Unlike many news organisations, The Independent is free from political bias and the influence of shareholders or commercial interests. Built on the principles of respecting its readers and trusting its journalists, the title, founded in 1986, has never been more relevant than it is today, amid the growing threats of political and corporate spin, fake news and populism. We continue to hold the powerful to account, defend the truth, and rebuild trust in journalism.

We need your support to continue this work.

The Independent has always respected and listened to its readers. Now we can invite you to be more involved than ever.

We will be hosting debates and inviting you to meet our leading journalists — with free tickets for Independent Premium members. Members will also be able to post comments in exclusive discussion threads, which our journalists will also join. You can also make your voice heard by telling us what you want to read about in the new Ask The Independent feature.

Enjoy exclusive features every day from award-winning Independent journalists and guest contributors, across subjects as diverse as politics, sport, lifestyle and foreign affairs, with a new advertising-free design.

You can also choose to receive exclusive emails presenting the highlights of the week.

And each month, we will offer you a free ebook from our expanded library.