46 m. ago There is a thriving shadow economy in Britain – but migrants are not to blame | Emily Kenway

While Labour is desperately trying to mimic Reform’s line on the cash economy, the blame lies solidly with ordinary people feeling the pinchAccording to politicians across all parties, something called the “hidden economy” – the shadowy nethers of the labour market, in which work goes unregulated and undeclared to the authorities – is a “menace”, full of migrants whose illegal working “undercuts British workers”, and even a threat to our national security. MPs have been so worried about asylum seekers delivering their Friday night pizza that they’ve spent parliamentary time discussing Deliveroo et al’s business models. In response, the government has repeatedly reassured us, in the somewhat Mills & Boon-style phrasing of Yvette Cooper, when she was home secretary, that it’s “surging enforcement” to tackle the problem.Solutions suggested include Keir Starmer’s digital ID cards, requirements for increased “right to work” checks, and new data-sharing agreements in which the Home Of...

Events

46 m. ago Forget petty bribes, ‘state capture’ is corruption so deep it is shaping the rules of democracy itself | Kenneth Mohammed

Beating the dangerous influence of private interests on governments requires independent judges, journalists and a courageous civil societyA global youth revolt is shaking the foundations of political power. In just a few months, millions of young people have taken to the streets across continents – from Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco, Madagascar, Peru and Paraguay – to denounce corruption and collapsing public systems. The spark is familiar: governments accused of looting public wealth while ordinary citizens face unemployment, rising costs, poverty and failing services. These digitally connected protest movements – leaderless, borderless and fast-moving – have toppled governments in Nepal, Peru and Madagascar. The anger is not abstract. It is directed squarely at political and economic elites who have turned public office into private estates. What they are confronting, often without naming it, is state capture – a form of corruption so de...

Politics

4 h. ago Farage vows to slash benefits with every disability claim reassessed

He said there would be no substantial tax cuts under Reform except for the inheritance tax on farms

Politics

12 h. ago Protesters to face jail for demonstrating outside MPs’ homes

Activists could be imprisoned for up to six months under the changes.

Events

16 h. ago More than 700 officers will be deployed to police Aston Villa

West Midlands Police said its goal is to ensure fan safety and facilitate peaceful protest.

Events

16 h. ago Trump administration will provide half of usual funds to Snap recipients in November

Contingency funds will keep benefits going for nearly 42 million people in the food assistance program, Trump saysUS politics live – latest updatesThe Trump administration said it would provide partial relief to recipients of food stamps on Monday as the federal government shutdown approached a record-breaking length.Amid mounting uncertainty among the nearly 42 million people on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), the Department of Agriculture said it would use contingency funds to keep benefits going, albeit just 50% of the usual funds recipients receive on their cards. Continue reading...

Politics

22 h. ago Farage claims Brexit opportunities have been ‘squandered’ and says he wants as many rich people as possible in the UK – politics live

Reform UK leader says he expects Labour to be forced into an austerity budget before the next electionFarage is speaking now. He says another “depressing budget hoves into view”. It will be a budget that “doesn’t have the guts to cut public spending”.He says Britain has been living under an illusion.I think for some years we’ve actually been living under an illusion. We’ve not been prepared to face up to just how much of an economic mess we genuinely in.As we slipped down the global league tables, we kid ourselves that it’s OK, we’ve got GDP growth. Continue reading...

Politics

24 h. ago Labour says Farage would revive austerity as he prepares to set out economic vision in speech – UK politics live

Reform UK leader expected to promise deregulation and spending cuts as Labour and Conservatives attack policiesThe Tories claim Reform UK are “leftwing” partly on the basis of Nigel Farage’s welfare policies. In particular, in their briefing overnight (see 9.34am), the Tories backed this up by saying that they would cut welfare spending by £23bn, when Reform’s plans (so far) only add up to £9bn, and that Farage would abolish the two-child benefit cap (but only for British parents working full-time, Politico reports).The “leftwing” description is even harder to sustain in the light of this report for Politico by Dan Bloom about Reform’s economic plans.Let’s be clear, we’ve said we don’t guarantee it. Everything’s up for review, because nothing’s affordable if we keep spending more than we’re earning. And we’ve said that consistently if we the country go bust, which is the direction of travel we’re heading, one way or the other, nothing’s affordable.You’re not asking about the much, m...

Politics

27 h. ago Orphans of history: the forgotten republic of Transnistria – photo essay

Photographer Didier Bizet has spent time documenting life in the self-proclaimed autonomous republic, which is not recognised by the international community. Its status raises complex questions about the identity of its inhabitants – Ukrainians, Russians, Moldovans and Bulgarians – in a land searching for direction and lacking a clearly defined national identityAmid the ongoing war in Ukraine and between the fragile borders that crisscross the former Soviet Union, the self-proclaimed Republic of Transnistria, which broke away from Moldova more than 30 years ago after a brief but bloody conflict, remains locked in deep political and diplomatic isolation.Home to about 450,000 people, Transnistria is a narrow strip of land wedged between Moldova and Ukraine, along the eastern bank of the Dniester River. Its de facto capital, Tiraspol, lies less than 60 miles from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa. Though small in size – about 125 miles long – the region holds outsized strategic importan...

Culture

34 h. ago ‘UK public have tougher stance on immigration and diversity than people in US’

While almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents in the US felt diversity strengthens society, only around half (49%) of the UK public agreed.

Politics

45 h. ago A year of Donald Trump: British people's trust in the US has collapsed since he was elected

A year on from Donald Trump's shock victory, most people in Britain now say they don't trust the US - a massive drop from last November

Politics

4 d. ago What would you do if democracy was being dismantled before your eyes? Whatever you’re doing right now | Andy Beckett

In California, daily life under Trump is marked by sporadic resistance and avoidance. Neither will defeat the autocratsHow would you behave if your democracy was being dismantled? In most western countries, that used to be an academic question. Societies where this process had happened, such as Germany in the 1930s, seemed increasingly distant. The contrasting ways that people reacted to authoritarianism and autocracy, both politically and in their everyday lives, while darkly fascinating and important to study and remember, seemed of diminishing relevance to now.Not any more. Illiberal populism has spread across the world, either challenging for power or entrenching itself in office, from Argentina to Italy, France to Indonesia, Hungary to Britain. But probably the most significant example of a relatively free, pluralist society and political system turning into something very different remains the US, now nine months into Donald Trump’s second term.Andy Beckett is a Guardian colum...

Politics

4 d. ago Not holding Birmingham pub bombs public inquiry is outrageous – victim’s sister

Julie Hambleton, whose sister Maxine lost her life in the 1974 attacks, said it was a ‘disgraceful’ way to treat grieving families.

Events

4 d. ago 'Plastic patriot' Nigel Farage slated over 'Britain is lawless' claims

Labour Policing Minister Sarah Jones dismissed Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as a 'plastic patriot' and said she is 'not interested' in his griping - pointing to her party's record in power

Politics

4 d. ago Tories will not deport legally settled people, Badenoch clarifies

Katie Lam spoke ‘imprecisely’ in stating large number of people would ‘need to go home’, says Conservative leader UK politics live – latest updatesThe Conservative MP Katie Lam spoke “imprecisely” in stating the party would deport large numbers of legally settled families from the UK, Kemi Badenoch said, adding she had no plans to make tougher immigration rules retrospective.Badenoch’s comments to reporters after a speech in London end days of confusion over Tory migration policy, particularly over whether many thousands of people who have made lives in the UK could lose their status of indefinite leave to remain (ILR) under a future Conservative government. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Extremists exploit political ‘trigger events’ to recruit people online, says study

NYU report monitored social feeds and found groups call for retaliatory action after politically motivated violent eventsExtremists are exploiting political violence on online platforms to recruit new people to their causes and amplify the use of violence for political goals, according to a new report that monitored social platforms after recent attacks.Researchers at New York University’s Stern Center for Business and Human Rights tracked social media feeds for several months this year, including in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago US military kills 14 in attacks on vessels in the Pacific, according to Hegseth

US forces in recent weeks carried out at least eight strikes against boats in the Caribbean off Venezuela’s coast, killing about 40 peopleUS politics live – latest updatesThe US military on Monday carried out three deadly strikes on four vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, announced Pete Hegseth, the Trump administration’s defense secretary, on Tuesday.Fourteen were killed in the attacks while one survived, Hegseth said in an X post. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago How and where are asylum seekers given accommodation in the UK?

Most asylum seekers are placed in privately managed houses, flats or rooms in properties of multiple occupancy.

Events

7 d. ago 'Terrifying' scenes of masked Muslim protesters on the streets of east London like a 'foreign invading army', claims Nigel Farage

The Reform UK leader today condemned the scenes of balaclava-clad men who declared they were 'uniting' while chanting a series of messages in Arabic.

Events

8 d. ago Geert Wilders failed in government, but the far right retains its grip on the Netherlands | Cas Mudde

A media in thrall to Wilders’ party ensures its agenda is entrenched in Dutch politics and will dominate Wednesday’s electionOn Wednesday Dutch people go to the ballot box again! This will be the ninth election for the Tweede Kamer (second chamber), the Dutch parliament’s legislative chamber, in this still young century. In some ways the Netherlands has become the Italy of the 21st century, plagued by political fragmentation, governmental instability, and radicalisation (accompanied, increasingly often, by violence).This election is a direct result of this fragmentation and instability. The far-right Freedom Party (PVV) led by Geert Wilders dominated the last ruling coalition, but still pulled the plug in July, after less than a year. The various lessons that the Dutch media, political parties, and voters have drawn from this tumultuous experience should be relevant beyond the Netherlands, given that most European countries are struggling with a similar challenge: how to deal with t...

Politics