In 1976, a Playboy model turned feminist sex-researcher called Shere Hite did hundreds of television and radio appearances promoting her book, The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality. She went on Good Night America dressed in a high-necked Victorian white silk blouse, huge faux-pearl earrings and matching necklace, her face framed by a cloud of apricot curls.

The host, Geraldo Rivera, grinning under his 1970s handlebar moustache, asked her to summarise her book’s findings. “Don’t get hung up, turned off or turned on by the explicit language,” he warned the audience. Hite outlined the great provocation of the work: “Intercourse doesn’t lead to orgasm for most women.”

Using a survey methodology, Hite found women required clitoral stimulation to orgasm. And while they knew about the clitoris because they masturbated, they rarely asked for it in straight sex. Instead, they gritted their teeth or faked it, the loudest way to be silent about sexual dissatisfaction.

To understand why, Hite held sex up to feminism, and found it was shot through with power and inequality. Society insisted that women – like men – should find their greatest pleasure in penetrative sex: the man penetrating, the woman penetrated. Hite declared: “Sex is sexist … Women’s sex lives clearly reflect their second-class position in society.”

The book exploded across the US. It was translated widely, became a bestseller in Japan, was banned in Brazil and smuggled into East Germany. To date 50 million copies have been sold, making it the 30th bestselling book of all time.

For a time Hite was everywhere, and everyone loved the book. Erica Jong, author of the sex-forward 1973 novel Fear of Flying wrote in the New York Review of Books: “Read The Hite Report if you want to know how sex really is right now.” The National Observer described it as a “bombshell”. Even Playboy praised her redefinition of orgasm from something that men “give” to women, to “something she works toward herself”.

As I found in my archival research for my recent book, The Book That Taught the World to Orgasm and then Disappeared: Shere Hite and the Hite Report, she received thousands of letters from readers.

Women wrote to her from the suburbs, praising her for the way the book made them feel normal. Men working in factories, on oil rigs, and in prison wrote to her too. This was often the first book about feminism they had ever read.

Anti-feminist backlash

Partly inspired by the plentiful fan mail, she began The Hite Report on Male Sexuality, which was published in 1981, but by this time, anti-feminist storm clouds were gathering on the horizon. Critic Philip Nobile argued in New York Magazine that she “whipped herself up into an antipatriarchal frenzy” and “totally neglects biology”. Men, Nobile claimed, were “naturally promiscuous”.

This biological explanation for social inequality was one from the New Right, a grassroots coalition of right-wing figures including televangelist Jerry Falwell and mega-church minister and bestselling apocalyptic sci-fi writer, Tim LaHaye who entangled biblical and scientific explanations to fight the forces of feminism.

Right-wing women too pushed biological explanations. Conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly and founder of conservative anti-feminist group Eagle Forum argued that “the man is orgasm oriented” while the “woman is engulfed in romanticism”.

The New Right also engaged in the politics of grievance, arguing that ordinary Americans had been left behind by civil rights and feminism. Any gains for feminists such as women working, especially in traditionally male professions, or improved laws and services around rape and domestic violence, were necessarily a loss for them.

This zero-sum explanation was particularly appealing at a time of economic downturn and unemployment which was caused by global oil crises, though as journalist Susan Faludi wrote in her now classic text Backlash, feminism got the blame.

Ronald Reagan upheld this view, remarking in a 1982 address on the state of the economy: “Part of the unemployment is not as much recession as it is the great increase in the people going into the job market and, ladies, I’m not picking on anyone, but because of the increase in women who are working today…”

Right wing forces of the 1980s resemble the right today; the loops and echoes are striking. The misogynists of the manosphere today misuse evolutionary psychology to argue that domination is men’s nature and deception and promiscuity are women’s. They also suggest that men’s natural instincts are curbed by a world beholden to feminist interests.

Trad wives – communities of right-wing,
“traditional wife” women who advocate through social media for hierarchical gender roles – also suggest that women are not biologically built for casual sex or paid work, but monogamy, baby-making and submission. Both right-wing women of the 1980s and trad wives now tend towards the conspiratorial. These right-wing women painted feminists as elites who had taken over the government by devious means.

They, contrarily, were “a little flock pitted against … the president, the federal bureaucracy, the mushrooming feminist organisations”, as Rosemary Thompson, director of Schlafley’s Eagle Forum put it.

Today trad wives sometimes incorporate an anticapitalist edge into their conspiracy theories. As one influencer claimed, feminism is a “lie corporations created to get more workers and more money”. In the 1980s as now, we see how ideas that began on the fringes of the political right became mainstream.

By 1987, when Hite published the third book in her trilogy, Women and Love, media vilification intensified. From the London Review of Books and the Washington Post to the New York Post and Penthouse, all reviewed her negatively. The tempest against feminism was in full swing.

Republican strategists had learned a lot from right-wing women and began to centre anti-feminism, gender and sexuality in their electoral platform alongside economic conservatism and national defence. Ronald Reagan’s victories owed a lot to these women and by 1987 he’d been in office for seven years, pushing anti-feminist politics widely.

Politics leaked into culture too. One of the bestselling books of the year was Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal and one of the most popular films was Fatal Attraction, where the feminist career woman “psycho” is literally killed off by the stay-at-home mom.

With Fox TV camped outside her house and the media becoming increasingly harassing, Hite fled from the US, settling in Europe until her death in 2020. Her work largely disappeared from public memory.

The story of Hite and The Hite Report helps us understand how one woman lived the backlash and how she came undone. This shows us that backlashes are not inevitable, but political, that there is often period of real progress, followed by a clampdown by those who want to maintain their power. Shere Hite’s story helps us all to see what they are up against.

This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org; if you click on one of the links and go on to buy something, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

By BOBBY MANZI, FOOTBALL REPORTER

Published: 19:03 BST, 25 July 2026 | Updated: 19:23 BST, 25 July 2026

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has shamelessly praised Argentina’s ‘professionalism’ in a tone-deaf letter to the nation’s FA – despite launching an investigation into their behaviour after losing the World Cup final against Spain.

While congratulatory letters are customary after the World Cup, with all three medal-winning nations receiving one from Infantino, his choice of words is questionable.

In the letter – first leaked by the Argentine media and since verified by Daily Mail Sport – sent to the President of the Argentine FA, Claudio Tapia, Infantino thanked Argentina for their impact on a successful World Cup and applauded their professionalism.

‘Dear Mr. President, Yesterday, Sunday, July 19, 2026, at the magnificent New York New Jersey Stadium, Argentina won the silver medal of the FIFA World Cup 2026, after an exciting final against Spain,’ Infantino said.

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‘I would like to reiterate my most sincere congratulations for this important new result for Argentine soccer.

‘The FIFA World Cup 2026 will remain in memory as an unforgettable celebration of football, marked by spectacular matches, the irruption of new promises, the presence of the great figures of the sport and the extraordinary atmosphere lived in stadiums full of fans.

Gianni Infantino handed Lionel Messi his silver medal alongside President Trump

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Infantino watched the World Cup semi-final alongside Argentine FA Claudio Tapia

The Argentina squad turned their back as Spain lifted the World Cup trophy

 ‘The magnificent performance of the Albiceleste also contributed decisively to making this edition an exceptional event that captivated millions of football enthusiasts around the world.

‘Please send my sincere congratulations to all who have contributed to this magnificent result: to the players, to coach Lionel Scaloni, as well as to the coaching and medical staff and, of course, to the many fans who have accompanied and encouraged the team throughout the competition.

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‘These victories are always the fruit of constant work, professionalism and attention to detail, but also of passion, commitment and love for this wonderful sport. All this augurs a very promising future and, without a doubt, will pave the way for new and great successes for Argentine football.

‘I wish you, dear Mr. President, all the best for the next competitions and I hope to see you again very soon. With all my friendship, Gianni Infantino.’

Argentina, who lost in extra-time in the final, frustrated opponents throughout the tournament with their anti-football style of play.

The 2022 winners failed to register a single shot on target in the final and following the defeat, they turned their backs as Luis de la Fuente’s side lifted the trophy.

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Leonardo Paredes attacked Eric Garcia in a post-match fracas that also appeared to involve Nahuel Molina, Thiago Almada and assistant coach Roberto Ayala – an incident FIFA are investigating.

The final itself was packed with controversy. Lionel Messi attempted to con referee Slavko Vincic into sending Marc Cucurella off after the Spain defender covered his mouth while speaking to the official. Argentina had attempted a similar tactic on Jude Bellingham during their semi-final against England.

In that semi-final victory, Argentina were also guilty of frequent simulation and gamesmanship in a provocative display.

They also drew complaints from British dignitaries after celebrating with a banner reading ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’, which translates as ‘The Falklands are Argentine’.

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Newcastle fans have paid tribute to Kevin Keegan with an extraordinary sea of flowers outside St James’ Park. 

The grounds outside the stadium are awash with floral bouquets, Newcastle shirts and a huge banner celebrating ‘The Messiah’. 

The legendary football player and manager died this week aged 75 following a stage four cancer battle. 

His diagnosis was first revealed in January but his family announced with ‘immense sadness’ that he passed away on Monday. 

Newcastle fans paid hundreds of tributes to the club’s former manager at St James’ Park on Saturday as the Magpies drew 1-1 away against Gateshead this afternoon in their first fixture since his death.

Before the match, the team held a minute’s silence to honour the man nicknamed ‘Mighty Mouse’.

Dozens of fans were pictured laying flowers alongside Newcastle shirts and scarves around the outside of the ground.

Newcastle bosses are reportedly in discussions with Liverpool, their first opponents of the new season, to ensure Keegan’s ‘memory is marked fittingly before the game’. 

The football icon died on Monday following a short battle with stage four stomach cancer, for which he had begun treatment in Janaury 

One fan left a heartfelt message along with a vintage Magpies shirt and a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale 

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Kevin Keegan attends a team warm up before the Premier League match at St James’ Park against Middlesbrough in 2008

Keegan made 230 appearances and scored 68 goals for Liverpool during his six-year stint at the club between 1971 and 1977. 

On Wednesday, as the Magpies head down south to play away against Bristol City, Keegan’s image will be shown on screens around the stadium during the seventh minute in a nod to the number he wore during his playing career. 

Fans have been encouraged to give him applause during this time. 

And next month, on August 15 and 16, when Newcastle men’s team will face Bayer Leverkusen and Strasbourg and the women’s side will play Inter Milan, Keegan’s image will again be shown during the seventh minute. 

It comes amid growing calls for a statue honouring Keegan to be erected outside Newcastle’s stadium.

Meanwhile others have said the East Stand at St James’ Park should be renamed after him.  

The former forward and two-time Ballon d’Or winner made 63 appearances for England during his playing career, while spending his club career Scunthorpe United, Liverpool, Hamburg, Southampton and Newcastle United. 

One of the most famous moments of his managerial career came in 1996 when he infamously stated he would ‘love it if we beat’ Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. 

Keegan at the first day at the Boodles May Festival City Day at Chester Racecourse, in Cheshire

‘There’s only one Kevin Keegan,’ read one fan’s tribute on an England shirt left outside St James’ Park 

Flowers, shirts, scarfs and a huge banner honouring The Messiah were left outside the grounds on Saturday

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One supporter also left a copy of Keegan’s autobiography My Life In Football on the steps to the stadium

Alan Shearer led the tributes to Keegan after he passed away following a short battle with stage four stomach cancer in January, having been admitted to hospital with abdominal problems.

In a statement, his family said: ‘It is with immense sadness that we announce that Kevin Keegan has passed away at the age of 75. 

‘The former England player and manager had been battling cancer and was surrounded by his wife and daughters in his final moments.

‘Kevin, a double Ballon d’Or winner, was a much loved husband, father and grandfather. 

‘The family would like to thank Kevin’s incredible medical team for all their support. This is a hugely difficult time and they are requesting space and privacy.’

And following the tragic news, figures from across the footballing world were quick to pay their respects to Keegan, who represented Scunthorpe, Liverpool, Hamburg, Southampton and Newcastle and later managed the Magpies (twice), Fulham, England and Manchester City.

Newcastle legend Shearer said: ‘My Hero. My manager. My friend. Sleep easy Boss.’

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher added: ‘RIP Kevin Keegan. One of the greatest players this country has ever produced, trophies & goals galore, double Ballon d’Or winner shows he was an absolute giant of the English game.

Keegan is pictured here with former England and Newcastle legend Alan Shearer in 1999

One fan left a number seven ballon in reference to Keegan’s kit number during his playing career

Another supporter left framed artwork picturing the Mighty Mouse during his playing days 

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‘One of the most important men in making @LFC what it is today.’

Prince William, the official patron of The FA, said: ‘Incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Kevin Keegan.

‘A truly remarkable footballer and manager who inspired generations with his talent, passion and love of the game.

‘Above all, he will be remembered as a kind and generous man. Our thoughts are with his family and all who knew him. W.’ 

Trevor Brooking said: ‘I am so very sad to hear the devastating news today about my friend and former team-mate Kevin Keegan.

‘My friendship with Kevin goes back many decades, to our playing days for England. We were lucky enough to develop a real understanding on the field of play and know what each other was thinking.

‘Kevin liked to run and find space on the pitch and I’d try to time my passes to give him the best chance to use his world-class skills to score

‘We roomed together on England duty and Kevin, with his bubbly character, was never shy of making jokes, often at my expense!

‘I recently met up for lunch with Kevin and Jean when they were visiting London. Although it had been a while since we’d last seen each other, we picked up our conversation as if it had been yesterday.

‘That afternoon, reminiscing about our footballing days, is one I will always treasure.’ 

Former England captain David Beckham posted: ‘Such a sad day to hear the passing of Kevin Keegan.

‘A man that was very kind to me and my family xx. Sending lots of love and thoughts to his family and friends.’

Several of Keegan’s former clubs also shared their own tribute, including Newcastle.

Taking to social media, they said: ‘We are devastated to learn of the passing of Kevin Keegan, one of the most iconic, influential and deeply loved figures in our club’s history.

‘Kevin was more than a legendary footballer and manager. He was the beating heart of Newcastle United for generations of supporters.’

Liverpool shared their own heartfelt post which read: ‘We are deeply saddened by the passing of the legendary Kevin Keegan and mourn his loss.

‘His indomitable spirit and remarkable contribution will be forever etched in our history and his legacy will live on. Rest in peace, Kevin. 1951-2026.’

Neil Gray said that decisions on how best to tackle the fire were taken on an “evidence basis” and the government “takes its lead from the emergency services in terms of our response.”

He said: “We’ve been very clear that all resources that could possibly be committed are being committed by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Gray added that the government had also approached the military to ask for additional helicopters having “exhausted all commercially available helicopters” but had not yet had a response.

The cabinet secretary continued that two helicopters were available on Saturay, and further helicopters would be available on Sunday.

He said these were coming from the commercial sector, and were covered by a contract that was led by the government body NatureScot.

The fire broke out near the village of Glenmore on Wednesday last week, and led to residents and campsites being evacuated.

It covered about six square kilometres of heather and small trees at its height, with more than 500 firefighters tackling it.

“More!?!” bellows the incredulous, pompous Mr Bumble, and a chase ensures through the dining room, Oliver running along the wooden trestle tables and scrabbling among the legs beneath them. “Catch him, snatch him, pick him up and bounce him…”

Mr Bumble, the workhouse master, marches Oliver through the dining room after he asked for more

It is a scene that could have played out in the dining room of the Ripon Workhouse Museum which reopened this week after a £2.8m redevelopment.

Dining room, Ripon Workhouse Museum, by Sarah Caldecott

With “God is Good” shouting down from the Ripon walls, there are wooden tables on the echoey flagstone floor, and separate doors through which the different classes of paupers entered – old male paupers, young male paupers, old women paupers, young women paupers.

Ripon Workhouse Museum, by Sarah Caldecott

While they shuffled gratefully in from their doors on the side walls, in the middle of the longest wall is the most important door: the one with “master” and “matron” marked on it. You can imagine Harry Secombe regally entering through it, cane in hand, and looking down on the poor, the sick, the widowed, the orphaned, the elderly and the poverty-stricken on the tables before him.

Dining room, Ripon Workhouse Museum, by Sarah Caldecott

A plate in the museum’s display tells what an old woman (that’s over 60 years of age) would have tucked into: one pint of tea and four ounces of bread for breakfast; one pint of soup and six ounces of bread for dinner, and one pint of porridge and four ounces of bread for supper.

“We want people to go round and imagine what it would be like to live here,” said community curator Dr Laura Allan.

“The stories of the real people who lived through extraordinary hardship challenge us to think about fairness, dignity and opportunity, both in Victorian Britain and today,” said Alexa Vernon, director of Ripon Museums Trust. “This was the Victorian solution for poverty: you worked 10 hours a day for no pay and were separated from your family in the hope that you would prefer to live a fine upstanding life outside.

“This is one of the most complete surviving workhouses in the country, and it is not just a local story: there were workhouses up and down the country.”

The gatehouse, Ripon Workhouse Museum, by Sarah Caldecott

From the late 16th Century, parishes were given the responsibility of looking after the poor, and Ripon’s first workhouse was built on the Allhallowgate site in 1776, with room for 30 people.

In 1834, the New Poor Law encouraged parishes to band together to create “union workhouses”, but Ripon refused to have anything to do with the new ideas from London until some extraordinary events in May 1852. In drink, John Adams, the master of the workhouse assaulted his wife, Jane Mary, the matron, and threatened to kill her.

Ripon Workhouse Museum

He was locked up in the House of Correction and she was ordered to leave their home in the workhouse grounds. She refused, and resisted when two Overseers of the Poor and the parish constable tried to evict her.

According to several Yorkshire newspapers, there were “disgraceful” scenes as her supporters gathered outside the workhouse gates. After 90 minutes, Jane Mary was physically thrown out but as she suffered injuries to her arm and neck, she prosecuted the three officials for assault. After a lengthy hearing, magistrates let the three men off but also dismissed the charges of violence against two of her supporters.

With the workhouse in chaos, Ripon had to adopt the new model of workhouses and built the institution that is now the museum – “erected AD1854” shouts the brickwork on the gatehouse at the visitor as they arrive.

The gatehouse also greeted the poor who, unable to cope in the outside world, threw themselves at its door in hope of relief.

“This was a place of last resort,” said Dr Allan. “To come here was utterly shameful. Only people who had no choice came here because it was the only form of government support.”

They were divided into paupers, who were local people who had fallen on hard times, and “vagrants” – the poor from elsewhere who lived their lives on the road.

The vagrants’ bathroom, Ripon Workhouse Museum, by Sarah Caldecott

Vagrants were given a bath (water changed every third wash) and two nights in a cell, overseen by a Tramp Major, with gruel and labour, before being turfed out to wander onto the next workhouse, possibly Northallerton.

The vagrants’ cells, Ripon Workhouse Museum, by Sarah Caldecott

Local paupers were admitted to the workhouse. They were held in quarantine for several days, to prevent them passing on germs, and passed through the “deinfestor”: they were washed and scrubbed, and their clothes were “stoved”, or baked, to kill off any lice.

Then they were separated into their classes, by age and gender, and sent to their wing.

Workhouses were there for the “deserving poor” – children, widows, orphans, disabled – but conditions were so tough that the “undeserving poor” – the able bodied who didn’t work for reasons including alcoholism, mental problems, learning difficulties, army veterans or “moral degeneracy” – would not want to go in.

They were overseen by a board of guardians, composed of local male bigwigs, and as the cost was borne by local ratepayers, who were largely local male bigwigs, budgets were meagre.

“They wanted to spend as little money as possible and it was about managing the problem rather than helping people escape from poverty,” said Dr Allan.

A woman’s work, Ripon Workhouse Museum, by Sarah Caldecott

For 10 hours a day, they did their tasks: breaking stones for road-mending, chopping wood, picking oakum – taking the strands out of old rope so they could be re-wound into new. Men worked in the garden and the piggery while women helped in the laundry and mended uniforms.

They came together at mealtimes, entering the dining room through their different doors, but even families were not allowed socialise.

The master’s house flanked by the wards and dormitories of the residents at Ripon Workhouse Museum, by Sarah Caldecott

In the middle of the workhouse complex was the master and matron’s house – a comfortable middle class abode with its own garden and a piano (which museum visitors are encouraged to play). It’s rather when the contestant has lost at the end of the TV quiz show Bullseye when the curtain is pulled back to reveal the star prize that they could have won had the lottery of life dealt the cards differently – the happy notes of someone else’s piano drifting across the oakum-pickers in the day yard must have been especially galling.

An accident of history has meant that Ripon’s workhouse has survived almost intact – although £2.5m from the National Lottery and other grants have been necessary to save its fabric and interpret its stories – and also its registers survive, allowing tantalising insights into the lives of the working class people who used it.

“Workhouses are complex places, they are not all good, they are not all bad,” said Dr Allan, who hails from Spennymoor. “There are stories of hardship and poverty but there are also stories of resilience and hope.”

The classroom where children got three hours of education a day before going to work at Ripon Workhouse Museum, by Sarah Caldecott

In July 1900, most newspapers, including The Northern Echo, told the story of Hannah Wade who had died aged 95 after spending 60 or so years in the workhouse.

Research suggests that she was actually born Ann Wade in 1803, and she regularly features in the registers, where she is described as an imbecile or a lunatic who costs three shillings a week to maintain.

The 1864 register describes her as “an idiot, not dangerous to herself or others, not of dirty habits, and has been of unsound mind from birth”, although the D&S Times’ obituary in 1900 is more kindly, saying “she had a retentive memory, and being bright and cheerful, was always ready to entertain visitors with old stories of Ripon”.

The workhouse archives also show how they evolved over the course of the 19th Century.

“In the 1880s, the first women were allowed to become guardians and we can see a change,” said Dr Allan. “In the 1890s, the children said they were sick of eating porridge and Mrs Lee proposed giving them bread and jam. The male guardians said no but the other female guardians voted for it.”

Ripon Union Workhouse female inmates

Workhouses faded out in the 20th Century as the first pensions were introduced and labour exchanges were set up to help people find work.

“These changes meant the only people in here were elderly and sick, especially as workhouses were seen as not the right place for young children who were sent to orphanages, and so conditions begin to soften with more leisure time and central heating,” says Dr Allan. “In 1930, the board of guardians was abolished and the workhouse became known as the ‘public assistance institution’. It becomes more like a care home, although it is still run by a master and matron until 1948 when the NHS is introduced.”

In the kitchen, Ripon Workhouse Museum, by Sarah Caldecott

Ripon’s workhouse was council offices until in 2017 it was bought by the Ripon Museum Trust and this week’s reopening marks its transformation into a visitor attraction. The independent trust also runs the police and prisons museum and the courthouse museum, which volunteers saved when the working lives of the Victorian buildings came to an end.

In the cellar with the carcase drop and the butchery table, Ripon Workhouse Museum, by Sarah Caldecott

This means the city has a unique triumvirate of museums that tell the story of poverty, crime and punishment which is to be found in the family tree of nearly all of us, and many of the inhabitants of the workhouse would also have been familiar with the courthouse and the prison.

“People are really interested in these stories of ordinary people,” says Dr Adams. “Dickens brought these stories to life in Oliver Twist – they are a bit grimy and dark in places but they fascinate people.”

• The museums of Ripon are open from 10am to 4pm daily. Admission to all three for a year is £19 for an adult, or to just the new workhouse is £11. Full details at riponmuseums.co.uk

By JOE ROSSITER, REPORTER

Published: 16:55 BST, 25 July 2026 | Updated: 18:56 BST, 25 July 2026

Andy Burnham was out for a jog near his northern home today as more migrants crossed the Channel two days after 165 arrived on a single boat.

Clad in a yellow Adidas Boston Marathon T-shirt from 2019, the new Prime Minister bobbed along the road near his home in Warrington, Cheshire, as pressure mounted on him to break his immigration silence.

More than 500 small-boat migrants arrived in the first week of Mr Burnham’s premiership, according to Home Office data released during the PM’s unveiling of his No10 North ‘gimmick’ 300 miles away from Westminster.

Today two men thought to be migrants arrived in the UK after rowing a tiny dinghy across the Channel.

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Pictures showed the boat arriving at the Border Security Command compound in Dover, Kent, after it was reported they were rescued by the RNLI during their attempt.

Their crossing came two days after a record 165 migrants crossed the water in a single boat, dubbed a ‘mega-dinghy’.

Estimated at around 13m (42ft) long, it was the same length as a standard bus.

Border Security Command towed the boat as it arrived in Dover on Thursday afternoon.

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Andy Burnham was out for a jog near his home in Warrington, Cheshire, on Saturday

But he faced mounting pressure to break his silence on immigration after migrants continued to flood in from the Channel during his first week in office

A dinghy used by people thought to have been migrants lay on the quayside at Border Security Command in Dover, Kent

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Some 103 people arrived on Friday after crossing in two boats on Friday, bringing the year’s total to 13,110.

Mr Burnham has been criticised for his failure to mention immigration once during his first week in No10 despite the issue topping a string of recent voter priority polls.

Instead he has focused on lowering bills and bus fares while calling the launch of his Northern Whitehall operation the ‘best day of my life’.

But Reform UK leader Nigel Farage branded the Labour leader ‘open borders Burnham’ and said he ‘will do nothing to stop the illegal and dangerous invasion of our country, he won’t even mention it’.

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Labour peer Lord Glasman called on the new Prime Minister to take a more ‘aggressive’ approach on the Channel crisis.

He said: ‘What’s happening here is absolutely outrageous. I’ve been in favour for a long time of putting the Royal Navy in the Channel and literally stopping the boats… we’ve got to have a much more aggressive policy towards the French government.’

The arrivals came after figures showed small-boat migrants accounted for just 7 per cent of deportations last year, suggesting most are not deported.

More than 500 small-boat migrants have arrived in Burnham’s first week, with one 13m-long ‘mega-dinghy’ carrying 165 people

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The number of arrivals so far this year – more than 13,000 – is over 40 per cent down on last year

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Wednesday’s tally of 172 migrants came on three boats, as did Thursday’s total of 366. That means on Thursday, a staggering average of 122 people were packed on each of the three vessels.

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But the 165 packed on to the ‘mega-dinghy’ smashed the previous single-boat record of 128.

More than 77,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel since Labour’s election victory in July 2024. Since records began in 2018, arrivals total more than 200,000.

While the number of arrivals so far this year – more than 13,000 – is over 40 per cent down on last year, experts believe crossings could go up again.

Wednesday’s crossings were the first recorded since July 10, which experts said was partly because of windy weather and choppier waters.

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A Home Office spokesman said yesterday: ‘Removals of small-boat migrants are at record levels and asylum claims down by 12 per cent.’

Liverpool and Sunderland meet in the US in a pre-season clash ahead of the new Premier League campaign

The Andoni Iraola era at Liverpool gets up and running tonight when the Reds take on Sunderland in a pre-season friendly.

Arne Slot’s title defence did not go to plan last season and Anfield chiefs decided to part ways with the Dutchman, just 12 months after he lifted the Premier League trophy.

Former Bournemouth boss Iraola is the man charged to bring back winning ways on Merseyside and his first test of the summer comes against the Black Cats in Tennessee.

He will do so without three big players, with Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate having left the club during the off season.

The Reds will round off their American tour with games against Leeds United and Wrexham before Anfield matches against Monaco and Como.

But first it’s the Wearsiders, who kicked off their own summer campaign with a 5-1 win over York City.

Here is everything you need to know.

What time is Liverpool v Sunderland?

Liverpool v Sunderland kicks off at 11pm BST on Saturday, July 25, at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee.

Olivia Attwood gets a tattoo on her ring finger after posting about her ‘up and down year’ on Instagram on Friday following ex Bradley Dack‘s outing with new romance. 

The former Love Island star, who split from footballer Bradley in January, threw a lavish party on the roof of her building to launch her new drink venture. 

And during the bash, Olivia had a tattoo artist on hand and asked for an inking on her wedding ring finger. 

She was filmed during the inking and said while pointing to herself: ‘Who has a tattoo artist on their penthouse launch for their own drinks launch?’

Elsewhere on social media after the bash, Olivia said she is ‘grateful’ for the support as she opened up about her ‘up and down year’ following her marriage split. 

She wrote: ‘I’m exactly who I wanted to be when I grew up. After such a weird up and down year everything feels like it’s just starting to fall into place. 

‘Thank you so much to everyone who came out to party and for all of you for always getting in my corner. Grateful.’ 

The former Love Island star, who split from footballer Bradley in January, threw a lavish party and had a tattoo artist on hand and asked for an inking on her wedding ring finger

Olivia’s bash came as her ex Bradley Dack was pictured with his ex-girlfriend, bringing fresh fuel to claims he was unfaithful during their marriage. You can read Katie Hind’s full story here.

In a recent Instagram post, Olivia shared that she is plotting ‘world domination’ after launching her drinks brand. 

She also has partnerships with Maybelline, Garnier, Tatti Lashes and LOOK Fantastic to name a few. 

Her podcast, Olivia’s House, is also generating its own revenue stream with episode sponsorship. 

As for TV, she is said to have earned £350,000 for each of her series with ITV, which includes Getting Filthy Rich, The Price Of Perfection and Bad Boyfriends.

Olivia shared an insight into her everyday life on Instagram on Monday, declaring she ‘works herself to death’. 

She said: ‘Let me tell you a secret. I don’t like getting up at 5am, I don’t like going to the gym at 6am but I do it because it makes me less of a c***.

‘And as you girls can see, I’m actually attempting world domination at the moment, so I need to be as less of a c*** as physically possible.

‘I’m back shooting with Maybelline today, which also just feels like a dream come true. Like, how am I shooting with Maybelline? Is this real life?’

She added: ‘My baby Savano launched this week, it’s a canned cocktail company and you guys have been selling us out already so we’re going to get more stock, it’s going to come back into Sainsbury’s but right now you can shop it online on Amazon.

‘So this week, to celebrate the birth of my first child, I’m going to celebrate with a party. Of course, it’s what I do, have a party every other week.

‘Watch this space because I think I’ve taken on slightly more than I can f****** chew. And speaking of taking on more than I can chew, I work myself to death so my dog can have a paddling pool on the roof of her penthouse.’

Elsewhere on social media after the bash, Olivia said she is ‘grateful’ for the support as she opened up about her ‘up and down year’ following her marriage split

Olivia finished: ‘I do need to get an early night because tomorrow is another day of shooting, scheming world domination which I need to do on a full night’s sleep.’

Just last year, Olivia revealed she received multiple offers from US bosses, making her plans to crack America possible.

She told the Daily Mail: ‘Love Island is huge in America, the UK one, so I feel really lucky there was already quite a large US audience on my Instagram, they are definitely happy to have the shows available, also in Australia as well. 

‘I’m very happy with my career as it is right now. I mean I’ve had offers, I’m not looking to jump ship right now, but yes, at some point I’m sure we’ll do something over there.’

Pete Wicks, 37, set the internet ablaze last week when he made his relationship with Olivia Instagram official with a string of loved-up snaps from their trip together.

Olivia has joked that she and Pete were the ‘worst kept secret’ after they were caught kissing and cuddling on several occasions, following her split from her ‘husband’ Bradley Dack at the start of the year. 

And just hours later, Pete posted loved-up pictures of them all over each other on their holiday, marking the first time he has ever publicly shared a relationship online. 

Selby firefighters went to the aid of a person who had fallen inside  a property and couldn’t get up at 8.40am. Crew members used their strength to lift the uninjured person who was left in the care of family members.

In Tadcaster, crews put out a fire in a skip using a hose reel jet at Station Road at 9.30am.

In Ripon, a fire alarm activation at 9.43am turned out to be a false alarm at Boroughbridge Road due to a fault in the system.

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Drivers warned of road closures in and around York on Monday

Multiple signals had been received, but on investigation, it was found to be a false alarm.

A Whitby crew helped a person who had fallen behind a door in a property on Byland Road, and was able to get back up just after 11am.

They gained entry using small tools and bolt cutters and helped the person, who was then left in the care of carers.

In Sherburn in Elmet, Tadcaster firefighters assisted the Yorkshire Ambulance Service with the difficult extrication of a casualty, who was left in the care of paramedics.

In Scarborough, a wooden board that had blown from nearby scaffolding hit the roof of a ground-floor kitchen on North Marine Road.

The board was removed, and advice was given to the homeowners.

A report of black smoke in the open in Stainsacre, Whitby, turned out to be controlled burning, which had been extinguished before the fire service’s arrival.

In Blenheim Terrace, Scarborough, numerous people raised the alarm about a fire to grass measuring approximately 5m x 5m was extinguished by crews. The cause of the fire is believed to be deliberate.

In William Plows Avenue, York, a fire alarm activation in a residential property was found to be a false alarm due to cooking fumes.

In Tadcaster, a fire in the open at the rear of a property, measuring approximately 10m x 5m, was extinguished by crews using a hose reel jet.