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Voices

<p>Vladimir Putin knows that Donald Trump is desperate for a peace deal</p>
Sean O'Grady

Is Trump being schooled in the art of the deal, Russian-style?

By turning his nose up at the US-proposed ceasefire, Vladimir Putin has deployed a typically skilful diplomatic negotiating ploy – agreeing with the US president ‘in principle’ while disagreeing in practice, says Sean O’Grady

<p>The prime minister has announced NHS England will be abolished to ‘cut bureaucracy’ </p>
inside westminster

Project Chainsaw: So, which quango is next for the chop?

<p>Demonstrators from the group, Jewish Voice for Peace protest inside Trump Tower in support of Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil</p>
alan rusbridger

Trump and Vance revealed their hypocrisy on free speech

<p>Keir Starmer announced NHS England will be abolished</p>
john rentoul

Welfare cuts could be a ‘make or break’ moment for Starmer

<p>Lucy Punch in ‘Amandaland’ has her own business: Senuous</p>
dear vix

Working mothers like me are being set up to fail

<p>‘When people say, “There wasn’t all this in my day,” the answer is usually: there was, but it wasn’t considered “nice”.’</p>
Kat Brown

People with ADHD aren’t making it up: Calling it a scam is a disgrace

<p>Trump and members of his economic team</p>
James Moore

Why Wall Street supremos are risking reputations to prop up Trump

<p>Sir Keir Starmer announced NHS England will be abolished (Oli Scarff/PA)</p>
Voices

Can Keir Starmer, the unlikely revolutionary, shrink the state?

<p>Poet and artist Frieda Hughes momentarily forgets the troubles of the world as she looks across the expanse of the countryside</p>
frieda hughes

How I free myself from the noise of the world

<p>The trailer for the fifth and final season of Netflix series ‘You’ was released on Monday</p>
emma clarke

The one thing Netflix missed in the fifth series of ‘You’

<p>‘Powell invented the modern role of the “political” chief of staff to the prime minister and made it work so well that it has been maintained by every prime minister since’</p>
Voices

With Jonathan Powell’s return, the Starmer government is in safe hands

<p>Donald Trump and Keir Starmer at the White House</p>
Sean O'Grady

Britain has been hit by Donald Trump’s tariffs – what’s our next move?

<p>Boris Johnson (right) has been silent over the comments and actions of US president Donald Trump</p>
Sean O'Grady

How low must Donald Trump sink before adoring Tories call him out?

<p>‘For all the talk about encouraging people back into jobs, you cannot “incentivise” those many disabled people who are not capable of work’</p>
Andrew Grice

Could welfare cuts be a defining Clause IV moment for Keir Starmer?

<p>Vladimir Putin could simply use the ceasefire as valuable time to regroup</p>
Mark Almond

Putin cannot be trusted to stick to a ceasefire in Ukraine

<p>The sudden intensity of colour / Was like unlocking a door</p>
Voices

What it’s really like to have cataract surgery

Poet and artist Frieda Hughes was gazing at two moons in the sky – until a hospital appointment helped her see the woods for the trees

<p>‘In a week in which we have Trump’s crackers AI video, I would argue that a dog sound bath is the only sane response’</p>
Voices

As the world went Trump mad, I took my pet for a doggy sound bath

sketch

The House of Commons was united against a common enemy – Nigel Farage

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More Voices

<p>Rachel Reeves’s decision to hike employer national insurance looks increasingly like self-harm</p>
Voices

As manufacturing declines 0.9pc, will the economy ever lift off?

Voices

As manufacturing declines 0.9pc, will the economy ever lift off?

James Moore
<p>Rachel Reeves’s decision to hike employer national insurance looks increasingly like self-harm</p>
<p>British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on February 27, 2025 in Washington, D.C., U.S. Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo</p>
UK Politics

Tariffs, Trump, and trade: Independent readers give their verdict

<p>Putin says he supports Ukraine ceasefire but has ‘issues he needs to discuss’</p>
Voices

The ‘nyet’ factor: Will Putin accept a ceasefire in Ukraine?

<p>The end of road tax exemptions for electric vehicles has sparked fierce debate.</p>
Motoring

New EV road tax rules fuel debate among Independent readers

<p>‘Axing NHS England means that Wes Streeting will no longer be able to wag his finger should the health service continue to underperform or miss its targets’</p>
Voices

As Starmer axes NHS England, is it time for bonfire of the quangos?

<p>‘Axing NHS England means that Wes Streeting will no longer be able to wag his finger should the health service continue to underperform or miss its targets’</p>
Voices

As Starmer axes NHS England, is it time for bonfire of the quangos?

14 March 2025
The Independent View

Abolishing NHS England gets full marks for ambition

<p>‘Pratchett’s books remind us that it's not enough to be good in our hearts, we must also be good in our actions’</p>
Voices

Terry Pratchett’s militant decency is more urgent than ever

Most commented

Ukraine war latest: Putin sees Trump as ‘weak’, report claims

106 comments

UK economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% in January in blow to Rachel Reeves

219 comments

Putin says ‘yes’ to ceasefire – but lays down impossible terms for Ukraine

201 comments

Ukraine-Russia war live: Zelensky hails ‘good chance to end war’

243 comments
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More Voices

<p>Venezuelan migrants flown home from Guantanamo Bay arrive on a deportation flight at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia</p>
Voices

Trump is using Guantanamo to rob migrants of their humanity

<p>Vladimir Putin could simply use the ceasefire as valuable time to regroup</p>
Voices

Putin cannot be trusted to stick to a ceasefire in Ukraine

The Independent View

The ceasefire deal lays bare the bind Vladimir Putin is in

<p>Volodymyr Zelensky, Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron (PA)</p>
Voices

We must weaponise Russia’s frozen assets – and wipe off Putin’s smile

<p>The EU has retaliated after Trump's tariffs ramp up trade war</p>
UK Politics

Tell us how Britain should respond amid Trump tariff war

<p>New Old Trafford</p>
Football

Why Man United’s problems won’t be solved by a dazzling new stadium

<p>Volodymyr Zelensky, Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron (PA)</p>
Voices

We must weaponise Russia’s frozen assets – and wipe off Putin’s smile

<p>The EU has retaliated after Trump's tariffs ramp up trade war</p>
UK Politics

Tell us how Britain should respond amid Trump tariff war

<p>New Old Trafford</p>
Football

Why Man United’s problems won’t be solved by a dazzling new stadium

<p>Keir Starmer is the careful, unshowy and assiduous leader the country needs</p>
The Independent View

Keir Starmer’s stature continues to grow in office

The Independent View

Keir Starmer’s stature continues to grow in office

Editorial
<p>Keir Starmer is the careful, unshowy and assiduous leader the country needs</p>
<p>A sell-off across US markets has continued as investor sentiment soured amid growing fears of a recession </p>
Voices

Can the UK escape Trump’s market meltdown?

<p>The prime minister said the welfare system was ‘unsustainable, indefensible and unfair’</p>
Voices

How the new steely Starmer is attacking welfare

<p>Hampstead Heath, north London’s ancient green lung, is renowned for its gay cruising</p>
Voices

It’s time the gay cruisers of Hampstead Heath cleaned up their act

<p>Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders are meeting in Paris today to discuss Ukraine</p>
Voices

How will a coalition of the willing work, exactly?

<p>Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders are meeting in Paris today to discuss Ukraine</p>
Voices

How will a coalition of the willing work, exactly?

<p>The prosecution told the court on Thursday how Kyle Clifford searched for an Andrew Tate podcast less than 24 hours before the attack in Bushey</p>
Voices

The ‘manosphere’ goes beyond Andrew Tate – Kyle Clifford proves it

<p>In a TV interview, US president Donald Trump said Ukraine may not survive, ahead of peace talks in Saudi Arabia</p>
Voices

Trump saying ‘Ukraine may not survive’ is a dire warning – and threat

<p>Boris Johnson (right) has been silent over the comments and actions of US president Donald Trump</p>
Voices

How low must Donald Trump sink before adoring Tories call him out?

<p>Electric vehicle charging firm Pod Point has said sales for 2024 will have missed targets due to weak private sales of EVs (Yui Mok/PA)</p>
Electric Vehicles

Tell us if EV owners should pay road tax

<p>Daria Klimentova in the English National Opera’s production of ‘Cinderella’: the ENO has been forced to relocate outside London or lose its Arts Council funding</p>
Voices

A new tourism tax would revolutionise our crumbling cultural landscape

<p>A little more than a week after President Zelensky was given a verbal punishment in the Oval Office, an American team of negotiators will be starting a more productive set of private discussions with the Ukrainians </p>
The Independent View

As peace talks begin, a punitive settlement on Ukraine is unacceptable

<p>Mark Carney, Canada’s new prime minister, will be a formidable opponent for Donald Trump</p>
Voices

Mark Carney is the man Canada needs to challenge Trump

<p>The government has talked about helping disabled people into work – but that help is often hard to access</p>
Voices

Labour’s push to cut disability benefit should outrage us all

<p>Will someone please put up a yellow triangle, hazard lights or a traffic cone? Anyone...?</p>
Voices

Meghan doesn’t know how to open champagne properly – it’s a nightmare

<p>Need a hand getting back to work? (Getty Images/iStockphoto)</p>
Voices

I know how to get sick and disabled people back to work

<p>Responding to comments about his race and Englishness, former prime minister Rishi Sunak said: ‘I found the whole thing slightly ridiculous’</p>
Voices

There’s nothing ‘ridiculous’ about your Englishness, Rishi

Voices

There’s nothing ‘ridiculous’ about your Englishness, Rishi

Serena Barker-Singh
<p>Responding to comments about his race and Englishness, former prime minister Rishi Sunak said: ‘I found the whole thing slightly ridiculous’</p>
<p>From left: Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky</p>
The Independent View

Putin is the only winner in Trump’s risky intelligence game

<p>Cyclone Alfred made landfall yesterday</p>
Voices

No country is rich enough to save itself from cyclones like Alfred

<p>Scientists are blaming the ‘too good and too cheap’ nappies for the slow pace of potty training</p>
Voices

I potty-trained my kids in three days – it’s not that hard

<p>Donald Trump and the Queen toast during the state banquet at Buckingham Palace in June 2019</p>
Voices

Starmer’s most persuasive Trump card: a second state visit to Scotland

<p>Donald Trump and the Queen toast during the state banquet at Buckingham Palace in June 2019</p>
Voices

Starmer’s most persuasive Trump card: a second state visit to Scotland

<p>Failing to save for retirement can end up being a big financial regret</p>
Voices

The deadline to top up your state pension is looming

<p>‘The special relationship between America and the UK – and, indeed, the rest of Europe – is in jeopardy’</p>
Voices

If you don’t speak out against Trump, you are complicit

<p>Nigel Farage – the main threat to a continued Labour government – has been damaged by the split in his own ranks</p>
Voices

Reform’s implosion makes a second term for Keir Starmer more likely

<p>Donald Trump has shown he is not a skilled negotiator</p>
The Independent View

European leadership is needed where Donald Trump is failing

<p>Women and a girl walk along a street in Kandahar, Afghanistan</p>
Voices

The easy answer to those who ask why we need International Women’s Day

<p>‘I have spoken to several people who felt forced into signing NDAs. All of them wish they hadn’t, so, I took this campaign to parliament’</p>
Voices

From Weinstein to Al Fayed – we need to end the abuse of NDAs

<p>‘Removing these barriers will mean that fewer women will feel the need to leave the workforce. More women in the workforce means stronger economic growth’</p>
Voices

We’re going to revolutionise workplace support for menopausal women

<p>The first batch of ‘Love Island’ 2022 contestants</p>
Voices

The real reason I signed up for Strictly and Love Island

<p>‘80 per cent of people displaced by the climate crisis are women. And when women are displaced from their homes, they are at greater risk of unemployment, child marriage, human trafficking, and gender-based violence’</p>
Voices

It’s men who caused the climate crisis – but women who suffer the most

<p>Andrea Coomber is the chief executive of he Howard League for Penal Reform </p>
Voices

There are too many women in prison – here’s what needs to change

<p>Donald Trump, photographed in the Oval Office on Thursday, granted Mexico and Canada further reprieve from his tariff regime</p>
Voices

The Trump Slump is real and has echoes of a Britain broken by Brexit

Voices

The Trump Slump is real and has echoes of a Britain broken by Brexit

Chris Blackhurst
<p>Donald Trump, photographed in the Oval Office on Thursday, granted Mexico and Canada further reprieve from his tariff regime</p>
<p>The Independent has<a href="/news/uk/international-womens-day-independent-influence-list-b2706045.html" title="Independent Women 2025 – The Influence List"></a> compiled a list of the 50 most influential women – with an emphasis on changemakers who are making history and changing British lives</p>
The Independent View

We must pick up the pace towards equality on International Women’s Day

<p>Demonstrators take part in a national rally against violence towards women in April 2024 in Sydney, Australia</p>
Voices

Young men are struggling – helping them shouldn’t harm women or girls

<p>Keir Starmer’s approval ratings have seen a boost since his response to Trump and Ukraine last week </p>
Voices

From Robo Keir to Starmer the Statesman – how the PM found a new voice

<p>Donald Trump gives a keynote speech on the third day of the Bitcoin 2024 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, on 27 July, 2024</p>
Voices

When it comes to Trump Inc, America prefers to look the other way

<p>Donald Trump gives a keynote speech on the third day of the Bitcoin 2024 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, on 27 July, 2024</p>
Voices

When it comes to Trump Inc, America prefers to look the other way

<p>Chancellor Rachel Reeves wants to overhaul ethical investment rules that deny Britain's defence sector of billions in funding (Stefan Rousseau/PA)</p>
Voices

We cannot afford to be squeamish about Britain’s defence industry

<p>President Macron has said ‘we have to be ready’ for US not to be on same side </p>
Voices

Macron’s offer to protect Europe is no nuclear slam-dunk

<p>‘The women victimised by the Met’s Special Demonstration Squad are remarkable. You will want to hear their stories’</p>
Voices

Why has it fallen to TV execs to fight for the Spycops victims?

<p>Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky is greeted by European Council president Antonio Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, at the Special European Council</p>
The Independent View

Europe must do whatever it can to keep Mr Trump away from the Kremlin

<p>‘Is there some snobbery at work? Do they perhaps imagine libraries as places that only nerdy geniuses like Roald Dahl’s <em>Matilda</em> can use?’ </p>
Voices

How shameful that councils mark World Book Day with library cuts

<p>‘Thanks to Brexit, Britain is excluded from the summit which will decide the existential future of Europe’</p>
Voices

We need a seat at the EU table more than ever

<p>‘(500) Days of Summer’, the 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Marc Webb,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/500_Days_of_Summer#cite_note-3"> </a>stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel – and chronicles the highs and lows of their relationship</p>
Voices

I think I’m in a ‘situationship’ – and it’s dreadful

<p>Trump holds a letter from King Charles as he meets with Keir Starmer in the Oval Office (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)</p>
Home News

Readers give verdict on whether Trump’s state visit should go ahead

<p>What’s always overlooked is that dressing up children either requires time or it requires money </p>
Voices

Let’s end the performative hell of compulsory World Book Day costumes

<p>‘Like many women before me, I discovered a decade later that Carlo had led two lives – one with me, and the other with his wife, as a highly-trained undercover officer’</p>
Voices

For over a decade, I had no clue the man I lived with was a police spy

Voices

Under Trump, the global order America helped to build is crumbling

Voices

Under Trump, the global order America helped to build is crumbling

Tobias Ellwood
<p></p>
The Independent View

Will Reeves try to fix our public finances on the backs of the poor?

<p>‘The near-sadistic glee with which Trump paraded his dismantling of “DEI” policies and “woke” culture was another source of worry for anyone who wants to see America displaying strength through unity, and continuing its journey to eradicate racism’</p>
Voices

Trump’s raving speech to Congress had all the trademarks of a despot

<p>‘Journalists were actively choosing not to follow evidence – out of fear’</p>
Voices

I’m a former BBC newsreader – Gaza is the reason I resigned

<p>Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports could cause gas prices to climb, perhaps by as much as 40 cents a gallon</p>
Voices

Will American consumers now catch a ‘tariff chill’?

<p>Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports could cause gas prices to climb, perhaps by as much as 40 cents a gallon</p>
Voices

Will American consumers now catch a ‘tariff chill’?

<p>Kemi Badenoch recently renewed her friendship with US vice-president JD Vance over dinner in Washington</p>
Voices

Come in, Agent Badenoch – your cover as a Labour asset is blown…

<p>‘If a stalker feels confident in attending a televised event full of cameras and the media, what are the chances for someone like me to stay safe?’</p>
Voices

If Emma Raducanu isn’t safe at work, what hope do we have?

<p>Rising fares, ageing infrastructure, and privatisation is at the heart of the debate around Britain’s railway service</p>
Rail Travel

Fare reforms and nationalisation – readers on fixing our railways

<p>Volodymyr Zelensky should not be coerced into agreeing to a ceasefire with no future security guarantees, even though Donald Trump has put a stop to US military aid to Ukraine</p>
The Independent View

Trump’s attack on Zelensky throws the Atlantic Alliance into jeopardy

<p>Donald Trump has said he received a letter from Volodymyr Zelensky praising his ‘strong leadership’, after the two publicly clashed in the Oval Office</p>
Voices

Zelensky had to grovel to Trump – but standing up to him can pay off

<p>Russia Ukraine War F16 Zelensky</p>
Voices

Ukraine will run out of US air defence support in days. Putin knows it

<p>British foreign secretary David Lammy meets patients in a malnutrition centre in Adre, Chad near the border with South Sudan where thousands of refugees have been crossing. Mr Lammy visited on January 24 before the government announced cuts to the UK foreign aid budget</p>
Voices

Foreign aid is how countries show their character to the world

<p>‘Despite the praise Donald Trump showered on Keir Starmer, the prime minister has since been dealt several blows’</p>
Voices

Starmer hasn’t put a foot wrong over Ukraine – but he can’t win

<p>Russia Ukraine War F16 Zelensky</p>
Voices

Ukraine will run out of US air defence support in days. Putin knows it

<p>British foreign secretary David Lammy meets patients in a malnutrition centre in Adre, Chad near the border with South Sudan where thousands of refugees have been crossing. Mr Lammy visited on January 24 before the government announced cuts to the UK foreign aid budget</p>
Voices

Foreign aid is how countries show their character to the world

<p>‘Despite the praise Donald Trump showered on Keir Starmer, the prime minister has since been dealt several blows’</p>
Voices

Starmer hasn’t put a foot wrong over Ukraine – but he can’t win

<p>Donald Trump has hit China, Canada and Mexico with tariffs </p>
Voices

The unintended consequence of Trump’s tariffs that will affect us all

<p>Yvette Cooper and her French counterpart have announced increased policing to tackle people smuggling</p>
Voices

Why increasing border police won’t stop people dying in the Channel

<p>If Donald Trump persists in his military pause for long, the Ukrainian military will face a battlefield crunch in the summer</p>
Voices

Donald Trump isn’t done with twisting the knife into Ukraine

<p>Charles, then the Prince of Wales is greeted by US President Donald Trump (Victoria Jones/PA)</p>
Home News

Have your say: Should Trump’s state visit go ahead?

<p>‘When Donald Trump got furious with Volodymyr Zelensky it wasn’t just business, it was personal’</p>
Voices

What really lies behind Trump’s unbridled fury with Zelensky

<p>The late John Prescott named a crab after him, which was one of the more gentle sobriquets given to the ‘Prince of Darkness’</p>
Voices

‘Give peace a chance?’ Mandy might try giving silence a chance instead

<p></p>
The Independent View

Ukraine must not be forced into an unconditional surrender

<p>‘Here’s the thing: These banks and their well-paid employees pay an awful lot of tax and, right now, that money is badly needed’</p>
Voices

Massive bonuses for bankers are back. So be it – we need their taxes

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