Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.

Sir Keir Starmer will soon visit the King to accept his offer to be the next prime minister, but after that his first order of business will be to appoint his cabinet.
Just 24 hours before people went to the polls, Sir Keir was still being coy about who would get the top jobs and refused in interviews to guarantee anybody a job.
This was partly due to Neil Kinnock coming unstuck in 1992 when he introduced his new cabinet at an infamous rally in Sheffield only to lose the election.
But many of the names of Sir Keir’s first cabinet can easily be predicted.

Undoubtedly the first appointment will be Rachel Reeves as his new chancellor. She has played a major role in the campaign and as a former Bank of England economist has helped bring economic credibility back to Labour from the wreckage of the Jeremy Corbyn years.
Wes Streeting, another stalwart, is almost certainly going to be the new health secretary having held on to his seat in east London by just a few hundred votes.
Another clear cut choice will be the rising star Bridget Phillipson who looks set to become education secretary after becoming the first MP elected on the night in Sunderland South.
Having survived a scare from a pro-Gaza independent in Birmingham Ladywood, key Starmer ally Shabana Mahmood can be expected to be invited to take on the justice secretary brief.
There is also no reason not to expect veteran Yvette Cooper in as the new home secretary although she may be eyeing another department.
The real question comes over who will be be foreign secretary. Many believe David Lammy was excellent as shadow foreign secretary but there has been speculation over what role he will get. The role could go to the returning former cabinet minister Douglas Alexander or even Ms Cooper.
The other big question is what will he do with Angela Rayner? His deputy leader will want a major role but Sir Keir has never been a fan and once tried to demote her. The issue now is whether she will get a deparment or a vague role across departments.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir will have to find two replacements for his front team after shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire lost her seat to the Greens and Jonathan Ashworth was a casualty of a pro-Gaza independent.
Shadow chief Treasury secretary Darren Jones has been impressive in the campaign and may get a more prominent role than Ms Reeves’ number two now an effective reshuffle is required.