The Independent UK Politics

‘Prolier-than-thou!’ Burnham accused of ‘desperate’ attempt to play up working class roots by novelist

Geordie Greig — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Robert Harris tells The Independent editor-in-chief Geordie Greig that the Labour prime minister’s ‘desire to be liked’ risks making him look ‘facile and glib’

Burnham unveils £442m plan to end homelessness and get rough sleepers off streets by Christmas

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 21:58:46 GMT

This week, the government has committed to ‘offer everyone a route off the streets this Christmas’

Burnham urged to join EU pact to tackle small boats and fix Brexit ‘mess’

Kate Devlin — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 21:31:10 GMT

Lib Dems accused Nigel Farage’s Reform of preferring to claim they would ‘send in the Navy at taxpayers’ expense’ and than admit they’re responsible

Boris Johnson’s Covid U-turns were like a ‘slow-moving car crash’, former aide says

Kate Devlin and Athena Stavrou — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:01:24 GMT

Lee Cain said the government was making the same mistake ‘over and over again’

Former Farage ally suspended from Reform after hitting out at Zia Yusuf

Athena Stavrou — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:57:38 GMT

Tim Montgomerie suggested in a podcast that ‘Nigel has fallen out of love with Zia’

Voices: The four key reasons why Andy Burnham has to rethink the UK’s aid cuts

Sam Rushworth — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:59:01 GMT

While raiding the international development budget might seem an easy choice, writes Labour MP Sam Rushworth, we need to be honest about the hidden costs that could lead to long-term pain at home and abroad

Lessons from No 10: When government comms go badly wrong | Lee Cain

Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:20:57 GMT

“It's a comms problem” is the diagnosis politicians, pundits and the public often reach for whenever a prime minister flounders. It was arguably Keir Starmer’s biggest undoing. From the beginning, he failed to articulate what kind of prime minister he would be. In the end, nobody really knew what he thought about anything. For today’s guest Lee Cain, Starmer was a “political vacuum” – but he believes his successor Andy Burnham is ripe with rhetorical promise.

Trump’s threat of 100% import tariff on UK ‘not a bluff’, US trade tsar warns

Alex Ross — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:14:05 GMT

Donald Trump issued the threat in June over the UK’s digital tax on American companies - but has so far not followed it up

Lee Cain: We found 4,000 government comms staff we didn’t know existed

Maja Anushka — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:20:18 GMT

The former head of No 10 comms and Cummings ally on forgotten staff, the many ‘slow-moving car crashes’ of Covid, and Boris Johnson. Maja Anushka reports

Half of voters think Farage should face a second by-election if he’s found to have broken donation rules

Athena Stavrou — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:01:06 GMT

There is a possibility Mr Farage will have to face a second by-election in just a few weeks

‘We’re not scroungers – we need it’: Furious PIP claimants hit back at Reform’s plan to axe benefits

Albert Toth — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:40:39 GMT

Over half of the UK’s health benefit claimants would be stripped of their payments under the plans announced by Reform UK

Green energy tycoon Dale Vince backs new North Sea drilling months after claiming it would be a ‘betrayal’

Athena Stavrou — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:10:56 GMT

The green energy boss previously said the new North Sea drilling would be a ‘betrayal’ if given the green light by the government

Burnham announces disabled bus pass holders will get unlimited free travel

Helen Corbett — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 07:08:46 GMT

The £60m project will be funded by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Transport