6 h. ago The lesson for Labour? Until it can improve local lives and stop fearing Farage, more losses are coming | Polly Toynbee

Rapid, highly visible action in communities and a forthright attack on the new right – that is what’s needed nowIf you thought these elections were bad, just wait for the locals next May. Expect far worse for Labour, unless they act fast. As they tussle over which way to turn, left or right, stop and consider what’s ahead. They will be challenged by Reform UK in towns such as Barnsley, while their progressive city heartlands will be ravaged by Greens, Liberal Democrats, and pro-Palestine and other independents. Expect shocks in London boroughs that have been forever Labour. (Worth recalling that amid Labour’s landslide, Keir Starmer’s vote share in Holborn and St Pancras dropped by 17% in the general election when challenged by a pro-wealth tax radical.) With council elections in a third of seats in English cities, expect an eruption of local leftward rebellions.Those around Starmer may well be misidentifying the threat that matters most. Heavy vote losses to Lib Dems and Greens in ...

Politics

61 h. ago King Charles unable to speak to Prince Harry over fear of media leak, royal insider claims: Live

Duke of Sussex reveals his father currently ‘won’t speak to me’ because of legal battle over his UK security

Politics

61 h. ago Peggy lived in fear nightly as German bombers roared overhead. Then, on the day she turned ten in 1945, peace in Europe was declared, giving her the best birthday EVER

Celebrations and parties were almost unheard of for the youngster, born in 1935, who had little memory of anything other than the daily trials of living through the Second World War.

Events

3 d. ago English local elections live: Farage says ‘it’s the beginning of the end of the Conservative party’ after sweeping Reform triumphs

Starmer acknowledges ‘disappointing’ results as Badenoch says it was ‘always going to be a very difficult set of elections’Local elections: full mayoral and council resultsStarmer under fire from Labour MPs after Runcorn lossIs Farage’s quest to rid Reform of ‘amateurism’ paying off?Reform UK has won three of the first five wards declared at Northumberland County Council, with Labour and the Conservatives picking up one each, PA reports.There are 67 seats on the council, with the Conservatives defending 33, Labour 18, the Liberal Democrats four and Greens two, while there were 10 independent councillors. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago English local elections live: Starmer and Badenoch downbeat as Reform continues success with council victories

PM acknowledges ‘disappointing’ results as Tory leader says it was ‘always going to be a very difficult set of elections’Local elections: full mayoral and council resultsStarmer under fire from Labour MPs after Runcorn lossIs Farage’s quest to rid Reform of ‘amateurism’ paying off?Reform UK has won three of the first five wards declared at Northumberland County Council, with Labour and the Conservatives picking up one each, PA reports.There are 67 seats on the council, with the Conservatives defending 33, Labour 18, the Liberal Democrats four and Greens two, while there were 10 independent councillors. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago English local elections live: Starmer and Badenoch downbeat as Reform say they are main opposition after byelection victory

PM acknowledges ‘disappointing’ results as Tory leader says it was ‘always going to be a very difficult set of elections’Local elections: full mayoral and council resultsStarmer under fire from Labour MPs after Runcorn lossIs Farage’s quest to rid Reform of ‘amateurism’ paying off?Reform UK has won three of the first five wards declared at Northumberland County Council, with Labour and the Conservatives picking up one each, PA reports.There are 67 seats on the council, with the Conservatives defending 33, Labour 18, the Liberal Democrats four and Greens two, while there were 10 independent councillors. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Mushroom trial LIVE updates: Estranged husband reveals why he feared Erin Patterson was 'using' him

Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial.

Politics

6 d. ago Education inspectors call for string of improvements at Dumfries school

The team from Education Scotland have described aspects of St Teresa’s Primary as "weak" and want to see an improvement in the "quality of learning, teaching and assessment".

Politics

8 d. ago Playboy twins feared they'd end up dead like Anna Nicole Smith after lives 'crumbled' following 'traumatic' years in Hugh Hefner mansion

Former Playboy playmates Karissa and Kristina Shannon have admitted they feared they would end up dead like tragic Anna Nicole Smith in their first interview in six years. 

Events

8 d. ago I used to laugh at my Chilean father’s paranoia about life in the US – not any more

Having fled here from Chile after Pinochet seized power in 1973 my father feared the state’s arbitrary power to turn lives upside down. His outlook has never felt more relevant“Don’t open the door to nobody,” my father warned throughout my childhood – right up until the day he died. He trusted no politicians, no organized religion and definitely no strangers knocking unannounced.Lately, his words echo louder than ever. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Crass Rangers TV dig heard by millions is called out as Hotline claims Celtic fans live in fear of rivals

Craig Swan heard from partying punters and those singing the blues in equal measure

Politics

9 d. ago She should have been able to trust him but instead 'lived in fear' every day

Ben Carr has now been locked up

Politics

1 week ago Rachel Reeves live: Economists fear more tax hikes in autumn Budget after UK borrowing soars

Rachel Reeves is preparing for crucial talks with her US counterpart as she pushes to secure a trade deal

Economics

1 week ago Trump’s tariffs spark global recession fears as White House hints at trade deal with China: Live updates

The International Monetary Fund downgraded growth in nearly all countries amid ongoing uncertainty from the Trump administration’s trade policy

Economics

2 w. ago Hell is not other people – it’s being stuck in the ninth circle of an automated telephone service | Hilary Freeman

Tuvalu is celebrating its first ATM, but here’s a warning from the UK, where human contact has been lost to the self-service age Life is about to change on the remote island nation of Tuvalu. And not, in my opinion, for the better. To great fanfare, Tuvalu – an entirely cash-based society – has unveiled its first ever ATM, marking its move towards financial modernisation. But while the 10,000 people living in that country may be celebrating no longer having to queue at the bank, I fear their happiness will be short-lived. It’s the start of the slow erosion of human contact that heralds the dehumanisation of yet another society.The world’s first ATM was introduced in Britain in 1967, but for me the tyranny of machines that promise convenience but erode human contact really began about 20 years ago, in the form of self-checkouts in our local Sainsbury’s. Having watched the Terminator movie franchise during my formative years, I railed prophetically against them, aware that it was just...

Politics

2 w. ago Gregory Porter: ‘My worst job? Shovelling exterminated rats’

The singer on a precious photograph of his mother, losing his brother and the wonders of cooking with butterBorn in California, Gregory Porter, 53, released his Grammy-nominated debut album, Water, in 2010. He went on to receive best jazz vocal album Grammys for Liquid Spirit in 2014 and Take Me to the Alley in 2017. He sang for Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee and was the first celebrity to sing a lullaby on CBeebies Bedtime Stories. Next week, he begins a UK tour. He is married with two children and lives in California.What is your greatest fear? Immunity to cruelty. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago M&S Invests Over £90m In London Stores, Bringing Seventeen New And Improved Stores and Creating 450 Local Jobs

M&S Invests Over £90m In London Stores, Bringing Seventeen New And Improved Stores and Creating 450 Local Jobs  Marks & Spencer

Economics

2 w. ago Asian shares sell off as US curbs on Nvidia chip sales to China fuel trade fears; UK inflation slows to 2.6% – business live

Gold surges nearly 2% to new record high; UK food inflation slows and fuel prices fall while clothes prices riseFinancial markets are betting on an interest rate cut from the Bank of England meeting at its May meeting, estimating an 86% probability.They have fully priced in three quarter-point rate reductions this year.A sharp pickup in inflation from April is all but guaranteed. Ofgem’s 6.4% increase to its price cap, after a large fall last year, means we expect the energy component will add 0.7ppts to CPI inflation in April. A significant increase in water bills means the contribution from the core goods category is also set to rise. In addition, we expect businesses to pass on some of the increase in labour costs caused by the recent rises in employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and the National Living Wage onto consumers. Inflation is likely to peak in the autumn, before starting to cool as the contribution from the energy category fades.The MPC has lowered Bank R...

Economics

2 w. ago Woman lived in fear of man who raped her, threw her on the floor and stamped on her head

Simon Morgan 'waged a campaign of violence and terror'

Events

2 w. ago Woman raped by man who threw her on the floor and stamped on her head

Simon Morgan 'waged a campaign of violence and terror'

Events