UK Independent

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 09:21:12 GMT
Mandelson-Starmer latest: Rayner ‘warned PM not to appoint peer’ over Epstein links after police search his homes
The former deputy prime minister reportedly told Starmer appointing Mandelson would be a mistake

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:12:00 GMT
Lorry driver sues Specsavers for £200k claiming failed eye test caused depression
Francis Hodibert claims the optician’s alleged negligence means he may ‘never make a sufficient recovery to work again’

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 09:10:38 GMT
Protect inclusive spaces from gender-critical legal battles, Starmer told after Hampstead ladies pond row
Exclusive: Sir Keir Starmer and Bridget Phillipson have been urged by more than 140 feminist and LGBT+ organisations to protect trans-inclusive spaces

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 09:02:09 GMT
Ex-Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman dies aged 72 after cancer battle
Jeane Freeman was diagnosed with ‘incurable cancer’ last month

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:58:08 GMT
Police search Mandelson’s homes in Epstein probe as pressure mounts on Starmer
Pressure is building on Keir Starmer to explain the disgraced peer’s appointment

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 07:49:24 GMT
Will Starmer resign over Mandelson-Epstein scandal and who could replace him?
Labour MPs have questioned the prime minister’s judgement, with some declaring ‘it’s over’ for Starmer

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 07:42:01 GMT
The dark web and drug-laced sweets – how ‘vile’ summer camp leader Jon Ruben betrayed a city to abuse its children
Jon Ruben drugged and sexually abused children at his summer camp. But how did the former veterinary surgeon deceive a whole community? Alex Ross visited Nottingham to find out

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:01:07 GMT
Surviving victim of ‘Suffolk strangler’ claims murdered women could be alive if police had taken her seriously
Serial killer tried to kidnap Emily Doherty before going on to kill five women – and will now be sentenced for murder of sixth victim

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 23:16:09 GMT
Camp leader who abused boys after lacing sweets is ‘sadistic, monstrous paedophile’, wife says as he is jailed
Jon Ruben leaned forward in the dock with his head in his hands as graphic details of how he abused the boys were read out to the court

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 21:36:46 GMT
Teenager, 18, charged over murder of De Montfort University student Khaleed Oladipo
Harper Dennis of North Road, West Drayton, London, has been charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 21:10:57 GMT
UK weather map: Where could it snow this weekend?
Forecasters expect wintry conditions and snowfall in Scotland this weekend

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 20:13:13 GMT
Mum-of-four stole almost £100,000 from church to fund ‘high lifestyle’
Francisca Yawson, 37, was given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to nine counts of theft

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 19:49:27 GMT
How police missed several opportunities before bringing serial killer Steve Wright to justice
The ‘Suffolk Strangler’ was jailed for 40 years for murdering Victoria Hall

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 19:19:32 GMT
Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright jailed for 40 years for murdering Victoria Hall like ‘a predator stalking for his prey’
Serial killer Steve Wright, 67, dramatically changed his plea and admitted killing Victoria Hall in 1999

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 18:44:59 GMT
Michelin-star restaurant boss guilty of spiking woman’s drink in Mayfair club
Vikas Nath, 63, laced the woman's spicy margarita with gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) at Annabel’s

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 18:41:02 GMT
Elton John tells court ‘invasion’ into his family’s privacy was ‘abhorrent’
Singer gives evidence at High Court as part of group of high-profile figures bringing legal action against owners of ‘Daily Mail’

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 18:27:23 GMT
Suffolk Strangler: How it took 26 years to finally solve Victoria Hall’s murder
Police are facing renewed calls to investigate unsolved disappearances after Suffolk serial killer Steve Wright admitted to kidnapping and murdering Victoria Hall, 17, seven years before his other murders

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 18:14:59 GMT
Reform’s by-election candidate suggested people who don’t have children should pay more tax
Exclusive: The Reform politician’s suggestion would ‘punish millions of women and strip them of their basic dignity to choose’, Labour’s deputy leader has warned

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:08:34 GMT
Detectives ‘will never know full history of offending’ of camp leader who drugged and sexually abused children
Jon Ruben was involved in church groups and schools in the Nottinghamshire area

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:39:37 GMT
Experts warn slashing climate aid would be act of ‘self-harm’ for UK
Reports say funds to help poorer nations will would be cut from £11bn to £9.6bn over the next five years

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:34:58 GMT
Aptamil and Cow & Gate baby formulas recalled over toxin poisoning fears
The Food Standards Agency confirmed this week that dozens of children suffered symptoms of toxin poisoning

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:27:07 GMT
Emails reveal Epstein was set to own a majority stake in Sarah Ferguson’s brand
Emails outlined paedophile financier Jeffery Epstein would hold 51 per cent of equity in Sarah Ferguson’s charity, Mother’s Army

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:16:57 GMT
Three men jailed for £1.1m watch robbery that led manager to take his own life
Manager Oliver White was tied up and put in a headlock during the raid, then died less than 24 hours later

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:16:18 GMT
BBC Question Time audience praises guest’s sharp rebuke of Reform’s Zia Yusuf
A BBC Question Time audience member's criticism of Reform UK’s policies resulted in applause from the crowd.

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:09:17 GMT
Readers slam ‘old boys’ club’ for sidelining Dame Karen Pierce in favour of Peter Mandelson
Our community viewed Dame Karen Pierce’s removal as an unnecessary and gendered misjudgement, sidelining an effective diplomat in favour of ‘one of the boys’

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:53:40 GMT
After Epstein fallout, UK leader Starmer faces hurdles and rivals as he battles to keep his job
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a battle to stay in post in the wake of the fallout of his decision in 2024 to appoint veteran Labour politician Peter Mandelson as the U.K. ambassador to the U.S. despite his ties to the pedophile Jeffre...

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:50:16 GMT
What to know about student loans controversy as graduates left worse off
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found that those on Plan 2 loans face repaying around £3,000 more on average

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:34:43 GMT
Mandelson’s lobbying firm cuts all ties with disgraced peer amid Epstein fallout
The former US ambassador no longer holds a stake in the business

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:14:17 GMT
Mapped: Cheapest places to buy a house in the UK revealed
While prices remain highest in the south, the fastest growth was recorded in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:07:39 GMT
‘My son vanished while out on a run. I discovered him dead using a phone tracker app’
Harry Oates was electrocuted by a low-hanging electricity line as he ran along a footpath in Cumbria

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:41:57 GMT
Autistic and ADHD children to be excluded from disability queue at Alton Towers
The trial will prevent anyone who has difficulty with crowds from using the disability access pass

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:19:09 GMT
Three African countries agree to take back UK migrants after visa penalty threat
Home secretary threatened visa sanctions on Namibia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo if they did not take back migrants in the UK

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:07:40 GMT
BBC TV licence fee will go up in April
The broadcaster’s fee will rise by £5.50 from 1 April

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:57:39 GMT
Men charged with robbing Rolex store near Tom Cruise’s Knightsbridge flat
A group stormed the shop armed with machetes and threatened staff

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:48:19 GMT
Will Keir Starmer survive the Mandelson-Epstein scandal?
Sir Keir Starmer is fighting for his political life amid mounting fury over his decision to appoint Lord Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the United States, despite being aware of his ties to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:35:46 GMT
Senior government figures forced to hand over private messages with Mandelson
PM hopes release of documents will prove he was ‘misled’ by Mandelson before he appointed him as US ambassador

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:34:11 GMT
Parents win £858k payout after daughter dies following weight loss surgery in Turkey
Judge finds that Khelisyah Ashamu received ‘inadequate’ post-op care

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:08:55 GMT
Homes left without water and schools shut after ‘very large’ pipe bursts
Several schools have closed as a result of the incident

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:08:13 GMT
Warning millions more could be stung by Reeves’ tax raid on pensions
A 2,000-a-year cap on salary sacrifice contributions will come into effect from 2029

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:06:35 GMT
Sadiq Khan told to apologise to sacked bus driver who knocked out thief after they stole passenger’s necklace
Mark Hehir has called the mayor’s silence ‘disappointing’

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 10:21:07 GMT
Wood burners may treble children’s exposure to pollution in homes, study finds
Factors like smoking and even cooking contribute to pollution exposure, researchers found

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