Donald Trump’s second inauguration as America's President next week is the sequel that few of us here wanted to see. Trump was the democratic choice of 50% of America's voters again this time, baffling most people on this side of the Atlantic. We share a common language and many cultural influences, but Britain is not America when it comes to politics.
But how confident can we be that Britain will not become as deeply divided as Donald Trump's America? The frenzy with which Elon Musk made himself the main character, opening this year in British politics, showed how technology shrinks the ocean between us. Britain is far from immune from the populist, polarised politics that took Trump to victory. This is a less deeply divided society than America, but the next four years are likely to see that tested as never before.
The British public are mainly balancers when it comes to the key challenges presented by this new Trump era. But can the centre hold off the populist challenge in volatile times?
The public want Keir Starmer’s government to strike a balance in navigating choppy diplomatic waters. Only one in six people want the prime minister to focus more on the UK-US partnership, while a third would prioritise Britain’s European links. Giving American and European relationships equal priority is the most popular choice for the voters of every party, in new Focaldata research for British Future. The challenges of this new Trump era have helped to put Britain’s Brexit divides into perspective. Keir Starmer and his European counterparts have broad, pragmatic permission to forge closer relationships to advance mutual interests - on growth, security, climate and managing migration effectively.
The British are mostly balancers on the great free speech debate - seeing the risks of both over-policing and under-policing online speech. Robust arguments must be part of a democratic society, but platforms should not be lax on hatred, abuse and the incitement to violence.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg last week honoured Donald Trump’s US mandate by ditching fact-checking and weakening Facebook’s rules on extreme content. Zuckerberg was quite open about his plan being to press Trump’s White House to deter other governments from policies or regulations which might cut into platform profits. Elon Musk's mission to bring down the British government reflects a complex cocktail of impulse, insomnia and hard-headed business interests. Musk can gain by exporting instability and polarisation.
So expect Trump’s alliance with the tech billionaires to be a source of Transatlantic tension. Trump was never on the ballot here - and this American push to weaken enforcement against hateful conduct is likely to strengthen the social consensus here that the major platforms have got this balance wrong.
One reason America’s polarisation runs so deep is that it includes so many hot button issues. Some of America’s deepest divides - such as abortion and gun control - are on issues where there is a settled British consensus. The core principles of the NHS unite Britain as much as the politics of healthcare divide the US.
Populism in Britain has a much clearer focus - on immigration and asylum - spilling over into adjacent issues of race and integration.
Tackling the politics of populism in Britain is primarily about how to get immigration right. Most people are balancers on immigration too - seeing pressures and gains from immigration and wanting to see the government combine control and compassion on asylum. But the increasingly polarised politics of immigration make holding that centre-ground difficult.
Donald Trump
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At British Future we’re working with Frank Sharry, among the leading US experts on immigration politics, to understand the lessons from Trump’s victory and the Democrats’ defeat for those seeking to defuse populism in Britain.
Sharry was a lead adviser to the Kamala Harris campaign on immigration. But he was frustrated by how the Democrat strategy of talking about the economy instead -– hoping not to increase the profile of immigration – allowed Trump to define the agenda and Kamala Harris in his own terms.
“One big lesson for Keir Starmer from the American experience is that, in government, you have to get the politics and the policy right”, he says. Opposition and populist parties can talk about the issue. Governments need to deliver solutions too. The Biden administration, having struggled with the border crisis for three years, made dramatic progress in his final year on unauthorised crossings, but too late to change the politics.
The stakes are high on whether Keir Starmer’s government can now find the antidote to the populist politics of immigration. Sharry adds: "Populists weaponise migration in order to exploit grievances and gain power. Centre-left Democrats – from the UK to the US to the EU – need to manage and mitigate migration with control and compassion to extend and defend democracy. We got it wrong in America. We are counting on Labour and the UK to get it right." Britain is not America. Learning from what went wrong can help us to keep it that way.
Sunder Katwala is the director of the think tank British Future and a regular contributor to Eastern Eye
Caste continues to be a significant factor in Indian society, separating those of higher castes, who have historically held cultural and social advantages, from people of lower castes, who face systemic discrimination. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA will carry out its next census in 2027, the government announced on Wednesday. This will be the country’s first census since 2011 and will include the enumeration of caste, which has not been officially recorded since independence.
“It has been decided to conduct Population Census-2027 in two phases along with enumeration of castes,” the India's Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.
The main phase of the census will take place on March 1, 2027, across most of the country. However, in high-altitude regions, the exercise will be conducted earlier, on October 1, 2026, to avoid snowfall.
These areas include the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, as well as Ladakh and the region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Caste continues to be a significant factor in Indian society, separating those of higher castes, who have historically held cultural and social advantages, from people of lower castes, who face systemic discrimination.
More than two-thirds of India’s 1.4 billion population are estimated to be from lower caste groups, which form part of an ancient social structure that categorises Hindus by function and status.
The inclusion of caste data in the upcoming census was approved during a government meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May. The census had originally been scheduled for 2021.
The last time caste data was collected as part of the official census was in 1931, under British colonial rule. India gained independence 16 years later.
Since then, governments have avoided updating caste information, citing the complexity of the task and concerns about possible social tensions.
A caste survey was carried out in 2011, but its findings were never released publicly due to concerns over accuracy.
That 2011 caste survey was conducted separately from the general census held the same year, which remains the most recent demographic data collected in India.
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England's Ben Stokes with teammates. Reuters/Peter Cziborra
ENGLAND have named a 14-player squad for the first match of the Rothesay Test Series against India, which is set to begin on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds.
Ben Stokes will lead the squad as captain and Surrey bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton returns to the Test line-up for the first time since earning his sole cap against New Zealand at Headingley in June 2022.
The 31-year-old is still under close medical review after breaking his right little finger during the first One-Day International against the West Indies at Edgbaston last week.
Overton, who scored 97 against New Zealand, could strengthen the lower order batting with Atkinson missing and Chris Woakes still proving his fitness.
Woakes, 36, has been delayed by a bone stress reaction in his ankle and needs to demonstrate his readiness in Friday's (6) England Lions match against India A at Northampton. Having played just one county match for Warwickshire, his participation remains uncertain. He could edge out Sam Cook, who retains his place in the squad after a quiet debut against Zimbabwe.
England's Jamie Overton celebrates after taking the wicket of West Indies' Gudakesh Motie. Reuters/Andrew Boyers
Brydon Carse returns after recovering from a toe injury, adding to England's seam bowling options alongside retained duo Sam Cook and Josh Tongue. Matthew Potts has been overlooked entirely, meaning five seamers will compete for three spots in the final XI.
Jacob Bethell returns to the squad after missing the Zimbabwe Test due to Indian Premier League commitments. The 21-year-old left-hander impressed during England's winter tour of New Zealand, scoring three fifties after his surprise promotion to the crucial position.
However, Ollie Pope's sparkling 171 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge has complicated matters. Captain Ben Stokes had previously backed his vice-captain, dismissing criticism as a "media agenda" following Pope's century. Selector Luke Wright offered no guarantees about Pope keeping the spot, admitting Bethell was "very close" to selection.
Another development concerns Jofra Archer's potential return to Test cricket. The Sussex seamer, who hasn't played first-class cricket since 2021 due to various injuries, is being lined up for the second Test at Edgbaston next month.
Archer will play a County Championship match for Sussex against Durham on June 23, which begins during the first Test. If he proves his fitness, the 30-year-old could make his Test comeback at Birmingham, providing a significant boost to England's bowling attack.
"Like anything with all these bowlers, he's got to keep ticking things off every day with no setbacks," said Wright. "But if all goes well and he gets through that Durham game, then he's available potentially for selection for that second Test."
England are managing several injury concerns, with Mark Wood and Olly Stone expected to miss the entire series. Captain Stokes has abandoned plans to play for the Lions after successfully returning to bowling following hamstring surgery earlier this year.
Surrey's Gus Atkinson was ruled out of selection due to a hamstring injury sustained during the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last month.
England will play five Test matches against India over the next couple of months, finishing on August 4 at the Kia Oval in London.
SQUAD: Ben Stokes (capt), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wkt), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
(with inputs from agencies)
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Under the current rules, families must earn less than £7,400 a year to qualify. (Representational image: iStock)
FROM September 2026, all children in England whose parents receive Universal Credit will be eligible for free school meals, regardless of household income, the government has announced.
Under the current rules, families must earn less than £7,400 a year to qualify.
The change is expected to make 500,000 more pupils eligible. Prime minister Keir Starmer said the move would “help families who need it most.” The Department for Education has allocated £1 billion to fund the expansion until 2029 and has also pledged £13 million to 12 food charities to redistribute surplus farm food.
Ministers said the new eligibility criteria would save families £500 a year and could lift 100,000 children out of poverty. However, Christine Farquharson from the Institute for Fiscal Studies said the figure was unlikely to be reached next year. She noted that protections introduced in 2018 already extended free school meal eligibility.
The announcement has been welcomed by education groups and anti-poverty campaigners. Nick Harrison of the Sutton Trust called it a “significant step,” while the Child Poverty Action Group said the policy now covers “all children in poverty and those at risk.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told the BBC ministers were “working as quickly as we can” to implement the plan. On the separate issue of the two-child benefit cap, Phillipson said it was “on the table” but added it was not a “silver bullet” and would be costly to scrap.
BBC reported that the total number of pupils on free school meals in England is currently about 2.1 million, or 24.6 per cent of all pupils.
A STAMPEDE broke out in Bengaluru on Wednesday during celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory, resulting in multiple deaths, according to a senior government official.
Indian media reported that as many as 11 people may have been crushed to death outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said the exact number of fatalities had not yet been confirmed.
"The tragedy and death have brought deep pain and shock," Shivakumar said in a statement. "My condolences to the deceased. My condolences to their family."
An AFP photographer reported large crowds, with police attempting to control them using sticks.
Shivakumar said "hundreds of thousands of people" had gathered on the streets. "I have spoken to the police commissioner and everyone, I will also go to the hospital later – I do not want to disturb the doctors who are taking care of the patients," he said.
"The exact number cannot be told now. We appeal to the people to remain calm."
Broadcasters aired footage of police rushing children away from the crowd, some of whom appeared to have fainted. One young man was seen in an ambulance struggling to breathe.
NDTV reported that at least 11 people had died, while The Times of India said seven had been killed.
"This is not a controllable crowd," Shivakumar told reporters. "The police were finding it very difficult."
"I apologise to the people of Karnataka and Bengaluru. We wanted to take a procession, but the crowd was very uncontrollable... the crowd was so much," he said.
Despite the incident, the celebrations went ahead. A video shared by the team’s social media account showed cheering crowds as a bus carrying the players, including Virat Kohli, moved through the streets.
"This welcome is what pure love looks like," the team posted on X.
IPL chairman Arun Dhumal told NDTV that those inside the stadium were unaware of the stampede during the celebrations. "At the time of the celebrations inside the stadium officials there did not know what had happened... I would like to send my heartfelt condolences," he said.
Shivakumar said organisers had "shortened the programme".
"This is a very sad incident," Rajeev Shukla, vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, told India Today. "No one imagined that such a huge crowd would turn up."
Deadly crowd incidents have occurred at Indian mass events in the past, including a 2023 religious gathering in Uttar Pradesh where 121 people were killed.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Reeves is expected to make the announcement in a speech in Manchester, outlining the first commitments from her June 11 Spending Review.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will on Wednesday confirm £15.6 billion in funding for transport projects in cities outside London. These areas have faced years of under-investment and delayed infrastructure plans.
Reeves is expected to make the announcement in a speech in Manchester, outlining the first commitments from her June Spending Review, which sets budgets for government departments for the remainder of the parliamentary term, according to the finance ministry.
Prime minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government, which faced major setbacks in local elections this year, is under pressure to demonstrate improvements in public services and infrastructure.
Cities outside London in the UK have long suffered from low productivity compared to other developed countries. Outdated and inadequate transport networks have been identified by organisations such as the OECD as a key reason.
“A Britain that is better off cannot rely on a handful of places forging ahead of the rest of the country,” Reeves said, in speech excerpts shared by the finance ministry.
She said this approach had concentrated growth in limited areas and widened regional gaps.
Much of the £15.6bn funding had been initially earmarked by the previous Conservative government under Rishi Sunak, who cancelled part of a north-south high-speed rail line and pledged to redirect the money to local transport projects.
However, several city regions have since been waiting for formal approval from the central government.
The commitment announced on Wednesday will fund transport projects scheduled between 2027/28 and 2031/32.
The funding will go towards metro network developments in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, the North East and South Yorkshire. It also includes the first mass transit system for West Yorkshire, a city region with a population of 2.3 million.
“These projects can then give firms involved in the supply chains real confidence to start planning and investing in their local economies,” said Jonny Haseldine, head of business environment at the British Chambers of Commerce.
While the UK has conducted spending reviews since 1998, this is the first multi-year review since 2015, apart from a shorter review in 2021 that focused on Covid-related spending.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said on Monday that this spending review could become “one of the most significant domestic policy events” for the Labour government.