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Kate Devlin

@_katedevlin8.4K followers

Northern (Irish) powerhouse. Whitehall Editor, The Independent.

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Last Front PageMAY 21, 2026Latest appearance

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Outrage as Starmer eases sanctions on 'dirty Russian oil'

Badenoch leads condemnation of 'insane' move to allow imports of Putin's fuel refined in third countries in order to ease prices as Ukrainian MP says it puts question mark over friendship with Kyiv

View Front PageThe Independent • MAY 21, 2026

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Outrage as Starmer eases sanctions on 'dirty Russian oil'

Badenoch leads condemnation of 'insane' move to allow imports of Putin's fuel refined in third countries in order to ease prices as Ukrainian MP says it puts question mark over friendship with Kyiv

With:David Maddox,Athena Stavrou

The Independent•MAY 21, 2026•Lead Story

The paper leads with political backlash against Keir Starmer's government for relaxing sanctions on Russian oil refined elsewhere, highlighting criticism from the opposition and concerns from Ukraine.

No10 accused of plot to derail Burnham by-election hopes

Insiders fear Downing Street will offer lukewarm support in Makerfield campaign but Starmer insists he’ll back any candidate – as IMF warns that any Labour leader must stick to fiscal rules to avoid market chaos

With:Millie Cooke,David Maddox

The Independent•MAY 19, 2026•Lead Story

The paper highlights alleged internal tensions within the Labour Party, focusing on claims that the central leadership might passively undermine a prominent regional mayor's return to parliament.

Streeting accused of starting ‘Brexit wars’ in leadership fight

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy attacks ‘odd’ call by Wes Streeting for Britain to rejoin EU as Labour prepares for by-election in Leave seat – and says Starmer must make ‘personal decision’ whether to stay and enter contest

The Independent•MAY 18, 2026•Lead Story

The paper frames the story as an outbreak of internal factionalism, highlighting specific public criticism from one cabinet minister toward another regarding electoral strategy.

Challenge Starmer by Monday or I will, warns Labour MP

London MP Catherine West issues ultimatum to the cabinet to move against Keir Starmer's leadership or risk 'Prime Minister Farage' – as Gordon Brown is brought back in bid to calm anger in party after disastrous local election results

With:David Maddox

The Independent•MAY 10, 2026•Lead Story

The paper frames the local election results as triggering an immediate leadership crisis within the governing party. It prominently features a specific backbench ultimatum to underscore the fragility of the Prime Minister's position, contrasting this rebellion with his attempts to project institutional stability.

Row over Starmer’s call for ban on Palestine protests

Government’s own independent adviser on antisemitism says outlawing peaceful marches would be ‘unconscionable’ after Labour leader suggests demonstrations should be prevented in some ‘instances’ to combat rising antisemitic violence

The Independent•MAY 3, 2026•Lead Story

The paper frames the Prime Minister's proposal as politically contentious by centering the opposition from his own government's advisory circles and describing the situation as a 'row'.

Top official reveals how Indy triggered Mandelson panic

Cabinet Office chief Cat Little confirms government scrambled to get details of Mandelson’s vetting just days after this paper – more than seven months ago – reported disgraced peer had failed security checks

With:Millie Cooke

The Independent•APR 24, 2026•Lead Story

The paper highlights its own role in prompting a government reaction to a security vetting issue, using parliamentary testimony to validate its previous reporting. The framing emphasizes political mismanagement and internal communication failures within the administration regarding what senior figures knew and when.

No 10 secretly sought ambassador role for disgraced Starmer ally

In explosive evidence to MPs, sacked civil servant says Downing Street pressured Foreign Office into not only approving Mandelson but also finding diplomatic job for aide later suspended over links to paedophile

The Independent•APR 22, 2026•Lead Story

The paper leads with select committee testimony to frame Downing Street as having inappropriately bypassed standard procedures to reward political allies. The focus is squarely on the alleged secrecy and the subsequent disgrace of the aide involved.

PM ‘misled MPs’ over Mandelson security vetting

Starmer faces calls to quit as it’s revealed disgraced peer failed background checks but was still given top job after Foreign Office overturned decision – despite PM’s claim ‘all due process’ was followed and that he’d been cleared by security services

The Independent•APR 17, 2026•Lead Story

The paper focuses heavily on political accountability, centring the accusation that the Prime Minister provided false reassurances to Parliament. The framing directs attention toward the procedural bypasses and the resulting calls for resignation.

PM: I will not yield to Trump. Reeves: War was a mistake

Starmer vows he won't get 'dragged into' Trump's war after president says he might cancel UK trade deal over lack of support - as chancellor risks further US anger and retribution by criticising conflict that has 'not made world a safer place'

The Independent•APR 16, 2026•Lead Story

The paper focuses on domestic political defiance against international pressure, framing the UK government's stance as a firm refusal to join a US-led military action. It highlights the diplomatic rift and the willingness to absorb economic threats from an ally.

Trump’s Iran war puts world on the brink of recession

IMF warns Britain will be worst-hit major economy in a damning assessment of the conflict’s impact on global finance – as Tehran considers halting its oil shipments in Strait of Hormuz to bring the US back to the negotiating table

The Independent•APR 15, 2026•Lead Story

The paper leads with the economic consequences of a geopolitical conflict, specifically highlighting the IMF's warning regarding the UK's vulnerability. The framing connects US foreign policy directly to domestic financial risk.

Streeting: I won't give in to 'absurd' striking doctors

Writing in The Independent, health secretary accuses NHS resident doctors of ‘not being serious about reaching an agreement’ over his 4.9% pay offer – and warns that their proposed six-day strike could cost taxpayers £250m

The Independent•APR 3, 2026•Lead Story

The paper directly platforms the health secretary's exclusive op-ed, framing the impending doctors' strike primarily through the government's lens of fiscal cost and union unreasonableness. It highlights his characterisation of the demands as 'absurd' without immediately offering a counter-perspective in the display copy.

Trump: I'll bomb Iran back into Stone Age... and I may quit Nato

In his wildest pronouncements yet, president claims he’s considering ceasefire offer from Iran – which it denies – but he’ll continue to bomb it until Strait of Hormuz is open... and he’s poised to remove US from ‘paper tiger’ alliance

With:Millie Cooke,James C. Reynolds

The Independent•APR 2, 2026•Lead Story

The paper presents the US president's statements as extreme and erratic, explicitly labelling them his 'wildest pronouncements yet'. The framing focuses on the destabilising impact of his rhetoric on both global security and traditional western alliances.

About this page

Paperboy tracks bylines on the front pages of major US and UK broadsheets. This page shows every front-page story attributed to Kate Devlin in our archive, based on bylines extracted from front-page images by AI. It covers only front-page stories — not the full output of this journalist. Data begins April 2026.