8 h. ago Voices: Starmer’s authority isn’t the only thing badly dented by his benefits climbdown

For Labour backbenchers, the welfare rebellion was a triumph: with the growing possibility of this being a one-term government, and with little prospect of ministerial advancement, MPs have concluded they have nothing to lose by standing up for what they believe in, says Andrew Grice

Culture

26 h. ago Voices: Starmer’s welfare humiliation is a turning point for his government

The prime minister had no choice but to give in to Labour rebels on disability benefits – but this rebellion has been handled particularly badly, and I doubt he will see out this parliament, says John Rentoul

Politics

41 h. ago Delaying welfare reform is better than bad welfare reform, prime minister

Editorial: Prior to putting before parliament its plans to cut disability and sickness-related benefits, the government must first complete essential groundwork that ought to have been done already – namely, consulting with those at the sharp end of the change: people with disabilities

Politics

46 h. ago Voices: Has Starmer’s leadership been weakened by Labour’s welfare revolt? Join The Independent Debate

Just over half of Independent readers supported welfare reform in principle, but only 28 per cent backed Starmer’s current proposals

Politics

46 h. ago Voices: Don’t blame Morgan McSweeney – this welfare mess is Keir Starmer’s fault

The prime minister will survive the rebellion over benefits cuts, because he will cave in to his MPs demands on welfare – but from here on, things will only get worse for him, says John Rentoul

Politics

3 d. ago Voices: Faced with a growing Labour rebellion against welfare cuts, Keir Starmer has one least

The prime minister has belatedly been making the case for benefit reform and changes to PIP payments to calm his mutinous backbenchers – but, a year on from his historic election win, it risks becoming an issue of confidence in his leadership, says Andrew Grice

Economics

3 d. ago Voices: Poll of the day: Do you support Keir Starmer’s welfare reform plans?

Have your say: As the government prepares to make one of the most significant changes to welfare in over a decade, we want to know where you stand

Politics

3 d. ago Voices: What’s the real reason Keir Starmer won’t say if Donald Trump was right or wrong to bomb Iran?

The prime minister urged de-escalation and the US president ignored him, leaving the British government unable to say whether it is for or against the military action. It’s another blow to Starmer’s standing on the world stage, says John Rentoul

Politics

6 d. ago Keir Starmer must end the injustice of indefinite sentences today

Editorial: There are thousands of people in prison in Britain with no release date, serving sentences that were abolished in 2012

Politics

6 d. ago Voices: Keir Starmer accidentally admits his first year has been a failure

The prime minister said his biggest mistake was that ‘we haven’t always told our story as well as we should’ – an attempt to minimise a problem that is fundamental, argues John Rentoul

Events

7 d. ago Voices: Whitehall isn’t working – here’s how the PM can fix it

Keir Starmer complains that the government machine is slow to crank into life when he demands action. To prevent his ‘mission-driven’ domestic agenda from being doomed to failure, the prime minister should first get rid of the Cabinet Office, says Andrew Grice

Events

8 d. ago Keir Starmer must refuse to follow Donald Trump into war on Iran

Editorial: Should the US decide to join the Israeli attacks on Iran, there are strong moral and practical reasons why Britain should refuse to help its closest ally and stand aside

Politics

1 week ago Starmer hits back at Badenoch over grooming scandal, claiming Tories did nothing

Sir Keir Starmer asked ‘why on earth’ Mrs Badenoch did not bring forward a duty for authorities to report child sexual exploitation in power.

Events

1 week ago Voices: The tide has turned against the European Convention on Human Rights

As two backbench Labour MPs break ranks to voice their support for rewriting the ECHR – following an even more surprising intervention from Lib Dem leader Ed Davey – have both sides of the Commons realised that the only way to remain in the convention is to rewrite it, asks John Rentoul

Politics

1 week ago Badenoch ‘not doing politics’ on grooming gangs as report author urges ‘calm’

Baroness Louise Casey told the BBC she was ‘disappointed’ by the Opposition’s response to her review of the grooming gangs scandal.

Politics

2 w. ago Voices: Starmer and Reeves are back from the brink – here’s what they must do next

After a spending review that came as a relief to many Labour backbenchers, the government must now start making the case for the ‘inevitable’ tax rises in the autumn that will be needed to deliver better public services, says Andrew Grice

Politics

2 w. ago Voices: Will Israel’s war on Iran force Keir Starmer to raise defence spending even more?

Despite talking of moving Britain to ‘war-fighting readiness’, the prime minister has so far resisted Nato pressure to increase spending further, writes John Rentoul

Politics

2 w. ago Keir Starmer must come to the defence of his chancellor’s spending review

Editorial: In spite of Rachel Reeves’s much-vaunted increase in MoD expenditure, a rise to 2.6 per cent of GDP can only be achieved by draining the overseas aid budget, reallocating intelligence agency funds, and other sleights of hand. When the prime minister faces Nato leaders, including Donald Trump, he will have no choice but to spin the numbers

Politics

2 w. ago Voices: Look away, Sir Keir! Labour’s bible has given its verdict on you

The New Statesman’s new editor is a critical friend of the prime minister – very critical, as it turns out, writes John Rentoul (a former deputy editor of the magazine)

Politics

2 w. ago Rachel Reeves has given the Starmer administration a new narrative: Investment, growth and expansion

Editorial: Alongside the Brexit reset, new trade deals and planning reforms, the chancellor’s spending review should result in a stronger economy with a better long-term growth rate. But it will take time

Politics