Starmer refuses to rule out national insurance rise at PMQs Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email The health secretary has declined to rule out extending the freeze on income tax thresholds as speculation aboutContinue Reading
Fears have been raised that Wes Streeting’s inflation-busting funding deal for the NHS will not be enough for him to pay for the reforms he wants to drive through. Sources have told The Independent that the Department for Health and Social Care is set to get about 4 per centContinue Reading
Starmer refuses to rule out national insurance rise at PMQs Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email The health secretary has declined to rule out extending the freeze on income tax thresholds as speculation aboutContinue Reading
Ministers and AI developers are locked in an “arms race” with criminals and rogue states attempting to use the technology for harm, a senior MP has warned, calling for more clarity on how it will be regulated. Chi Onwurah, who chairs the science, innovation and technology committee, told The IndependentContinue Reading
Wes Streeting has appeared to confirm that Rachel Reeves will carry out a tax raid on national insurance contributions to help fill the £40 billion gap in Labour’s spending plans. Meanwhile, his refusal to rule out extending the freezing of income tax thresholds beyond 2028 also appeared to confirm speculationContinue Reading
Leaked recordings have sparked fears the British High Commission in Mauritius had its phones hacked around the time the UK opened negotiations for the handover of the Chagos Islands. Audio of apparent discussions between the British high commissioner Charlotte Pierre and other political figures were featured on the Mauritian FacebookContinue Reading
Wes Streeting is set to reveal plans for people to monitor their own health from the comfort of their homes with a 10-year plan aimed at revolutionising the NHS. The health secretary wants to roll out smartwatches to more members of the public in a bid to tackle debilitating conditionsContinue Reading
A former Tory peer who called out her own party for being Islamophobic has in a shock move given her backing to Kemi Badenoch, saying she “hopes and prays” that the candidate will bring sanity to the Conservatives. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sayeeda Warsi, who has recentlyContinue Reading
Sir Keir Starmer has come under pressure to quickly appoint an envoy for religious freedom after frustration over the delay to replace former Tory MP Fiona Bruce. The row has broken out as a leading Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) priest has appealed to the UK for help in urging PresidentContinue Reading
Ministers have banned the use of the term “free childcare” to describe a key government policy as anger mounts over nursery fees. Tory Jeremy Hunt announced plans to give every child aged nine months and older 30 “free” hours of childcare in his Budget last year, as part of last-ditchContinue Reading
