Independent Voices
@independentvoices.bsky.social
Comment desk at The Independent – £1 for a six-month subscription.
www.independent.co.uk/voices
Please pitch to Samuel Fishwick and Paul Clements by email only (Firstname.Lastname@independent.co.uk)
www.independent.co.uk/voices
Please pitch to Samuel Fishwick and Paul Clements by email only (Firstname.Lastname@independent.co.uk)
Both the chancellor and the prime minister repeatedly fail to think and plan ahead, writes @rentouljohn.bsky.social – not least in their choice of using the ‘l-word’, which has come back to haunt them as regards taxes and so much else www.independent.co.uk/voices/rache...
Rachel Reeves is misleading people about her Budget choices
Both the chancellor and the prime minister repeatedly fail to think and plan ahead, writes John Rentoul – not least in their choice of using the ‘l-word’, which has come back to haunt them as regards ...
www.independent.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Both the chancellor and the prime minister repeatedly fail to think and plan ahead, writes @rentouljohn.bsky.social – not least in their choice of using the ‘l-word’, which has come back to haunt them as regards taxes and so much else www.independent.co.uk/voices/rache...
The Independent View: The six-month qualifying period for protection from unfair dismissal is a step in the right direction – but this dangerous habit of breaking manifesto pledges is compounding a crisis of trust in politics www.independent.co.uk/voices/edito...
Starmer’s employment rights U-turn is a sharp move few will cheer him for
Editorial: The six-month qualifying period for protection from unfair dismissal is a step in the right direction, which should have been taken long ago – but this dangerous habit of breaking manifesto...
www.independent.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 11:56 AM
The Independent View: The six-month qualifying period for protection from unfair dismissal is a step in the right direction – but this dangerous habit of breaking manifesto pledges is compounding a crisis of trust in politics www.independent.co.uk/voices/edito...
The inquiry condemning the government’s chaotic reaction to the pandemic was a painful reminder of its terrible impact on Emma Charlesworth – who lost her husband, Stuart, to Covid-19 – and thousands of families like hers www.independent.co.uk/voices/daugh...
My daughter and I still bear the cost of the ‘too little, too late’ Covid response
The inquiry condemning the government’s chaotic reaction to the pandemic was a painful reminder of its terrible impact on Emma Charlesworth – who lost her husband, Stuart, to Covid-19 – and thousands ...
www.independent.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 11:55 AM
The inquiry condemning the government’s chaotic reaction to the pandemic was a painful reminder of its terrible impact on Emma Charlesworth – who lost her husband, Stuart, to Covid-19 – and thousands of families like hers www.independent.co.uk/voices/daugh...
Jonathan Margolis argues that, because people love formula-driven stories, AI will likely ransack the books industry. But, he says, there will remain some aspects of storytelling that robots can never master www.independent.co.uk/voices/autho...
Most novelists believe AI will replace their work. Sadly, I think they’re right
Jonathan Margolis argues that, because people love formula-driven stories, AI will likely ransack the books industry. But, he says, there will remain some aspects of storytelling that robots can never...
www.independent.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Jonathan Margolis argues that, because people love formula-driven stories, AI will likely ransack the books industry. But, he says, there will remain some aspects of storytelling that robots can never master www.independent.co.uk/voices/autho...
At a stroke the chancellor has junked the sensible principles that made New Labour great and buried them beneath an eye-watering bill for welfare that has set the party back decades, writes @rentouljohn.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/voices/old-n...
This cowardly Budget marks the death of New Labour
At a stroke the chancellor has junked the sensible principles that made New Labour great and buried them beneath an eye-watering bill for welfare that has set the party back decades, writes John Rento...
www.independent.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 4:01 PM
At a stroke the chancellor has junked the sensible principles that made New Labour great and buried them beneath an eye-watering bill for welfare that has set the party back decades, writes @rentouljohn.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/voices/old-n...
If you think ‘Dim Philby’ Steve Witkoff is a Russian stooge, you’ve misunderstood his simple genius | Mary Dejevsky www.independent.co.uk/voices/steve...
If you think Steve Witkoff is a Russian stooge, you’ve misunderstood his genius
Displaying an aptitude for greasing a stuttering peace deal, even when one side of the table is as odious as Vladimir Putin, should be to the credit of the businessman-turned-envoy, not a stick used t...
www.independent.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 4:00 PM
If you think ‘Dim Philby’ Steve Witkoff is a Russian stooge, you’ve misunderstood his simple genius | Mary Dejevsky www.independent.co.uk/voices/steve...
Women would love a wife of their own to keep everything running, rather than having to chase up their husbands to get them to pull their weight, writes @heawood.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/voices/princ...
I’m with Prince William. Every woman I know wants a wife to run the show
Women would love a wife of their own to keep everything running, rather than having to chase up their husbands to get them to pull their weight, writes Sophie Heawood
www.independent.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Women would love a wife of their own to keep everything running, rather than having to chase up their husbands to get them to pull their weight, writes @heawood.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/voices/princ...
After the ‘Today’ host wowed the airwaves by interrupting his own interview with a poetry critique, despite having an Oxford don who was perfectly willing to do it himself, Kat Brown wonders whether it's wise to show off your brains even when you possess them www.independent.co.uk/voices/amol-...
Amol Rajan is certifiably clever. But does he need to let everybody know?
After the ‘Today’ host wowed the airwaves by interrupting his own interview with an impressively in-depth critique of poetry, despite having an Oxford don in his Radio 4 studio who was perfectly willi...
www.independent.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 3:58 PM
After the ‘Today’ host wowed the airwaves by interrupting his own interview with a poetry critique, despite having an Oxford don who was perfectly willing to do it himself, Kat Brown wonders whether it's wise to show off your brains even when you possess them www.independent.co.uk/voices/amol-...
The chancellor doubled down on pensioners’ unworkable triple lock in the Budget, which delivered a £575 increase to the state pension. So guess who gets another bashing? Yes, workers and savers, writes James Moore www.independent.co.uk/voices/budge...
Why are pensioners treated as such a special case? It’s starting to get silly
The chancellor doubled down on pensioners’ unworkable triple lock in the Budget, which delivered a £575 increase to the state pension. So guess who gets another bashing? Yes, workers and savers, write...
www.independent.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 9:24 AM
The chancellor doubled down on pensioners’ unworkable triple lock in the Budget, which delivered a £575 increase to the state pension. So guess who gets another bashing? Yes, workers and savers, writes James Moore www.independent.co.uk/voices/budge...
The Independent View: Make no mistake, this was a traditional Labour ‘tax and spend’ budget of the kind not seen since before the days of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown – and while it will please the party, for many it will feel like a kick in the teeth www.independent.co.uk/voices/edito...
This Budget will squeeze working people until it hurts
Editorial: Make no mistake, this was a traditional Labour ‘tax and spend’ budget of the kind not seen since before the days of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown – and while it will please the party, for man...
www.independent.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 9:22 AM
The Independent View: Make no mistake, this was a traditional Labour ‘tax and spend’ budget of the kind not seen since before the days of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown – and while it will please the party, for many it will feel like a kick in the teeth www.independent.co.uk/voices/edito...
Rachel-speak is now a language of evasion and inventive obfuscation, writes Anne McElvoy. But we all know what she meant when she said we should all ‘make a contribution’ - and now we know just how deep we’ll have to dig to keep the country afloat www.independent.co.uk/voices/rache...
Reeves’s thieving Budget was like the office whip-round nobody could quite avoid
Rachel-speak is now a language of evasion and inventive obfuscation, writes Anne McElvoy. But we all know what she meant when she said we should all ‘make a contribution’ - and now we know just how de...
www.independent.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Rachel-speak is now a language of evasion and inventive obfuscation, writes Anne McElvoy. But we all know what she meant when she said we should all ‘make a contribution’ - and now we know just how deep we’ll have to dig to keep the country afloat www.independent.co.uk/voices/rache...
I hold little truck with the idea of unquestioning solidarity among women, says @joylodico.bsky.social, but the kind of spitting women-hating-women rhetoric we heard from the Tory leader in her Commons response to the Budget belongs in the dustbin of history www.independent.co.uk/voices/kemi-...
I can’t be the only woman who found Badenoch’s attack on Reeves chilling
I hold little truck with the idea of unquestioning solidarity among women, says Joy Lo Dico, but the kind of spitting women-hating-women rhetoric we heard from the Tory leader in her Commons response ...
www.independent.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 5:12 PM
I hold little truck with the idea of unquestioning solidarity among women, says @joylodico.bsky.social, but the kind of spitting women-hating-women rhetoric we heard from the Tory leader in her Commons response to the Budget belongs in the dustbin of history www.independent.co.uk/voices/kemi-...
OBR leak brings Rachel Reeves’s hopelessly sloppy Budget to a fittingly messy end | Sean O'Grady www.independent.co.uk/voices/rache...
OBR leak brings Rachel Reeves’s hopelessly sloppy Budget to a fittingly messy end
Even Liz Truss didn’t botch the running of her Budget this badly – but Labour’s panicked lurch back to the left could also ensure that Reeves and her government stay around for longer than expected, w...
www.independent.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 1:28 PM
OBR leak brings Rachel Reeves’s hopelessly sloppy Budget to a fittingly messy end | Sean O'Grady www.independent.co.uk/voices/rache...
Leaks and lateness have made this Budget the most hated in history – and it’s not even here yet | James Moore www.independent.co.uk/voices/budge...
Leaks and lateness have made this Budget the most hated in history
Markets loathe uncertainty, and Rachel Reeves’s Budget was supposed to restore stability, says James Moore. Instead, loose lips and U-turns rattled investors and revived doubts about Labour’s grip on ...
www.independent.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Leaks and lateness have made this Budget the most hated in history – and it’s not even here yet | James Moore www.independent.co.uk/voices/budge...
The Independent View: She has broken records by becoming Britain’s first female chancellor, but Rachel Reeves’s bold reforms and her fealty both to her backbenchers and bankers risks unsettling the very people she needs onside www.independent.co.uk/voices/edito...
This make-or-break Budget must match the chancellor’s fighting talk
Editorial: She has broken records by becoming Britain’s first female chancellor, but Rachel Reeves’s bold reforms and her fealty both to her backbenchers and bankers risks unsettling the very people s...
www.independent.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 9:33 AM
The Independent View: She has broken records by becoming Britain’s first female chancellor, but Rachel Reeves’s bold reforms and her fealty both to her backbenchers and bankers risks unsettling the very people she needs onside www.independent.co.uk/voices/edito...
Hang on, is Rachel Reeves now getting ‘mansplaining’ mansplained to her? | Joy Lo Dico
www.independent.co.uk/voices/rache...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/rache...
Hang on, is Rachel Reeves now getting ‘mansplaining’ mansplained to her?
The chancellor of the exchequer has called out the ‘misogyny’ she has faced in public life in the build-up to the Budget – only for men to tell her it isn’t sexist at all. Isn’t that typical, says Joy...
www.independent.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Hang on, is Rachel Reeves now getting ‘mansplaining’ mansplained to her? | Joy Lo Dico
www.independent.co.uk/voices/rache...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/rache...
A firestorm of controversy has ripped through the BBC – but no one will say why | Alan Rusbridger (@arusbridger.bsky.social)
www.independent.co.uk/voices/alan-...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/alan-...
A firestorm of controversy has ripped through the BBC – but no one will say why
Confronted by a three-hour parliamentary inquiry yesterday, curiously none of the characters who supposedly see so much wrong with the corporation seemed able – or willing – to mount a case for instit...
www.independent.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 12:36 PM
A firestorm of controversy has ripped through the BBC – but no one will say why | Alan Rusbridger (@arusbridger.bsky.social)
www.independent.co.uk/voices/alan-...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/alan-...
Australia’s far-right burqa stunt shows shock-jock politics is on the rise | Michael Day
www.independent.co.uk/voices/austr...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/austr...
Australia’s far-right burqa stunt shows shock-jock politics is on the rise
On Monday Pauline Hanson, leader of Australia’s One Nation Party, walked into her parliament wearing a burqa. I don’t know what’s worse, says Michael Day, that this kind of grossly offensive stunt is ...
www.independent.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Australia’s far-right burqa stunt shows shock-jock politics is on the rise | Michael Day
www.independent.co.uk/voices/austr...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/austr...
We were all idiots at school. But not all of us were racist, Mr Farage | Victoria Richards (@nakedvix.bsky.social)
www.independent.co.uk/voices/racis...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/racis...
We were all idiots at school. But not all of us were racist, Mr Farage
If the Reform UK leader’s actions belied him being a stupid teenager, maybe we could believe him, writes Victoria Richards – but they don’t. Never mind the insults, just look at the policy
www.independent.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 11:52 AM
We were all idiots at school. But not all of us were racist, Mr Farage | Victoria Richards (@nakedvix.bsky.social)
www.independent.co.uk/voices/racis...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/racis...
The trust factor: why Labour must deliver a Budget that people can believe in | Anas Sarwar (@AnasSarwar )
www.independent.co.uk/voices/labou...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/labou...
Labour must deliver a Budget that people can believe in
If the chancellor can put a Budget with slogan-free integrity and deliverable plans for growth in front of the British people then we can finally draw a line under the missteps of the past, says Scott...
www.independent.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 4:40 PM
The trust factor: why Labour must deliver a Budget that people can believe in | Anas Sarwar (@AnasSarwar )
www.independent.co.uk/voices/labou...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/labou...
When surrender is sold as strategy: Why Europe must reject Trump’s Moscow-approved Ukraine peace plan | Tobias Ellwood
www.independent.co.uk/voices/trump...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/trump...
When surrender is sold as strategy: Why Europe must reject Trump’s Ukraine peace plan
The US 28-point plan, echoing Munich 1938, may offer short-term calm by rewarding Russia – but it weakens Ukraine and risks long-term disaster, says former defence and foreign minister Tobias Ellwood....
www.independent.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
When surrender is sold as strategy: Why Europe must reject Trump’s Moscow-approved Ukraine peace plan | Tobias Ellwood
www.independent.co.uk/voices/trump...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/trump...
Want a Budget millennials won’t hate? Start by taxing life’s biggest nuisances | Sophie Wilkinson
www.independent.co.uk/voices/tax-b...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/tax-b...
Want a Budget millennials won’t hate? Start by taxing life’s biggest nuisances
From boy racers to ultra-processed foods and doomscrolling, Britain’s worst habits cost us dearly, says Sophie Wilkinson – why doesn’t the chancellor put levies on them before taxing us again?
www.independent.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Want a Budget millennials won’t hate? Start by taxing life’s biggest nuisances | Sophie Wilkinson
www.independent.co.uk/voices/tax-b...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/tax-b...
Four years ago I found a lump. If only every man spoke about cancer as plainly as David Cameron | Jack Burke
www.independent.co.uk/voices/david...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/david...
Four years ago I found a lump. Us men must speak about cancer like David Cameron
I know all too well that if men can see cancer more as something we talk about openly and less as a personal failing it will save lives, writes Jack Burke
www.independent.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Four years ago I found a lump. If only every man spoke about cancer as plainly as David Cameron | Jack Burke
www.independent.co.uk/voices/david...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/david...
Reeves’s £15bn child benefit ‘giveaway’ is a gift the public won’t like | Sean O’Grady
www.independent.co.uk/voices/budge...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/budge...
Reeves’s £15bn child benefit ‘giveaway’ is a gift the public won’t like
Labour’s new budget is set to lift the two-child benefit cap – a popular move in parliament, says Sean O’Grady, but one that may unsettle voters already squeezed by the cost of living crisis
www.independent.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reeves’s £15bn child benefit ‘giveaway’ is a gift the public won’t like | Sean O’Grady
www.independent.co.uk/voices/budge...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/budge...
Reeves’ Robin Hood budget may shore up party support, but not that of voters | Sean O’Grady
www.independent.co.uk/voices/budge...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/budge...
Reeves’ Robin Hood budget may shore up party support, but not that of voters
Labour’s new budget is set to lift the two-child benefit cap – a popular move in Parliament, says Sean O’Grady, but one that may unsettle voters already squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis
www.independent.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Reeves’ Robin Hood budget may shore up party support, but not that of voters | Sean O’Grady
www.independent.co.uk/voices/budge...
www.independent.co.uk/voices/budge...