UK Independent

Fri, 15 May 2026 08:50:38 GMT
Crypto investor who gave Farage £5m gift named one of Britain’s wealthiest billionaires on 2026 Rich List
Christopher Harborne was a new entrant on the annual list of Britain’s wealthiest people

Fri, 15 May 2026 08:49:43 GMT
Pro poker player sues West End casino for £100k after being ‘banned for cashing out too fast’
Dr Mortaza Sahibzada said he was barred due to his ‘highly disciplined’ hit-and-run strategy

Fri, 15 May 2026 08:30:04 GMT
David Beckham becomes Britain’s first billionaire sports star
Revenues at Victoria Beckham’s eponymous fashion line have topped £100 million

Fri, 15 May 2026 08:26:20 GMT
Police will face court action over facial recognition technology, watchdog warns
Live facial recognition is set to be used for the first time in policing a protest in London on Saturday.

Fri, 15 May 2026 08:04:53 GMT
Rich List 2026: The UK’s wealthiest billionaires revealed
The number of billionaires recorded by the list increased to 157 for the year

Fri, 15 May 2026 07:45:50 GMT
Burnham makes move to take on Starmer after MP stands down so he can challenge PM
Josh Simons steps aside to allow the Greater Manchester mayor to run for parliament

Fri, 15 May 2026 07:40:34 GMT
British Gas agrees £70m energy debt payoff and compensation over prepayment meter scandal
The energy supplier has agreed to compensate customers who were affected between 2018 and 2021

Fri, 15 May 2026 07:32:10 GMT
Starmer latest: Pound plummets to one-month low after Burnham plots PM challenge
Greater Manchester mayor to stand for Parliament again after ex-health secretary Wes Streeting quits to potentially trigger leadership race

Fri, 15 May 2026 07:08:01 GMT
New research institute launched to fight chronic wound crisis costing NHS billions
University of Hull’s Wound Innovation Institute is poised to spearhead life-changing research into chronic wounds

Fri, 15 May 2026 06:23:20 GMT
American multimillionaire found dead in London mansion after argument with wife over airline ticket, inquest told
Joshua Pack was co-chief executive of American company that owns a number of well-known British chains including Majestic Wine, Curzon Cinemas and budget retailer Poundstretcher

Fri, 15 May 2026 06:11:54 GMT
What Wes Streeting said in his resignation letter – and what he meant
Wes Streeting quit as health secretary on Thursday after an extremely turbulent week for the Labour Party. Here, The Independent looks at what he said in his resignation letter as he launched a blistering attack on the prime minister

Thu, 14 May 2026 23:26:26 GMT
King Charles hailed as ‘genuine friend’ of Jewish community after meeting victims of Golders Green stabbings
Charles also spoke with members of the Jewish community police force Shomrim who were involved in responding to the attacks on April 29

Thu, 14 May 2026 23:01:00 GMT
The cheapest UK supermarket for branded groceries revealed – and it’s not Tesco or Sainsbury’s
Britain’s two biggest supermarkets were found to be expensive than Waitrose for shoppers without a loyalty card

Thu, 14 May 2026 22:51:36 GMT
UK joins Europe pledge to make it easier to deport migrants in bid to curb illegal crossings
Foreign ministers across Europe back narrower interpretation of human rights law

Thu, 14 May 2026 22:48:56 GMT
Idris Elba jokes King Charles ‘didn’t stick around’ for DJ set at Buckingham Palace garden party
The actor was among several famous faces attending an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the King’s Trust youth charity

Thu, 14 May 2026 21:30:00 GMT
The 13 new bathing sites to open across England – including first Thames spot in London
The official bathing season begins on Friday and will run until September 30

Thu, 14 May 2026 20:57:06 GMT
New Health Secretary named after Streeting resignation sparks potential Labour leadership contest
Wes Streeting resigned from the role on Thursday, saying it would be dishonourable and unprincipled” to continue in the Cabinet under Starmer

Thu, 14 May 2026 20:41:08 GMT
Zack Polanski admits he did not vote at recent local elections
An admin technicality while moving house meant that the politician ‘fell short of time to register’

Thu, 14 May 2026 19:42:29 GMT
Student dies in fresh meningitis outbreak in Reading
Two people are currently being treated with one of the cases confirmed as meningitis B

Thu, 14 May 2026 18:58:38 GMT
How would a Labour leadership contest work? These are the next steps
Here’s how a contest could be triggered and who could stand

Thu, 14 May 2026 17:57:59 GMT
Every Labour MP who has demanded Starmer quit as number reaches 96
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has become the most high-profile resignation so far

Thu, 14 May 2026 17:53:21 GMT
‘We will change Labour for the better’: Andy Burnham’s full statement as he plots return to parliament
The Greater Manchester mayor says ‘much bigger change is needed at a national level’

Thu, 14 May 2026 17:30:04 GMT
Children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce calls for national action to tackle ‘reading crisis’
Too many children are starting school without consistently experiencing the warmth of shared stories and books, Cottrell-Boyce said

Thu, 14 May 2026 17:22:41 GMT
Who could replace Starmer as prime minister? Here are the top contenders for a Labour leadership battle
Angela Rayner said Keir Starmer should consider resigning, while Wes Streeting has now resigned and is expected to launch a leadership bid, and reports suggest that Andy Burnham might have found a seat to run in

Thu, 14 May 2026 17:22:20 GMT
Andy Burnham: The ‘King of the North’ with No 10 in his sights
The writing appears to be on the wall for Sir Keir Starmer, and Labour desperately needs a leader who can see off the dual threats of the Greens and Reform UK. Sean O’Grady asks whether the ‘King of the North’ could be the party’s knight in s...

Thu, 14 May 2026 17:09:16 GMT
Black cab rapist John Worboys denied parole – as he admits targeting 90 victims
Carrie Johnson, who testified against Worboys, posted that ‘women and girls across Britain are safer as a result of this decision’

Thu, 14 May 2026 16:35:18 GMT
Imam jailed for life after raping and sexually assaulting women and girls
Abdul Halim Khan was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday

Thu, 14 May 2026 16:30:05 GMT
Amazon delivery driver caught on doorbell camera stealing family cat is spared prison
Catalin Stancu returned Nora only after footage of the incident circulated on social media

Thu, 14 May 2026 16:29:23 GMT
Birds absent for decades make extraordinary comeback to Cornwall castle
The red-billed birds went extinct in Cornwall in 1973, but have slowly started returning

Thu, 14 May 2026 15:55:13 GMT
UK economy was on the right track – Trump’s Iran war has wrecked that
Domestic and overseas matters have combined to create a tough outlook for British businesses and consumers

Thu, 14 May 2026 15:50:20 GMT
‘No-one listened’: Valdo Calocane’s mother says broken mental health system failed her son
Celeste Calocane says she feels she was ‘left alone’ before her son killed three people

Thu, 14 May 2026 15:27:41 GMT
What to know about contenders who could replace Keir Starmer as Britain's Labour leader
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership is in jeopardy after his Labour Party suffered heavy defeats in local elections last week

Thu, 14 May 2026 15:21:53 GMT
British army to be equipped with remote-controlled guns in £1bn deal
The guns will be manufactured on British soil in Telford and Stockport

Thu, 14 May 2026 15:13:10 GMT
Man jailed after ramming stolen bulldozer into local village pub in cocaine-fuelled rage
Daniel Morgan, 35, ’saw red’ after being taunted over the breakdown of his marriage

Thu, 14 May 2026 14:49:59 GMT
Streeting has heralded the end of the Starmer premiership – but he’s unlikely to win the crown
The former health secretary has in effect initiated a leadership contest by resigning but he will ultimately struggle to win, says political editor David Maddox

Thu, 14 May 2026 14:49:20 GMT
Farage ‘bought £1.4m house after receiving £5m donation from crypto billionaire’
Reform UK leader facing a parliamentary investigation for not declaring the multi-million-pound gift

Thu, 14 May 2026 14:48:30 GMT
A ‘paedophile hunter’, anti-migrant influencers and a disgraced MP: Bizarre line-up at Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march
Police are preparing for around 50,000 people to attend Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march on Saturday

Thu, 14 May 2026 14:15:27 GMT
King’s College London and Cranfield University to merge into new ‘global’ institution
The two universities will become a unified entity in the next 14 months

Thu, 14 May 2026 13:58:09 GMT
‘Where we need vision, we have a vacuum’: Wes Streeting’s scathing resignation letter in full
The former health secretary accused Keir Starmer of creating a ‘vacuum’ where the country needed a ‘vision’

Thu, 14 May 2026 13:54:54 GMT
Humans were riding horses 1,000 years earlier than previously thought, new study finds
Mass migration of people across Eurasia around 5,000 years ago could have been driven by advent of horsemanship, researchers say

Thu, 14 May 2026 13:50:11 GMT
Reeves warns ‘now is not the time’ for change as rumours swirl about Labour leadership contest
Chancellor’s comments come at a fraught time for Sir Keir Starmer

Thu, 14 May 2026 13:07:29 GMT
Man accused of murdering Ian Watkins ‘only feels guilt’ for paedophile singer’s victims, court hears
Rico Gedel attacked disgraced Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins in his cell last October

Thu, 14 May 2026 12:57:37 GMT
Wes Streeting: How a man whose grandfather was an armed robber now finds himself on the cusp of No 10
As a young child, he regularly visited his grandfather in prison. His grandmother shared a cell with Christine Keeler. Raised in a council flat in the East End, Wes Streeting – the now former health secretary – finds himself as the frontrunner in...

Thu, 14 May 2026 12:54:08 GMT
Premium Bonds prizes raised by NS&I - but how do they compare with the best savings accounts?
NS&I still playing market catch-up as interest rates rise

Thu, 14 May 2026 12:53:57 GMT
How would a Streeting-Starmer leadership contest work?
Wes Streeting’s resignation as health secretary appears could pave the way for him to take on Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership

Thu, 14 May 2026 12:50:46 GMT
UK weather map: Where will face rain this weekend ahead of soaring bank holiday temperatures
A chilly start to the weekend before temperatures expected to climb in time for the bank holiday

Thu, 14 May 2026 12:49:35 GMT
Driver jailed after horror Norfolk car crash left two children seriously injured
The crash occurred on 26 September last year, and driver Tancredo Bankhardt has now been jailed

Thu, 14 May 2026 11:57:34 GMT
Three women who died off Brighton beach identified by police
Sussex Police will not publicly name the women until the formal identification procedures are finished

Thu, 14 May 2026 11:51:14 GMT
Snooker champ’s mum and sister reported for £200k benefit fraud after bitter family feud over home
Matthew Selt’s mother alleged that he and his sisters had ‘coerced’ her into signing away ownership of her house

Thu, 14 May 2026 11:47:52 GMT
It’s Rayner or no-one facing Starmer in Labour leadership contest, Corbyn says
It might be Angela Rayner or nobody facing Sir Keir Starmer in a potential Labour leadership challenge, Jeremy Corbyn has said.

Thu, 14 May 2026 11:43:44 GMT
More Mandelson files ‘set to be released next week’ in yet another blow to Starmer
The Peter Mandelson scandal has threatened to bring down the government a number of times

Thu, 14 May 2026 11:26:09 GMT
Former BBC producer avoids prison after downloading 6,000 child abuse images
Judge says Dylan Dawes has suffered significant ‘public humiliation’

Thu, 14 May 2026 11:24:41 GMT
Why Rayner being cleared over her tax affairs is a problem for Streeting’s bid for No 10
The way is now clear for Angela Rayner to throw her hat into the ring and represent a soft left option for the party in any leadership contest

Thu, 14 May 2026 10:57:31 GMT
UK must seek closer trade ties with EU to reverse economic damage of Brexit, think tank warns
Trade with Europe has ‘undershot ambition’, says Resolution Foundation

Thu, 14 May 2026 10:42:26 GMT
The Latest: Prime Minister Keir Starmer's future remains uncertain
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's future is uncertain as key Labour Party members prepare to challenge his leadership

Thu, 14 May 2026 10:31:31 GMT
Baby allegedly murdered by adoptive parent had bite mark on him, court hears
Pathologist Dr Alison Armour said she found other ‘most unusual’ injuries she had never come across in her 39-year career as a consultant forensic pathologist

Thu, 14 May 2026 10:08:36 GMT
Rayner tax issues explained after HMRC clears leadership contender of wrongdoing
The former deputy prime minister is understood to have paid back £40,000 in underpaid tax

Thu, 14 May 2026 09:22:36 GMT
Wealth manager who pawned former Premier League star’s art collection faces jail
The court heard Edgar Davids placed his faith in Nabila Habiby, who was a friend

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