MPs have narrowly voted to introduce a Bill exploring the creation of a new UK-EU customs union in a move that will pile pressure on Labour’s Brexit policy.
Liberal Democrat Dr Al Pinkerton’s 10-minute motion split MPs precisely 100-100, leaving the deputy speaker to cast a deciding vote – which she did, for the ayes.
It means the Bill will move to a second reading in January. Labour MPs were instructed not to attend the motion, but were not formally whipped in either direction.
Top figures in Sir Keir Starmer’s government had insisted the UK would not break its pledge not to rejoin the customs union.
Earlier on Tuesday, Rachel Reeves said the UK had “reset” its relationship with the EU, and last week, Sir Keir insisted Labour would stick to its manifesto, which included promises to strengthen the UK’s relationship with Brussels without rejoining the customs union, single market or freedom of movement.
Sir Ed Davey said the Brexit deal was “making Britain broke and left “red tape everywhere” as he urged Labour backbenchers to support the motion.
The Lib Dem leader wrote to the prime minister accusing the government of so far “failing to take the steps necessary to begin, properly, the work of undoing the damage” of the deal secured under the Tories.
Key Points
- New UK-EU custom union proposal supported in the Commons
- Starmer warns of 'lost decade of kids' at launch of £500m youth plan
- Taxpayers left with hefty bills from high UK borrowing costs
- Tories call for Reeves to apologise for 'misleading' country
Taxpayers left with hefty bills from high UK borrowing costs
07:00 , Jane DaltonHigh government borrowing costs since Labour won the election have cost the taxpayer up to £7bn, according to a new report.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found the UK had faced “uniquely high” borrowing costs compared with other advanced countries.
Yields on government bonds – also known as gilts – have risen steadily since Labour came into power in the summer of 2024.
'Nothing Muslim or Islamic about grooming gangs' says Mahmood
05:45 , Jane DaltonThere was nothing Muslim or Islamic about grooming gang crimes, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said as she announced the next step in the inquiry into the gangs.
Ms Mahmood also said she feared community relations had been damaged by "the actions of those who looked the other way" during reports of group-based child sexual exploitation.
She announced that Baroness Anne Longfield would chair a three-year inquiry, with a budget of £65m, into grooming gangs.
"What is required now is a moment of reckoning," she said. "We must cast fresh light on this darkness."
Baroness Longfield has vowed to “not shy away from difficult truths”.
Opinion: The £26bn reason to rethink our relationship with EU
04:30 , Jane Dalton There is a £26bn reason to rethink our relationship with the EU
Starmer calls on European leaders to rejig ECHR
03:30 , Jane DaltonEurope's leaders must rehash how a major human rights treaty is interpreted in law to tackle illegal migration and prevent voters from turning to "the forces that seek to divide us", Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The Prime Minister and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen called on other leaders across the continent to agree a "modernisation" of how the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is interpreted.
In an opinion piece for The Guardian, the two prime ministers advocated a tougher approach to policing Europe's borders to defeat populist political opponents.
The ECHR is seen by its critics as a major barrier to attempts to deport illegal migrants.
The right to family life, enshrined by article 8 of the agreement, is often used as grounds to prevent removals.
Opinion: UK’s aid cuts leave us less secure
03:05 , Jane DaltonBy Olivia O’Sullivan, director of Chatham House's UK in the World programme:
The UK’s aid cuts have consequences for our security
Ukraine must decide its own future, Yvette Cooper says
01:50 , Shaheena UddinThe foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “Ultimately, Ukraine’s future has to be for Ukraine, and the things that we have discussed, that Secretary Rubio has set out as well, is the importance of having a just and lasting peace, so that Russia is deterred and cannot simply come again, but also so we support the strength and sovereignty of Ukraine.
“That’s why all of the discussions are taking place.
“But ultimately it’s again, as I said in the speech, two presidents are working for peace, and one president – President Putin – has so far simply sought to escalate the conflict with further drone and missile attacks.”
Asylum delays and backlogs wasted public cash, watchdog finds
01:00 , Jane DaltonGovernment action to bring in short-term fixes to the asylum system has led to backlogs elsewhere and delays that have wasted taxpayers' money, the public spending watchdog has found.
A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) said the current cost of supporting people seeking asylum is "disproportionately high" and totalled around £4.9bn for 2024-25, driven by long delays and backlogs.
A sample of 5,000 people who began their asylum claims nearly three years ago showed more than half the cases remained unresolved.
The conditions can cause uncertainty and hardship for asylum-seekers, and erode public confidence in the system, report authors warned, while the watchdog called for better data and a whole-system approach across government departments.
The Government announced plans to overhaul the asylum system last month.
But the watchdog said the complex plans needed a sustainable approach - otherwise there is a risk of "unintended consequences for already stretched systems".
Starmer warns of 'lost decade of kids' at launch of £500m youth plan
00:15 , Jane DaltonSir Keir Starmer warned of a "lost decade of young kids left as collateral damage" as the Government launches a 10-year youth plan.
Labour's national youth strategy, published today, will aim to ensure 500,000 more young people across England have access to a trusted adult outside their home, as well as resources on how to stay safe online.
Some £500m will go on reviving youth services, with a pledge to build or refurbish 250 youth facilities over four years, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said.
Ministers also want to:
- Launch a network of 50 "young futures" hubs by 2029 as part of a £70m programme to provide access to youth workers, with the first eight operational by March 2026 in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Co Durham, Nottingham, Bristol, Tower Hamlets, and Brighton and Hove.
- Support organisations in "underserved" areas to deliver high-quality youth work and activities through a £60m fund.
- Improve young people's wellbeing, personal development and "life skills" through a new £22.5m programme of support around the school day in up to 400 schools.
- Recruit and train youth workers, volunteers and other "trusted adults" with £15m of investment.
Taxpayers left with hefty bills from high UK borrowing costs
Tuesday 9 December 2025 23:30 , Shaheena UddinHigh government borrowing costs since Labour won the election have cost the taxpayer up to £7 billion, according to a new report.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found the UK had seen “uniquely high” borrowing costs when compared to other advanced countries, with yields on government bonds – also known as gilts – having risen steadily since Labour came into power in the summer of 2024.
New UK-EU custom union proposal supported in the Commons
Tuesday 9 December 2025 23:00 , Shaheena UddinThe Customs Union (Duty to Negotiate) Bill, was tabled by the Liberal Democrats’ Europe spokesman Al Pinkerton on Tuesday. The vote ended in a surprise tie of 100 to 100, giving the deputy speaker the casting vote.
The majority of Labour MPs had no vote recorded. However three voted against and 13 who voted in favour of the bill.
Four Reform UK MPs voted against the Bill and their party leader Nigel Farage did not vote, according to Parliament’s voting records.
Chair of the grooming gangs inquiry announced
Tuesday 9 December 2025 22:30 , Shaheena UddinFormer children’s commissioner Anne Longfield will chair the inquiry into grooming gangs after months of delays.
The Independent's Home Affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft reports:
Chair of the grooming gangs inquiry announced
Tories call for Reeves to apologise for 'misleading' country
Tuesday 9 December 2025 22:00 , Jane DaltonRachel Reeves should apologise for "misleading the country" about the public finances in the run-up to the Budget, the Commons will hear.
The Conservative Party will also call on MPs to join them in criticising the Chancellor for introducing £26bn worth of tax rises in the Budget, which they say breaks a manifesto promise.
In a Tory-led debate on Wednesday afternoon, the party will use a censure motion to call on Ms Reeves to apologise.
The Chancellor has faced questions about whether she misled the public after a letter from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) contested her narrative that she needed to raise taxes to fill a financial "black hole".
Critics say she largely raised taxes after she scrapped the two-child benefit cap.
The Conservative Party is expected to ask "that this House calls on the Chancellor to apologise for misleading the country about the state of the public finances, rolling the pitch for raising taxes, breaking her promises and increasing welfare spending".
The motion also said Ms Reeves should apologise for "misleading briefings and leaks” that “caused uncertainty for families, businesses and investors", as well as for "breaking her promise after the last Budget that the Government was not going to raise taxes again, and instead raising taxes at the Budget by £26bn".
UK member of the armed forces killed in Ukraine in ‘tragic accident’
Tuesday 9 December 2025 21:45 , Shaheena UddinA UK armed forces member was killed in Ukraine as he watched the testing of a new defensive capability, the Ministry of Defence has reported.
Defence Secretary John Healey said he was “devastated” by the man’s death in a statement on X.
The Ministry of Defence statement said: “It is with deep regret that we must announce that a member of the UK armed forces died in Ukraine this morning, Tuesday December 9.
“He was injured in a tragic accident whilst observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability away from the front lines.
“The family has been notified and our thoughts are with them at this sad and difficult time.”
Farage did not vote on EU Bill
Tuesday 9 December 2025 21:30 , Jane DaltonFour Reform UK MPs voted against the Bill promoting a new UK-EU customs union, and party leader Nigel Farage did not vote, according to Parliament's voting records.
Analysis: How scrutiny of Farage is affecting Reform UK
Tuesday 9 December 2025 20:50 , Jane Dalton Are the troubles of Nigel Farage weakening Reform UK?
Yvette Cooper responds to Trump's claims that Europe has "weak leaders"
Tuesday 9 December 2025 20:30 , Shaheena UddinYvette Cooper has responded to Donald Trump’s claims that Europe’s nations are “decaying” and have “weak” leaders.
The foreign secretary was asked by journalists about the US president’s views and said: “What I see in Europe is strength.
“The strength and commitment to the support for Ukraine and also strength to step up to the plate and to ensure that we are increasing our investment in defence, and also ensure that we are doing our bit through the coalition of the willing, as well as through investment in military support and the energy infrastructure support that Ukraine needs.”
Call for watchdog probe into Reform's election expenses
Tuesday 9 December 2025 19:58 , Jane DaltonBritain's elections watchdog has been urged to investigate Reform UK's election expenses, amid allegations of an overspend in Nigel Farage's Clacton constituency.
Labour chairwoman Anna Turley called on Mr Farage to explain whether his party spent more than the £20,660 limit, and has written to the Electoral Commission.
Former Reform councillor and member of Mr Farage's campaign team, Richard Everett, has claimed the party failed to declare spending on leaflets, banners, utility bills and a bar refurbishment in its Clacton campaign office.
Essex Police are assessing the claims.
Reform strenuously denies the allegations. A party spokesman said: "The party denies breaking electoral law. We look forward to clearing our name."
He described the claims has having come from "disgruntled” former councillor, who has since left the party to sit as an independent.
Sanctions against Russia and China-linked groups announced
Tuesday 9 December 2025 19:30 , Shaheena UddinYvette Cooper announced sanctions on media outlet Rybar and its co-owner Mikhail Sergeevich Zvinchuk, claiming its Telegram channel and network of affiliates in 28 languages “reaches millions worldwide using classic Kremlin manipulation tactics, including fake investigations and AI-driven content”.
“Masquerading as an independent body, Rybar is, in fact, partially co-ordinated by the presidential administration and receiving funding from the Russian state corporation, Rostec, and working with members of the Russian intelligence services.”
The foreign secretary also launched action against Pravfond, as well as “Moscow-based so-called think tank” The Centre for Geopolitical Expertise and its founder Aleksandr Dugin.
She also announced action against “two of the most egregious” China-based companies, i-Soon and the Integrity Technology Group, for “advanced and indiscriminate cyber activities” against the UK and its allies.
Ms Cooper said: “Our message to those who would seek to harm us is clear: we see you in the shadows, we know what you are doing and we will defend ourselves.”
Bank of England expect Reeves' budget to bring down inflation
Tuesday 9 December 2025 19:00 , Shaheena UddinBank of England policymakers said they expect Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget to knock as much as 0.5 percentage points off inflation by next spring.
The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts also indicated that the budget policies will reduce inflation by 0.4 per centage points next year, alongside the freeze in rail fares.
Stop minimum wage rises to save jobs, says Tory leader
Tuesday 9 December 2025 18:40 , Jane DaltonTory leader Kemi Badenoch has warned against further increases to the minimum wage because "too many businesses can't pay for it".
She said jobs were disappearing and promised the Tories would reduce burdens on firms.
Mrs Badenoch told the BBC: "It's not government ministers that create jobs, it's business that creates jobs.
"We need to make sure that we set the minimum wage at a good level but we also need to make sure that their other burdens, their business rates, their corporation taxes, all of the things they do - the endless regulation, the Employment Rights Bill: they're just sick and tired of so much happening. Let's lighten that burden."
The national living wage will increase by 4.1% to £12.71 in April for people aged over 21 and 18 to 20-year-olds will see the rate increased by 8.5% to £10.85.
She added: "Stop government intervention. Government mandating minimum wage increases is not creating jobs.
"The jobs are disappearing."
Employment rights minister Kate Dearden said: "Family finances are still reeling from the Tories' economic failure which saw sky-high interest rates, rocketing energy costs and higher prices."
Watch: MI5 'turned blind eye' to IRA spy Stakeknife's crimes
Tuesday 9 December 2025 18:15 , Jane DaltonMI5’s initial failure to disclose all it knew about the Army’s top spy in the Provisional IRA during the Troubles was a significant failure, an independent report on the activities of Stakeknife has said.
The final report of Operation Kenova said that MI5 had earlier and greater knowledge of Stakeknife than it had revealed.
The UK Government has been urged to name Stakeknife, and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the refusal to do so was “bordering on farce”.
ICYMI: Two House of Lords peers suspended after breaking lobbying rules
Tuesday 9 December 2025 18:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneTwo members of the House of Lords, including a former army chief, have been suspended from the upper chamber after being found to have exploited their positions for financial gain.
The suspensions follow two independent investigations, triggered by a newspaper sting operation, which concluded that Lord Dannatt and Lord Evans of Watford had both breached the Lords' code of conduct.
You can read more below:
Two House of Lords peers suspended after breaking lobbying rules
Watch: Starmer reiterates support for Ukraine as Zelensky meets European allies at Downing Street
Tuesday 9 December 2025 17:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneICYMI: Trump hits out at ‘horrible, vicious, disgusting’ Sadiq Khan as he reignites feud with London mayor
Tuesday 9 December 2025 17:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDonald Trump has reignited his long-running feud with Sir Sadiq Khan, branding him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor” as he criticised immigration to the UK.
In an extraordinary interview, the US president singled out the London mayor, calling him a “disaster” and suggesting he has done a “terrible job”.
The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin has this story below:
Trump hits out at ‘horrible’ Sadiq Khan as he reignites feud with London mayor
Former children’s commissioner says she will ‘follow evidence’ in grooming gangs probe
Tuesday 9 December 2025 16:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneBaroness Anne Longfield has vowed she will “not shy away” from difficult truths as she was appointed as the chair of the national inquiry into grooming gangs after months of delays.
Of her appointment, Baroness Longfield said: “The inquiry owes it to the victims, survivors and the wider public to identify the truth, address past failings and ensure that children and young people today are protected in a way that others were not.
“The inquiry will follow the evidence and will not shy away from difficult or uncomfortable truths wherever we find them.”
Baroness Longfield and the inquiry panel wrote an open letter to survivors as their role was confirmed, saying: “We know that trust must be earned.”
Disgraced firm Fujitsu loses post-Brexit border contract
Tuesday 9 December 2025 16:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Japanese tech firm behind the Post Office scandal has lost a contract to run Britain’s post-Brexit border systems, reports say.
According to POLITICO, Fujitsu lost the contract last month after mounting pressure for it to be stripped of public work.
13 Labour MPs oppose Keir Starmer to support customs union call
Tuesday 9 December 2025 16:26 , Joe MiddletonThe Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:
In total 13 Labour MPs opposed Keir Starmer to support a call for a customs union with the EU, which has piled pressure on their leader and his Brexit stance.
Of the 100 MPs who voted in favour - 65 were Lib Dems, 13 were Labour, 8 were SNP, 4 were independents, 4 were Plaid Cymru, 3 were Greens, 2 were SDLP and 1 was Alliance.Of the 100 MPs who voted against - 89 were Conservatives, 4 were Reform UK, 3 were Labour, 2 were independents, and there were one each from the Northern Irish parties the TUV and the UUP.
Last week Sir Keir repeated that Labour was not planning to rejoin the EU's customs union, after the deputy prime minister said countries in such unions see a boost to their economies.
Labour launch Great British Railways branding
Tuesday 9 December 2025 16:10 , Nicole Wootton-CaneLabour have unveiled the branding behind ‘Great British Railways’ amid ongoing nationalisation efforts.
The state-owned Great British Railways (GBR) unveiled its new branding, confirming it will be rolled out across trains, websites, and stations from next spring.
Described by the Department for Transport as a “striking and memorable design”, the livery was developed internally to maximise value for money.
In a post on X, transport secretary Heidi Alexander wrote: “Great British Railways – coming soon to a train near you.
“The GBR brand will soon be rolled out on trains, websites, stations and more. You'll see it on the new app, a one-stop - shop where you can check trains times and book tickets without fees.”
Great British Railways – coming soon to a train near you. 🇬🇧🚂
— Heidi Alexander MP (@Heidi_Labour) December 9, 2025
The GBR brand will soon be rolled out on trains, websites, stations and more.
You'll see it on the new app, a one-stop - shop where you can check trains times and book tickets without fees. pic.twitter.com/RvXbEzYs51
Analysis: Starmer loses customs union vote in the Commons, despite huge majority
Tuesday 9 December 2025 15:51 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Keir Starmer won more than 400 seats in the House of Commons, securing a majority of 174 MPs, only last year.
Now his party has failed to win a vote that would have required just 101 MPs to back it.
The sheer number of Labour MPs on his party’s benches should have offered the PM much more breathing room in the Commons. But it has not turned out that way.
Many abstained, in a sign the party is divided over its approach to the EU. The Labour leader is now under greater pressure over his Brexit strategy after a so-called 10-minute rule bill, tabled by the Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Al Pinkerton, was supported in the Commons, ending in a tie of 100 votes to 100, giving the deputy speaker the casting vote.
In response, deputy speaker Caroline Noakes voted “aye" to break the tie.
Kemi Badenoch says trust is 'badly damaged' after appointment of Baroness Longfield
Tuesday 9 December 2025 15:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneKemi Badenoch has slammed Labour’s approach in the lead-up to the appointment of Baroness Longfield to the grooming inquiry, saying trust is “badly damaged”.
In a post on X, the Tory leader said survivors of abuse “have been waiting far too long for an inquiry they can trust”.
“This inquiry must be rigorous, fearless and free from political influence,” she added.
Progress is welcome, but it shouldn’t have taken the Conservatives publishing a survivor-led terms of reference for the government to finally move.
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) December 9, 2025
Survivors have been waiting far too long for an inquiry they can trust. They have been ignored, dismissed and made to feel… https://t.co/P2vnOAj95r
Bill introduced after MPs split evenly 100-100
Tuesday 9 December 2025 15:08 , Nicole Wootton-CaneMPs were split exactly evenly on whether to introduce the Bill.
The deputy casting speaker had the casting vote. She voted aye “to allow further debate”.
The second reading will be on 16 January 2026.
MPs leave chamber to vote
Tuesday 9 December 2025 14:58 , Nicole Wootton-CaneMPs have now left the chamber to vote on the motion.
We are expecting the result in around 15 minutes.
EU ‘does not want’ a customs union with the UK, MP argues
Tuesday 9 December 2025 14:54 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Tory MP Simon Hoare, who voted Remain, told MPs he accepted the result of the referendum as he opposed the customs union idea in the Commons.
Mr Hoare, the former chair of the NI affairs committee, said there were four reasons to reject the proposal.
But the most important, he said, was that “the EU does not want it” and it was "an enormous arrogance” to think that they do.
Partnership with EU matter of 'national security', Pinkerton says
Tuesday 9 December 2025 14:51 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDr Pinkerton warned that closer economic partnership with Europe is also a “matter of our national security”.
“Russia is defined by military expansionism and destabilisation, China grows more coercive and authoritarian by the year,” he adds.
He says Trump’s administration has shown a willingness to “threaten and coerce even its closest allies”.
Mr Pinkerton references the US’s recent national security strategy, which welcomes “the growing influence of patriotic European parties” and says its “goal should be to help Europe correct its current cultural trajectory. A clear signal of intent to interfere with allies domestic politics.
He says we must stand closes with those who share our “values, trade, and common security”.
Brexit is a ‘flop’ MP says as he calls on Commons to back a customs union deal
Tuesday 9 December 2025 14:44 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Lib Dem Al Pinkerton said Brexit was “economics by consolation prize and the country is paying the price”.
He quoted the Tory PM Sir John Major that Brexit is a “flop” as he urged MPs to back a customs union deal.
The Lib Dems are appealing to Labour backbenchers to support the move.
Earlier, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey wrote to the prime minister accusing the government of “failing to take the steps necessary to begin, properly, the work of undoing the damage” of the Tories Brexit deal.
Reeves is directly challenged on damaging pre-Budget briefings
Tuesday 9 December 2025 12:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
Rachel Reeves had a one word answer to a question from her Tory shadow Sir Mel Stride after he asked her “yes or no” whether she authorised briefings of the Budget in the months ahead of her announcement last week.
“No,” she said in reply.
The problem is that nobody in the chamber really believes her which was underlined by the silence from her own benches where MPs may have been expected to be baying at Sir Mel.
It is clear though that she partially breached the confidentiality of the Office of Budget Responsibility briefing in an emergency press conference she gave before the Budget.
Sir Mel challenged her on this too but Ms Reeves batted him away.
Hanging over this is a Treasury investigation into the multiple leaks which have been described as “damaging” the economy. Ms Reeve is also still facing questions over being partial with the truth ahead of the Budget.
Financial regulator publishes post-Brexit investment plans
Tuesday 9 December 2025 12:20 , Nicole Wootton-CaneBritain's financial regulator has published a package of reforms aimed at encouraging retail investors to buy more shares and bonds.
The three papers published by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on Monday set out one of its clearest statements yet on the direction of post-Brexit investment regulation in the UK.
It confirmed plans to axe EU-inherited investment disclosure requirements, update the categorisation of professional investors and outline a wide rethink of risk in the investment landscape.
Almost £11bn of covid fraud revealed in new report
Tuesday 9 December 2025 12:10 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
A new report has said that taxpayers lost £10.9 billion to fraud and error as the previous government’s pandemic response left the front door open to fraud, an independent report reveals today.
The Covid Counter Fraud Commissioner, Tom Hayhoe’s, final report to Parliament finds many schemes - including Bounce Back Loans and Eat Out to Help Out - were rolled out with huge fraud risks and no early safeguards – costing the taxpayer millions.
Weak accountability, bad quality data and poor contracting were identified as the primary causes of the £10.9 billion pound losses – which were enough to fund daily free school meals for the UK’s 2.7 eligible million children for eight years.Chancellor Rachel Reeves appointed Tom Hayhoe in December 2024 to ensure mistakes of the past are never repeated, with this government already recouping almost £400 million of covid support cash.
Ms Reeves said: “Leaving the front door wide open to fraud has cost the British taxpayer £10.9 billion — money that should have been funding our public services, supporting families, and strengthening our economy.
“We have started returning this money to the British people and we will leave no stone unturned in rooting out the fraudsters who profited from pandemic negligence.”
Labour voters want Starmer to rejoin EU customs union, poll shows
Tuesday 9 December 2025 12:04 , Nicole Wootton-CaneLabour voters want Sir Keir Starmer to ditch his manifesto promise and rejoin the customs union, a poll has shown.
Commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, the Savanta poll showed that fewer than one in five (18 per cent) Labour voters would prefer the government to raise taxes and continue to stay outside the EU’s customs union.
Some 67 per cent backed rejoining the customs union instead of raising taxes.
The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke has more below:
Labour voters want Starmer to rejoin EU customs union instead of raising taxes
New poll shows public think Rachel Reeves is taxing too much
Tuesday 9 December 2025 11:58 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
As Rachel Reeves and her Treasury team answer questions in the Commons there is bad news regarding the public perception of her Budget last week.
YouGov’s monthly tracker poll asking Britons if the government is taxing and spending the right amount has recorded the highest proportion saying taxes and spending are too high since the tracker began in 2019.
In the poll conducted between 6 and 8 December this month, nearly half (45 per cent) say the government “taxes too much and spends too much”, up 4 percentage points from November.
Against this, one in five (20 per cent) say it “taxes too little and spends too little”, down four points since last month.
Only about one in nine (11 per cent) think the government has the balance about right, up three points since last month.
Rachel Reeves says UK has 'reset' relationship with EU
Tuesday 9 December 2025 11:50 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
Rachel Reeves is answering Treasury questions for the first time since her Budget and already is coming under pressure regarding Brexit.
Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem Treasury spokesperson, has asked Ms Reeves if Labour MPs will be allowed to vote in favour of rejoining the EU customs union.
It comes ahead of a difficult vote for Labour early this afternoon on a Lib Dem motion with many Labour MPs wanting to back the idea despite a manifesto promise not to rejoin the EU, the single market or customs union. Labour MPs are going to be told to abstain.
Ms Reeves batted the question away saying: “We have reset our relationship with the EU.”
Recap: David Lammy says rejoining EU customs union could boost UK economy
Tuesday 9 December 2025 11:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDeputy prime minister David Lammy has suggested that rejoining the European Union’s customs union could increase economic growth – as ministers increasingly hit out at the financial damage caused by Brexit.
Mr Lammy refused seven times in an interview to rule out reversing Brexit, arguing that leaving the EU badly damaged the UK economy and saying Labour should consider closer integration with Brussels.
Sir Keir Starmer later insisted he would not go back on Labour’s manifesto pledge not to rejoin the customs union.
The Independent’s Jane Dalton has more below:
Lammy says rejoining EU customs union could boost UK economy
UK government urged to name top IRA spy
Tuesday 9 December 2025 11:28 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe UK government has been urged to name the Army’s top spy in the IRA, currently named only as ‘Stakeknife’.
Operation Kenova found in its interim report that more lives were probably lost than saved through the operation of Stakeknife, an agent who “committed grotesque, serious crime” including torture and murder.
Following the final report, Kenova chief Sir Iain Livingstone said there is a “compelling ethical case for the UK Government to derogate from the Neither Confirm Nor Deny (NCND) policy regarding the agent Stakeknife’s identity”.
He added: “It is in the public interest that Stakeknife is named.”
The agent Stakeknife was widely believed to be west Belfast man, Freddie Scappaticci, who was 77 when he died in 2023.
Watch: Keir Starmer launches personal TikTok account despite ban
Tuesday 9 December 2025 11:09 , Nicole Wootton-CaneTories announce review into welfare spending
Tuesday 9 December 2025 10:50 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Tories will commission a review into welfare spending, Kemi Badenoch has announced.
She said the review will examine the household benefit cap and which conditions the state treats as disabilities.
The Conservative leader said: “Quite simply, our sickness benefits system was not designed to handle the age of diagnosis which we now live in.
“So we are also going to review which conditions the state treats as disabilities when it comes to benefits.
“All of us will have physical and mental challenges at some point in our life – all of us will.
“But in an age where one in four people now self-report as disabled, it’s clear that we are now going to have to draw a line on what health issues the state can support people with. The government can’t do everything.”
She said the review would be done “carefully over time” with “medical and employment experts” to “make sure we get it right”.
Elsewhere in politics
Tuesday 9 December 2025 09:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneAway from Tuesday’s customs union motion, here are today’s headlines in politics:
• A deal to release up to £100 billion of frozen Russian assets in Europe to aid Ukraine is just days away, Downing Street believes, after Sir Keir Starmer and allies held crunch talks in London yesterday
• Trains across the UK are set to receive a distinctive red, white, and blue paint scheme, inspired by the Union flag, as part of the government’s ongoing rail nationalisation efforts
• Police are assessing claims Reform UK falsified expenses during Nigel Farage’s election campaign
• The UK is under attack from Putin’s cyber army, the foreign secretary is set to warn in a speech on Tuesday
• Two members of the House of Lords, including a former army chief, have been suspended from the upper chamber after being found to have exploited their positions for financial gain
What is a ten minute rule bill?
Tuesday 9 December 2025 09:25 , Nicole Wootton-CaneToday’s motion is expected to be brought under a ten minute rule bill, a type of private members’ bill.
The ten minute rule allows a backbench MP to make his or her case for a new Bill in a speech lasting up to ten minutes.
An opposing speech may also be made before the House decides whether or not the Bill should be introduced. If the MP is successful the Bill is taken to have had its first reading.
However, there is no guarantee the speech will result in a Bill being introduced.
Government rejects claims vote is on 'knife edge'
Tuesday 9 December 2025 09:05 , Nicole Wootton-CaneLiberal Democrats have said today’s vote is on a “knife edge” - something government sources denied on Monday.
Al Pinkerton said there was “debate on this issue within (Sir Keir’s) own party and Cabinet”.
It is understood that Labour MPs will be advised to not take part but will not be formally whipped either way in the event of such a vote.
Lib Dem leader urges Starmer to give Labour MPs free vote
Tuesday 9 December 2025 08:49 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSir Ed Davey has urged the prime minister to give Labour MPs a free vote on a Lib Dem-backed motion to create a new EU-UK customs union.
It is understood that Labour has advised members not to take part in the event of a vote, but that MPs have not been formally whipped.
The Liberal Democrats has also written to all Labour MPs, asking them to support the bill.
Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Al Pinkerton said: “Given the debate on this issue within his own party and cabinet, it is only right that the Prime Minister gives his MPs a free vote so they can show their support for a new customs union deal.”
Sir Keir Starmer faces calls to create new EU-UK customs union
Tuesday 9 December 2025 08:41 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe prime minister will face calls in Parliament today to create a new EU-UK customs union.
The movement, which will be brought by the Liberal Democrat’s Europe spokesman Al Pinkerton, is expected to be made as a 10-minute rule motion, which allows MPs to make a case for a new law in a speech to the Commons.
Another MP can then choose to speak against the motion, forcing it to a vote, though this is not guaranteed.
Labour MPs rebel to back call for EU-UK customs union: full report
Tuesday 9 December 2025 20:00 , Jane Dalton More than a dozen Labour MPs back call for EU-UK customs union
Trump hits out at ‘horrible, vicious, disgusting’ Sadiq Khan as he reignites feud with London mayor
Tuesday 9 December 2025 18:28 , Shaheena UddinDonald Trump has reignited his long-running feud with Sir Sadiq Khan, branding him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor” as he criticised immigration to the UK.
In an extraordinary interview, the US president singled out the London mayor, calling him a “disaster” and suggesting he has done a “terrible job”.
The Independent's Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Trump hits out at ‘horrible’ Sadiq Khan as he reignites feud with London mayor