has ended its ban on journalists from the area's biggest local newspaper after being threatened with legal action over damaging the outlet's freedom of expression. Nottinghamshire county council, which has been led by Reform since the local elections earlier this year, said it was committed to the principles of openness after lifting the sanctions it had placed on journalists from the Nottingham Post and its website, Nottinghamshire Live.

I'm appalled by the attack at a synagogue in Crumpsall. The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific. My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services and all the first responders. I am on my way back to London. When I arrive, I will chair an emergency Cobra meeting.

The newborn daughter of a British MP was the target of utterly depraved and sexist online abuse hours after her birth, her father has told the Guardian. The independent MP Adnan Hussain, who won his Blackburn seat in 2024 running on a pro-Gaza stance, said he and his newborn were subject to vile abuse after he posted a pixelated picture of her on X.

The Americans decided that the red we use, which is called R01, wasn't right for them, and that they wanted a cherry red instead, so we had to buy all new flags for this visit.

because you can be earning a six-figure salary on a building site, but only 30,000 teaching in a FE college

A quiet corner of Croydon is set to receive 20 million over the next decade as part of a government initiative to support some of the country's most overlooked communities. Residents of New Addington North are now being asked to decide how the money should be spent. During a visit to New Addington, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) spoke to residents about the areas most in need of support.

What we'd love to see is a Budget that's pro-growth and pro-jobs which, as a result, will help customers with the cost of living.

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.

Britain is increasingly becoming an "unattractive" environment for businesses seeking to hire permanent staff, according to a stark warning from recruitment giant Hays. The firm attributes this shift to mounting wage pressures and recent tax hikes, which are compelling companies to explore automation and offshoring strategies. Hays, one of Europe's largest recruitment agencies, has previously voiced concerns regarding weaknesses across the global jobs market. However, it highlighted specific challenges within the UK that are diminishing its competitiveness as a place to work.

Ed Miliband has told Elon Musk to get the hell out of our politics and our country in a dramatic intervention on the main stage of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. The energy secretary's criticism of the tech billionaire came as part of a wider attack on Reform leader Nigel Farage, who he claimed is part of a global network who together want to destroy the ties that bind our communities and our way of life.

Could it be that, like most narcissists, Nigel Farage is actually a bit thin-skinned? Surely not! Not our fearless Nige! The man who is never happier than when he can cast himself as the outsider a lone voice speaking truth to power. When he can control the narrative. A saviour rising from these streets. The politician who only knows he's alive when the cameras are rolling.

The register is designed to shine a light on which companies are being paid to represent foreign states in the UK. It launched on Wednesday with three companies having their names published in public with firms allowed to ask for opt-outs from the open register if it could prejudice commercial interests or present a risk to safety. Government sources said more registrations were still being assessed and there was a pipeline due to be published.

Lewis Siverns, 33, of Farmer Way, Tipton, West Midlands, pleaded not guilty to assaulting an emergency worker, Pc Moroni Cesario, by beating in Westminster borough on 13 September. Between 110,000 and 150,000 people turned out for activist Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom rally on that day, with about 5,000 involved in an anti-racism counter-demonstration. There had been several incidents of violent disorder, the majority of which were linked to the Unite the Kingdom event, police said.

Workers could be charged a fee to take their bosses to court under plans being explored by Labour as it faces pressure from businesses lobbying to water down its landmark changes to employment rights. In a development described by unions as a disaster, sources in Westminster said ministers were looking at reviving a proposal made by the last Conservative government to impose fees on employment tribunal claims.