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Voices

<p>Gideon Falter was told he looked ‘openly Jewish’ by a Metropolitan Police officer</p>
Mark Honigsbaum

When did being ‘openly Jewish’ become a provocation?

During the now-routine pro-Palestine marches through London on Saturdays, should Jewish people like me have to take detours or adjust our appearance because the Metropolitan Police is seemingly incapable of distinguishing between free speech and hate speech, asks Mark Honigsbaum

<p>The NHS is a cornerstone of our society, and it is up to those in power to ensure that everyone gets the services they need without suffering</p>
The Independent View

The government must go to great lengths to fix the NHS

<p>Metallica’s James Hetfield’s new tattoo is infused with the ashes of Motörhead frontman, Lemmy </p>
Will Gore

Sorry Lemmy and Metallica, but I’m giving cremation tattoos the finger

<p>The focus on so-called ‘kinetic’ warfare is distracting us from the economic war that preceded the missile strikes between Iran and Israel</p>
Mark Almond

Can Iran win an economic war of attrition against Israel?

<p>To say drinking has been demonised lately is an understatement</p>
Lilly Subbotin

Why I’m not ashamed of being a ‘great drunk’

<p>The openly sexist article, and the lack of retraction from author or publication, reveals just how deeply set the culture of misogyny is </p>
Charlotte Proudman

What the Spectator article about sex workers tells us about men

<p>Bame is a problematic acronym, not least because it’s shorthand for ‘anything but white’ </p>
Ava Vidal

I’m a Black woman, but I still won’t say ‘Bame’

<p>If Rishi Sunak missed a chance to reach out to young people, Keir Starmer has deliberately thrown one away</p>
The Independent View

Keir Starmer should back the EU youth mobility scheme

<p>Recent research from Crisis found that nine out of 10 people sleeping on the streets have been victims of violence or abuse</p>
Andy O’Rourke

Here’s how the new Crime Bill could impact rough sleepers like me

<p>In 2007, Angela Rayner bought her Stockport council house under the ‘right-to-buy’ scheme for £79,000</p>
James Moore

Could a kitchen renovation come to Angela Rayner’s rescue?

<p>At some point, Starmer is going to have to spell out some clear and radical differences between Labour and the Conservatives</p>
Letters

Keir Starmer’s overly cautious approach risks alienating voters

<p>Men, like everyone, do need advice and guidance once in a while </p>
Robin Morgan

I’m a comedian – here’s how I detoxified my masculinity

Explore news for you

More Voices

<p>Rishi Sunak during an Illegal Migration Operations Committee meeting at Downing Street </p>
The Independent View

This flawed Rwanda plan brings shame and no gain to the government

The Independent View

This flawed Rwanda plan brings shame and no gain to the government

Editorial
<p>Rishi Sunak during an Illegal Migration Operations Committee meeting at Downing Street </p>
<p>The answer is to rebalance society so that people here, as in other countries, have a decent standard of living </p>
Letters

Sunak must learn that mean spirits make poor leaders

<p>Trudi Warner, a 69-year-old climate change activist, is facing legal proceedings for allegedly holding up a sign in front of jurors </p>
Voices

The unlikely climate activist making the law look an ass

<p>Campaign Against Antisemitism chief executive Gideon Falter was threatened with arrest near a pro-Palestine demonstration (Campaign Against Antisemitism/PA)</p>
Voices

Two very public apologies: Is this a new low for the Met?

<p>Many Conservative MPs seem to think that because Rayner is a stand-out personality, often fearless, and a woman, she needs to be taken down a peg or two</p>
Letters

Angela Rayner is authentic – no wonder the Tories want her gone

<p>Many Conservative MPs seem to think that because Rayner is a stand-out personality, often fearless, and a woman, she needs to be taken down a peg or two</p>
Letters

Angela Rayner is authentic – no wonder the Tories want her gone

<p>A Czech billionaire wants to buy the Royal Mail</p>
Business Comment

Czechs armed with cheques take aim at some of Britain’s top firms

<p>A man walks past a banner depicting missiles on a street in Tehran </p>
The Independent View

Israel and Iran must not let these violent skirmishes turn into war

Most commented

Gideon Falter says police response ‘shambolic’ as Sunak backs Mark Rowley - latest

415 comments

Rishi Sunak ‘appalled’ at Met over ‘openly Jewish’ remark at pro-Palestine march

537 comments

Israeli military intelligence chief resigns – as ‘mass grave found’ in Gaza - live

280 comments

MPs reject Lords’ amendment on Rwanda bill – live

130 comments
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More Voices

<p>My view on the M40 – Warwick Services not pictured (unfortunately) </p>
Voices

Welcome break? A motorway service station can be a life-saver…

<p>After his unsuccessful trip to Tel Aviv I can only imagine he is driven by hearing his own voice and seeing his own image regardless of content</p>
Letters

Cameron is proving he’s back not by political talent, but a lack of it

<p>Iranians protest in Tehran after Israel’s ‘limited’ attack on a strategically important military air base in Isfahan</p>
Voices

Iran and Israel won’t stop fighting, but WW3 has been averted… for now

<p>Rishi Sunak pointed out that the total bill for this part of the welfare budget is now more than we spend on schools</p>
Voices

Rishi Sunak is right to face up to the rise of long-term sickness

<p>Oceans of ink have already been spilt in pursuit of whatever Rayner did or didn’t pay, in terms of capital gains tax or otherwise, on a modest property in Stockport</p>
Voices

No wonder the Tories (and 12 detectives) are out to get Angela Rayner

<p>Fans have pinned “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” on Swift’s shortlived romance with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy</p>
Voices

Taylor Swift is doing what all women would love to do to their exes

<p>Rishi Sunak pointed out that the total bill for this part of the welfare budget is now more than we spend on schools</p>
Voices

Rishi Sunak is right to face up to the rise of long-term sickness

<p>Oceans of ink have already been spilt in pursuit of whatever Rayner did or didn’t pay, in terms of capital gains tax or otherwise, on a modest property in Stockport</p>
Voices

No wonder the Tories (and 12 detectives) are out to get Angela Rayner

<p>Fans have pinned “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” on Swift’s shortlived romance with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy</p>
Voices

Taylor Swift is doing what all women would love to do to their exes

19 April 2024
The Independent View

The Tories are at their lowest point – but things can still get worse

The Independent View

The Tories are at their lowest point – but things can still get worse

Editorial
19 April 2024
UK Politics

Do you back Rishi Sunak’s smoking ban? Join The Independent Debate

<p>In short supply: equipment for treating diabetes is becoming dangerously hard to come by </p>
Voices

What’s really to blame for Britain’s life-threatening drug shortage

<p>Schools ought to remember that learning does not only happen inside the classroom</p>
Letters

Where are the ‘brave defenders’ of free speech now?

<p>Headteacher, Katherine Birbalsingh – ‘Britain’s strictest headmistress’ – hailed the result as a ‘victory for all schools’ </p>
Voices

No school should have the right to ban prayer

<p>Headteacher, Katherine Birbalsingh – ‘Britain’s strictest headmistress’ – hailed the result as a ‘victory for all schools’ </p>
Voices

No school should have the right to ban prayer

<p>In many ways, the life of Harry and Meghan resembles that enjoyed – or endured – by the post-abdication Edward VIII and his American wife, Wallis Warfield Simpson</p>
Voices

The Americanisation of Prince Harry is almost complete

<p>The UK financial sector is ‘waging war’ on the sex trade by de-banking those working in it </p>
Voices

Banks are closing sex workers’ accounts, making it a riskier business

18 April 2024
The Independent View

Sunak’s stubbornness on Rwanda shows how unfocused No 10 has become

<p>Our prime minister relied on Labour votes to see off opponents on his own benches</p>
Letters

The charge of the light-up brigade could spell trouble for Sunak

<p>To deter visitors to Barcelona’s Parc Güell, the 116 bus route has been ‘hidden’ from tourist maps </p>
Voices

Has Barcelona gone loco in its battle against tourists?

<p>A big drop in inflation is still on the cards for April – less so, interest rates </p>
Voices

Has a stubborn inflation rate killed off a cut in interest rates?

<p>Smoking is another small pleasure that we’re being denied by people who’ve decided they know better than we do</p>
Voices

A ban on cigarettes is the last thing we need right now

<p>Rishi Sunak offered his MPs a free vote in an attempt to dilute the impact of the Tory rebellion, but his ploy didn’t work</p>
Voices

Congrats on the smoking ban, Rishi, but it won’t do you any favours

<p>Like Rishi Sunak, Cameron has been guilty of overclaiming </p>
Voices

Smooth Cameron returned to bolster Britain abroad – it hasn’t worked

<p>Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, is ‘simply one of those vivid characters who are more newsworthy whatever they do’ </p>
Voices

The hounding of Angela Rayner is a declaration of class war

<p>The Kennedy family has more or less disowned everything to do with RFK Jr’s campaign </p>
Voices

The Kennedy who could be a kingmaker in the presidential race

Voices

The Kennedy who could be a kingmaker in the presidential race

Head shot of Jon Sopel
Jon Sopel
<p>The Kennedy family has more or less disowned everything to do with RFK Jr’s campaign </p>
<p>We believe it to be wrong in principle that adults should be prevented by law from engaging in activities that are not harmful to others</p>
The Independent View

Smoking ban: On balance, this illiberal measure deserves to fail

<p>Liz Truss says Rishi Sunak’s anti-smoking bill was designed for ‘finger-wagging, nannying control freaks’ </p>
Voices

Bashing Rishi is a nasty habit that could get Liz hooked

<p>Getting Britain’s economically inactive back into work should be a government priority</p>
Voices

Unemployment is up… but Britain’s sickly workforce is a bigger problem

<p>President Biden reaffirmed the USA's ‘iron-clad’ support for Israel after it came under missile attack from Iran </p>
Letters

What Israel must do to retain the ‘iron-clad’ support of its allies

<p>President Biden reaffirmed the USA's ‘iron-clad’ support for Israel after it came under missile attack from Iran </p>
Letters

What Israel must do to retain the ‘iron-clad’ support of its allies

<p>Meta’s Facebook Marketplace is currently the biggest driver when it comes to fraud in social media spaces </p>
Voices

How TSB has been protecting fraud victims

<p>Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the Iranian missile attacks on Israel </p>
Voices

Israel faces a Shakespearean dilemma: To retaliate or not to retaliate

<p>A St Albans’ pub sign, posted on social media, has sparked a debate about clientele </p>
Voices

No pub should be ‘child free’

<p>Young men are enthralled by the wisdom that their 36-year old guru from Luton is dishing out</p>
Voices

This is why young men are still listening to Andrew Tate

<p>The M3 smart motorway (Steve Parsons/PA)</p>
News & Advice

How can motorways be made safer? Join The Independent Debate

<p>Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system – which repelled Tehran’s onslaught on Saturday – intercepts a rocket</p>
The Independent View

To ‘take the win’, Israel must now use its head and its heart

<p>Israel’s anti-missile system responds to the approach of drones and missiles launched by Iran </p>
Letters

If Israel retaliates, will we step in to protect innocent Iranians?

<p>AfD’s regional leader Björn Höcke, a charismatic 52-year-old former history teacher, is on course to be the next governor of Thuringia </p>
Voices

Could the far right come to power again in Germany?

<p>Todd became Britain’s first fully qualified scaffolder with Down’s Syndrome, finding part-time employment with Coles Scaffolding</p>
Voices

The government is in no position to advise employers about disability

<p>There <em>is</em> a dangerous ideology behind the attacks, writes Dr Jessica Taylor: hatred of women </p>
Voices

What’s really to blame for the Sydney stabbings

<p>There are many reasons / For nations to come together, / Form an informal family</p>
Voices

Ben Okri: Transcending History

Voices

Ben Okri: Transcending History

Head shot of Ben Okri
Ben Okri
<p>There are many reasons / For nations to come together, / Form an informal family</p>
<p>Iran says ‘the matter can be deemed concluded’ but the ball is now in Israel’s court</p>
The Independent View

Israel cannot afford to risk alienating its allies over Iran

<p>These horrible events make the public fear all people with mental health issues </p>
Letters

Better mental health support could help avoid tragedies like Sydney

<p>‘I was adamant that the option to have a third gender marked in my passport was about individual choice’ </p>
Voices

I’m non-binary and proud… but I don’t want an ‘X’ on my passport

<p>The attack was unprecedented not just in its scale, but in being, for the most part, launched directly from Iran</p>
Voices

The three urgent questions that arise from Iran’s assault on Israel

<p>The attack was unprecedented not just in its scale, but in being, for the most part, launched directly from Iran</p>
Voices

The three urgent questions that arise from Iran’s assault on Israel

<p>Taxation based purely on a sliding scale doesn’t take into account the nuances of real winemaking</p>
Voices

Is a new alcohol prohibition on its way?

<p>In a real family holiday, a child tells their parents he or she hates them and subsequently doesn’t speak for three days</p>
Voices

There’s one big problem with Race Across the World

<p>This would seem to be a classic example of central government adding to the responsibilities of local government while further reducing the resources available </p>
The Independent View

The Homes for Ukraine scheme is bold and right but must be better run

<p>Are we really buying it that teenagers are going to listen to government ministers? </p>
Letters

We need to fix TikTok – but our MPs aren’t the ones to do it

<p>The former PM has released her memoir, ‘Ten Years to Save the West’ </p>
Voices

Truss’s memoir exposes one fatal flaw on the path to becoming PM

<p>Stuck around 24 points in the polls, Rishi Sunak’s party is struggling to escape the adverse political consequences of Liz Truss’s brief tenure in Downing Street </p>
Voices

Why the prime minister needs Liz Truss to keep quiet

<p>You learn something from every relationship, sure – but not necessarily from every partner</p>
Voices

How to teach your man to be a ‘good boyfriend’

<p>Racing’s spin doctors can say they look after horses all they like – but the beings they actually look after are the greedy bosses of the gambling industry </p>
Voices

It’s time to end the Grand National once and for all

<p>Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the campaign trail this week </p>
Voices

How Trump’s ‘woman problem’ has become an election nightmare

<p>JK Rowling photographed with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint at a ‘Harry Potter’ premiere in 2010</p>
Voices

JK Rowling’s King Lear-like dispute with her ‘children’ is tragic

<p>‘Where there is division…’: Margaret Thatcher gives her first speech in Downing Street after her 1979 general election win </p>
Voices

Why Keir Starmer should emulate Margaret Thatcher, not Tony Blair

Voices

Why Keir Starmer should emulate Margaret Thatcher, not Tony Blair

Head shot of Andrew Grice
Andrew Grice
<p>‘Where there is division…’: Margaret Thatcher gives her first speech in Downing Street after her 1979 general election win </p>
<p>What sort of person would be thrilled to hear that a woman was going to jail while eight weeks pregnant?</p>
Letters

Post Office apologies are too little, too late

<p>An NHS-wide survey reveals that 58,000 staff reported unwarranted sexual approaches from patients or other members of the public last year</p>
The Independent View

The NHS is having its Me Too moment – and its CEO is right to act

<p>A survey has found that 58,000 staff reported unwarranted sexual approaches from patients or other members of the public last year, writes Amanda Pritchard </p>
Voices

The unwanted, inappropriate and harmful sexual behaviour in the NHS

<p>Put down the pen and pick up a paintbrush</p>
Voices

Sometimes, there’s no easy way to say ‘I’m sorry for what I said’

<p>Put down the pen and pick up a paintbrush</p>
Voices

Sometimes, there’s no easy way to say ‘I’m sorry for what I said’

<p>Meta has come under fire for a ‘tone deaf’ change to its age settings on WhatsApp, which came into force in the UK and EU on Thursday </p>
Voices

What my 12-year-old told me about WhatsApp changed my mind about a ban

<p>Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (centre) and shadow health secretary Wes Streeting, meet nursing staff</p>
Health

Readers have their say on how the NHS should be reformed

<p>Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, somehow managed to turn what should have been a mildly encouraging piece of news for the government into a debacle</p>
The Independent View

The NHS needs a health secretary who will be radical about reform

<p>An Iranian woman holds a poster of the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during an election campaign</p>
Voices

The world is watching Iran – so what will be its next move?

<p>Vladimir Putin and his imperialist intentions will not hit the buffers with concessions of territory in Ukraine</p>
Letters

Trump’s plan for peace? America under Putin’s thumb

<h5>BBC 5 Live presenter Rachel Burden has spoken about how she believes having a baby aged 41 was a ‘really selfish thing to do’ – but was it?</h5>
Voices

The damaging lie about having a baby in your forties

<p>Prime minister Harold Wilson with his wife Mary and secretary Marcia Williams, later Baroness Falkender, with whom he had an affair in the Fifties. A second affair during his time in Downing Street has now come to light </p>
Voices

How did Harold Wilson’s ‘new’ affair stay secret for 50 years?

<p>Ellen Mercer died in February last year</p>
Voices

Our laughing gas problem and the truth about decriminalising drugs

<h5>BBC 5 Live presenter Rachel Burden has spoken about how she believes having a baby aged 41 was a ‘really selfish thing to do’ – but was it?</h5>
Voices

The damaging lie about having a baby in your forties

<p>Prime minister Harold Wilson with his wife Mary and secretary Marcia Williams, later Baroness Falkender, with whom he had an affair in the Fifties. A second affair during his time in Downing Street has now come to light </p>
Voices

How did Harold Wilson’s ‘new’ affair stay secret for 50 years?

<p>Ellen Mercer died in February last year</p>
Voices

Our laughing gas problem and the truth about decriminalising drugs

<p>‘I have had to filter out the negativity for years to protect my family, as well as myself,’ writes Jo Self</p>
Voices

I’m the mum of two trans kids and I wouldn’t change a thing about them

<p>More than half the British people support a total ban on smoking, but the idea is unpopular among Tory MPs </p>
Voices

Boris is the one who’s ‘nuts’ on the smoking ban

<p>Stephen and Viv, the oldest couple in series four of Race Across the World, headed straight for a relaxing onsen bath instead of the finish post </p>
Voices

I’ll never get my naked dad in Race Across the World out of my head

<p>Should Assange, an Australian citizen, be extradited to America? </p>
Voices

Enough is enough – it’s time to set Julian Assange free

<p>What is being lost here is even more crucial than the fate of Ukraine, tragic as that is for its people and the security of the whole of Europe. What is being lost is the argument</p>
The Independent View

Donald Trump’s plan for peace in Ukraine means no peace at all

<p>During his trip to the US the noble David Cameron made a speech and stated that the UK will continue to supply arms to Israel</p>
Letters

Why is Britain falling in line with US hypocrisy?

<p>In her long-awaited report into gender services for children in the NHS, Dr Hilary Cass found no good clinical evidence to support prescribing hormones to under-18s </p>
Voices

Divisive rhetoric around the Cass report won’t help trans kids

<p>Dorothy France (centre), a resident at Care UK's The Burroughs in London, has fulfilled her teenage dream after getting her first tattoo of Snoopy</p>
Voices

I’m a tattoo artist – this is why people get inked in their 80s

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