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<p>Andy Burnham has been blocked from contesting the Gorton and Denton by-election by Labour’s NEC (James Manning/PA)</p>
John Rentoul

Andy Burnham blocked: Keir Starmer is ruthless but right

The prime minister made the right decision for the country, the party and himself, writes John Rentoul

<p>A fired-up Prince Harry arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice with a point to prove </p>
Alan Rusbridger

In hacked-off Harry, the press has created its own worst nightmare

<p>Women-only carriages exist on Japanese public transport</p>
Olivia Petter

Sorry, but women-only carriages will only make things worse

<p>Much of social media is accessed through phones</p>
Kat Brown

Don’t clobber under-16s with a clumsy social media blanket ban

<p>‘A temporary divorce from sex helped repair cracks in my sexual foundation and broadened my worldview</p>
Hannah Shewan Stevens

I had a ‘sex divorce’ for a year – it fixed my libido and my life

<p>Dogs can now be found in places once reserved for humans only</p>
Jack Burke

Britain has replaced children with dogs – and it’s not healthy

<p>US TV series ‘Gossip Girl’ was iconic for its relationships (and its rows)</p>
Dear Vix

Help! My teenage daughter has an evil ‘frenemy’

<p>The artist and poet Frieda Hughes stands in front of some of her paintings</p>
Frieda Hughes

I’m not vain about ageing, but these veins in my legs have got to go

<p>Andy Burnham challenging Keir Starmer would not help Labour’s government</p>
The Independent View

Now is not the time to undermine the prime minister

<p>‘It was, as one EU veteran foreign minister put it, “like being locked in an abusive relationship, in which you end up being grateful that you escaped a beating”.’</p>
Anne McElvoy

I was there to see Trump crumple – but the madness isn’t over yet

<p>The Sussexes – and the Peltz Beckhams</p>
Sophie Heawood

Brooklyn Beckham’s caught in the Harry trap – but was he pushed?

<p>Starmer must now contend with his predecessor – the most successful Labour leader in generations, with an agenda and ideas of his own – having a direct line to Trump </p>
Sonia Sodha

Trump’s ‘board of peace’ puts Blair on a collision course with the PM

<p>Catherine, Princess of Wales, wears Russell & Bromley during a tour of Jaguar Land Rover in Birmingham in 2017</p>
James Moore

What does Russell & Bromley’s fate mean for the ‘Kate effect’?

<p>‘Trump is a T-rex,’ said Newsom. ‘You mate with him or he devours you’</p>
Joel Stein

The Gavin Newsom I know is ready to take on ‘T-rex’ Trump

<p>Trump has made the false claim that British and Nato troops avoided front line action in Afghanistan</p>
Simon Walters

Trump’s slur against British troops is a new low for the US president

<p>‘I don’t usually advocate petty revenge, but in Robot Baldrick’s case, I’m prepared to make an exception’</p>
ROWAN PELLING

You’re not fooling anyone by getting Kemi’s surname wrong, Mr Jenrick

People who feign carelessness over how to pronounce a rival’s name are trying to show how relatively big they are, but really it’s just a pitiful power play for losers, writes Rowan (definitely not Rowena) Pelling

<p>US president Donald Trump is due to speak at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday</p>
Chris Blackhurst

Is ‘toddler’ Trump on the brink of completely losing it?

<p>Installing solar panels in the UK for an average home costs between £5,000 and £8,000 on average</p>
James Moore

Solar panels ruined my home – now my electric car is being penalised

Explore news for you

More Voices

Voices

Starmer must block Burnham’s return if he wants to remain PM

Voices

Starmer must block Burnham’s return if he wants to remain PM

John Rentoul
<p>What is under consideration, at the behest of a clutch of small businesses and some US states, is the legality of Donald Trump’s ‘<a href="/independentpremium/voices/gavin-newsom-donald-trump-davos-europe-politics-b2904584.html" title="The Gavin Newsom I know isn’t just a slick salesman – he’s ready to take on ‘T-rex’ Trump"></a>emergency’ tariffs </p>
Voices

Why Trump is panicking about the Supreme Court and tariffs

The Independent View

Donald Trump has insulted and humiliated America’s closest allies

<p>Andy Burnham, carpetbagger?</p>
Voices

Who the hell does Andy Burnham think he is…

<p>Andy Burnham could make a return to Westminster</p>
UK Politics

‘Burnham could save Labour’: Readers back potential Westminster return

<p>Andy Burnham could make a return to Westminster</p>
UK Politics

‘Burnham could save Labour’: Readers back potential Westminster return

<p>Perhaps next time Donald Trump questions whether Britain and other Nato countries would shed ‘blood, sweat and tears’ for the US, perhaps he should be sent a list of the names of those who gave their lives in Afghanistan</p>
Voices

You’re wrong, Mr Trump, Nato DID stand by America in its hour of need

<p>‘Trump’s passing reference to Denmark’s short-lived resistance to the Nazis shows that such ingrained historical truth outweighs the more recent Danish losses in the US-led intervention in Afghanistan – especially, but perhaps not exclusively, to Americans of Trump’s generation’</p>
Voices

Donald Trump is set to get exactly what he really wanted all along

Most commented

Police arrest 86 protesters supporting Palestine Action outside prison

157 comments

Trump climbs down over slur on UK soldiers in Afghanistan after backlash

263 comments

Andy Burnham breaks silence as Labour clashes over blocking of by-election bid: Live

569 comments

Minneapolis shooting latest: Victim Alex Pretti’s family condemn Trump administration

688 comments
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More Voices

<p>Glaringly absent from the board –other than women –were Palestinians and Arab-speakers</p>
Voices

Can anyone else spot the glaring thing wrong with this photo?

<p>Keir Starmer has stood firm on Greenland and faced down the White House tariff threats</p>
The Independent View

Starmer’s success in bringing Trump’s U-turn shows his strength as PM

<p>There has been much debate about second homes in St Ives</p>
Property

Are additional taxes on second homes fair? Join The Independent Debate

<p>The actions of US president Donald Trump mean that the US can no longer be treated as a dependable ally</p>
Voices

Without the United States, Nato must be Europeanised

<p>Sir Keir Starmer said he ‘will not yield’ to President Trump in his stance on Greenland</p>
Voices

‘I will not yield’: at last, Keir Starmer has stood up to Donald Trump

The Independent View

Abandon your Greenland fantasies, Mr President, and remember Ukraine

<p>The actions of US president Donald Trump mean that the US can no longer be treated as a dependable ally</p>
Voices

Without the United States, Nato must be Europeanised

<p>Sir Keir Starmer said he ‘will not yield’ to President Trump in his stance on Greenland</p>
Voices

‘I will not yield’: at last, Keir Starmer has stood up to Donald Trump

The Independent View

Abandon your Greenland fantasies, Mr President, and remember Ukraine

<p>Kemi Badenoch dramatically fired of Robert Jenrick</p>
UK Politics

‘Farage effect fading’: Readers say Reform slump helps Badenoch

UK Politics

‘Farage effect fading’: Readers say Reform slump helps Badenoch

Independent
<p>Kemi Badenoch dramatically fired of Robert Jenrick</p>
<p>Ryanair Group CEO Michael O'Leary in front of his ‘big “idiot” sale’ press conference screen showing a cartoon Musk and O’Leary</p>
Voices

Starlink’s Musk vs Ryanair’s O’Leary: Guess who’s come out on top...

<p>Did Nigel Farage persuade Donald Trump to scupper the Chagos Islands treaty?</p>
Voices

Farage despises Davos. So what on earth is he doing there?

<p>After 20 years of warnings and now research on what social media might be doing to our brains, naturally, the biggest human concern is for the youngest generations – Gen A and Gen Z</p>
Voices

Why those calling for a teen social media ban need to check privilege

<p>Donald Trump’s fury keeps spilling over as he insults allies, leaks confidential conversations, and ridicules nations</p>
The Independent View

After an irascible first year, Trump is more dangerous than ever

<p>Donald Trump’s fury keeps spilling over as he insults allies, leaks confidential conversations, and ridicules nations</p>
The Independent View

After an irascible first year, Trump is more dangerous than ever

<p>The chancellor is taking every opportunity at Davos to stress that Britain has kept its head while all around are losing theirs</p>
Voices

At Davos, Rachel Reeves has finally had a sensible idea

<p>US president Donald Trump is threatening tariffs on the UK and other Nato countries as part of his efforts to seize control of Greenland</p>
Voices

Trump is xenophobic and paranoid – and he’s too old to change his mind

<p>Brooklyn Beckham, pictured with his wife Nicola Peltz Beckham, has launched an astonishing attack on his parents, David and Victoria Beckham</p>
Voices

The Beckham family feud is every mother’s worst nightmare

<p>The High Court has deemed the use of Pava spray in youth offenders’ institutions to be lawful </p>
Voices

Using pepper spray in youth prisons is not a solution – it’s a failure

<p>Only politicians who really matter get booed – and it turns out that Robert Jenrick did not </p>
Voices

Robert Jenrick was heckled at his own rally? At least someone cares

<p>French president Emanuel Macron has been at the sharp end of Donald Trump’s tongue</p>
Voices

Why does Trump treat his enemies better than his friends?

<p>For now, Donald Trump must be managed by Keir Starmer in the national interest</p>
The Independent View

Can the steady diplomacy of Keir Starmer win the day?

<p>Tottenham manager Thomas Frank during the loss against West Ham</p>
Football

‘It’s the culture’: Readers say Spurs’ problems run deeper than Frank

<p>Donald Trump, right, seems ready to rehabilitate Vladimir Putin’s standing on the world stage by inviting him to join a ‘board of peace’ </p>
Voices

For Putin, Trump’s second term just keeps on getting better and better

<p>With his trusty Staffordshire bull terrier ‘Spike’, the dog bedecked in a union jack waistcoat, Andrew Rosindell hardly conveyed an image the inclusive Tory party wanted to send</p>
Voices

The latest Tory MP to defect to Reform is a new low for Farage

<p>Donald Trump can try to push him around all he likes, but Keir Starmer will do anything rather than get out of the way</p>
Voices

Donald Trump’s ambition is up against Keir Starmer, diplomatic bollard

Voices

Donald Trump’s ambition is up against Keir Starmer, diplomatic bollard

Sean O'Grady
<p>Donald Trump can try to push him around all he likes, but Keir Starmer will do anything rather than get out of the way</p>
<p>More young adults have been staying at home with their parents due to property costs</p>
Voices

At last some good news! Rental house prices are coming down

<p>Nigel Farage, left, with Nadhim Zahawi </p>
UK Politics

‘Voting Reform is now like voting Tory’: Readers slam defectors

<p>In academic circles in the US, there is an active debate going on about whether the word ‘fascist’ should now be applied to Donald Trump</p>
Voices

Trump is an authoritarian who believes in his divine right to rule

<p>Trump has developed a close friendship –some would say unhealthily so – relationship with head of Fifa Gianni Infantino</p>
Voices

Could a US World Cup boycott over Trump’s Greenland threat work?

<p>Trump has developed a close friendship –some would say unhealthily so – relationship with head of Fifa Gianni Infantino</p>
Voices

Could a US World Cup boycott over Trump’s Greenland threat work?

<p>Trump’s letter was apparently forwarded to multiple European ambassadors in Washington before being leaked to PBS News</p>
Voices

Donald Trump is now using the language of an abusive husband

<p>Let’s talk: ‘We are systematically shutting children out of public life, and social media is one of the few spaces left where they can exist’</p>
Voices

Banning under-16s from social media will do more harm than good

<p>People in Greenland protest against Trump’s attempt to make the island part of the US</p>
UK Politics

‘No quick fix’: Readers split on Greenland threat and rejoining the EU

<p>Prime Minister Keir Starmer can no longer sit on the fence following Trump’s threats of tariffs over Greenland takeover</p>
The Independent View

Starmer must choose between Trump and Europe after Greenland tariffs

<p>A protester holds a poster with an image of detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi during demonstrations against the military coup in Yangon on 13 March 2021</p>
Voices

Aung San Suu Kyi has spent 20 years imprisoned – will she see freedom?

<p>Nigel Farage described Reform mayoral candidate Chris Parry’s comments about David Lammy as ‘over the top’</p>
Voices

Farage and Reform cannot claim respectability while excusing racism

<p>A woman fixes her makeshift tent in Zawaida, central Gaza</p>
Voices

A hundred days of Gaza ceasefire? For us, the war continues

<p>Protesters demonstrate against the proposed new Chinese ‘super-embassy’ (AP Photo/Joanna Chan, File)</p>
Voices

I had to flee China – don’t let them build a ‘super-embassy’ here

<p>Men are racing to embrace AI, while women are more cautious</p>
Voices

The men I know love AI and the women don’t – and I understand why

<p>Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has countered Reform’s argument that Britain is ‘broken’</p>
The Independent View

Good for Kemi Badenoch: no, Britain is not broken

<p>Keir Starmer’s allies have rounded on health secretary Wes Streeting, accusing him of disloyalty</p>
Voices

Starmer is undermined by his allies saying Streeting is disloyal

Voices

Starmer is undermined by his allies saying Streeting is disloyal

John Rentoul
<p>Keir Starmer’s allies have rounded on health secretary Wes Streeting, accusing him of disloyalty</p>
<p>Esme Gordon Craig: ‘I found his profile, messaged him asking for career advice, we went for a coffee – and sparks flew...’</p>
Voices

I’ve deleted the dating apps – now, I’m looking for love on LinkedIn

<p>Robert Jenrick denied personal ambition played a role in his decision to join Reform UK after being sacked from the Conservative shadow cabinet</p>
Voices

The ambitions of Robert Jenrick and Nigel Farage spell trouble ahead

<p>Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams in Sky Atlantic’s gay hockey romance, Heated Rivalry</p>
Voices

As in ‘Heated Rivalry’, I didn’t come out – I was found out

<p>‘Despite the UK tax burden being at close to record highs, outcomes keep getting worse – we are spending more and getting less’</p>
Voices

One thing could improve all public services… and it’s not more money

<p>‘Despite the UK tax burden being at close to record highs, outcomes keep getting worse – we are spending more and getting less’</p>
Voices

One thing could improve all public services… and it’s not more money

<p>Why readers say electric won’t replace fuel any time soon</p>
Electric Vehicles

Why readers say electric won’t replace fuel any time soon

<p>One partnership was sternly criticised in the fallout from the Post Office Horizon scandal</p>
Voices

Top law firms are doing very nicely by behaving badly

<p>Aung San Suu Kyi herself has not escaped accusations and blame for the fate of the massacre of the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, many fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh for their lives and giving first-hand accounts of the mass killings</p>
The Independent View

Aung San Suu Kyi has spent 20 years imprisoned – she must be freed

<p>Something of the night?: Robert Jenrick may suffer the same ignominious fate as another aspiring right-wing prime minister, Michael Howard</p>
Voices

Robert Jenrick has a fatal ‘something of the night’ image problem

<p>‘You can give me the cutthroat Rachel, or cheeky chappy Stephen any day over a Faithful’</p>
Comment

I’m raising my kids to be little Traitors – lying is a vital skill!

<p>A standard British adult passport costs £94.50, but ordering one overseas may cost more</p>
News & Advice

‘Money-spinner:’ Readers slam new UK passport rules for dual citizens

<p>Past defectors have spoken about the loneliness of losing a network of friends and the difficulty of gaining acceptance in their new party</p>
Voices

Robert Jenrick’s great betrayal: ‘Treachery with a scowl on its face’

<p>Robert Jenrick was depicted as a Traitors character by the Liberal Democrats</p>
Voices

Party ‘Faithfuls’? Kemi’s ‘TraiTories’ must face a tricky round table

<p>Jenrick’s star has been falling and Badenoch’s rising for some months</p>
The Independent View

Badenoch and Starmer are the winners in Robert Jenrick’s Tory betrayal

<p>Donald Trump told Iranians ‘help is on the way’ – so where is it?</p>
Voices

America’s new Iran policy? Keep the ayatollahs guessing

<p>Green shoots?: ‘There may well be a reason for Britain’s beleaguered chancellor to smile, or perhaps to breathe a sigh of relief’</p>
Voices

Whisper it, but we might have reasons to be cheerful about the economy

Voices

Whisper it, but we might have reasons to be cheerful about the economy

James Moore
<p>Green shoots?: ‘There may well be a reason for Britain’s beleaguered chancellor to smile, or perhaps to breathe a sigh of relief’</p>
<p>Labour’s membership has shrunk by almost 200,000 since its peak in 2019</p>
Voices

Labour forgets the first rule of politics: let the people have a say

<p>Hockney is one of art’s true campaigners and intellectuals. And there is no doubting that creative minds can make their causes inspire millions</p>
Voices

David Hockney’s Bayeux outburst seals his revolutionary status

<p>Hockney said movement of the tapestry could cause ‘irreversible damage’</p>
Home News

Why readers say the Bayeux Tapestry should stay in France

<p>Upgrades to the Northern Powerhouse Rail network won’t be completed until the 2040s (Danny Lawson/PA)</p>
Voices

£45bn for Northern Powerhouse Rail? There’s a better way to spend it

<p>Upgrades to the Northern Powerhouse Rail network won’t be completed until the 2040s (Danny Lawson/PA)</p>
Voices

£45bn for Northern Powerhouse Rail? There’s a better way to spend it

<p>Carrie Bradshaw in designer shoe heaven in 'Sex and the City' </p>
Voices

And just like that, did Carrie Bradshaw just kill off Saks?

<p>How do I respond to my friend who was rude about my life choices?</p>
Voices

My friend criticised my career – and I’m furious

<p>‘The Starmer administration has changed its mind on everything from trans rights to child benefits to the fiscal rules. Some of the reversals have been disastrous’</p>
The Independent View

Never mind the barnacles, HMS Labour is lost at sea

<p>‘Over a million Rohingya languish in refugee camps in Bangladesh, robbed of their dignity as international aid dwindles, many without hope, waiting to die’</p>
Voices

The Myanmar trial is a test case for international justice credibility

<p>YouTube’s Hot Wings and BBC One’s Happy Valley: ‘YouTube can play far more roles than TV ever did’</p>
Voices

YouTube feels like TV should – no wonder people choose it over the BBC

<p>The PM is undermining his credibility within the group he needs the most: the parliamentary Labour Party</p>
Voices

Do Starmer’s U-turns really matter if he ends up in the right place?

<p>Ava Vidal on Mock the Week</p>
Voices

Appearing on Mock the Week was a nightmare I won’t repeat

<p>Protesters in Iran are risking everything for freedom</p>
Voices

Stop calling Iranian protesters ‘foreign‑backed’ – they’re not puppets

<p>The PM is undermining his credibility within the group he needs the most: the parliamentary Labour Party</p>
Voices

Do Starmer’s U-turns really matter if he ends up in the right place?

<p>Ava Vidal on Mock the Week</p>
Voices

Appearing on Mock the Week was a nightmare I won’t repeat

<p>Protesters in Iran are risking everything for freedom</p>
Voices

Stop calling Iranian protesters ‘foreign‑backed’ – they’re not puppets

<p>‘Apple is planning to call upon Google’s Gemini models for the next generation of Siri and Apple Foundation Models, despite the gazillions it has been pouring into AI itself’</p>
Voices

Elon Musk is right about Apple and Google deal – that should worry us

<p>‘Trump is of an age when he can well remember what happened to President Jimmy Carter when a daring rescue raid to release Americans held hostage in the US embassy in Tehran failed so humiliatingly back in 1980’</p>
Voices

Trump has stumbled on a proper target for his ugly tariff war

<p>‘Such has been the ferocity of the violence ordered by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, that some people may be too frightened to take to the streets, with the high risk of immediate death attached’</p>
The Independent View

The eyes of the world are on Iran – and Donald Trump

<p>‘Musk is likely betting that a UK ban on X would be politically explosive and diplomatically fraught with the US, making it hard for either the UK government or Ofcom to stand up firmly to him’</p>
Voices

The knight vs the edgelord – can Keir Starmer stand up to Elon Musk?

<p>People protest outside the proposed site of the new Chinese embassy in London</p>
Voices

Don’t say we weren’t warned about China’s ‘super-embassy’ plans

<p>Nigel Farage said he would simply “break” any such deal</p>
Brexit

Why readers say EU is right to futureproof any Brexit reset deal

<p>Home secretary Shabana Mahmood</p>
Voices

Gimmicks get in the way of Shabana Mahmood’s migrant arrest record

<p>The anonymity of people using Grok and X to make and publish such images is to be removed</p>
The Independent View

Elon Musk’s inhuman AI is stripping women of their most basic rights

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