Sir Keir Starmer is facing growing calls to stand down after Friday’s disastrous local and devolved election results – the worst on record for the Labour party.

The prime minister has said he will not resign following the results, and in a fightback speech on Monday vowed to “face up to the big challenges ahead”.

But at least 78 Labour MPs have now called on Sir Keir to stand down and make way for a leadership contest. The list continues to grow throughout Monday with a wave of statements issued in the evening, as the prime minister remains defiant.

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Four ministerial aides also handed in their resignation amid the chaos, including Joe Morris, a ministerial aide to Wes Streeting, widely considered a potential leadership contender.

Tom Rutland, a PPS to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds and Cabinet Office PPS Naushabah Khan also resigned while calling on Sir Keir to step down.

Both former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and health secretary Streeting are seen as potential leadership contenders, although both are yet to make a move against the prime minister.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is also seen as candidate, although he is still not an MP after Sir Keir prevented him from becoming Labour’s candidate in February’s Gorton and Denton by-election.

On Sunday, Ms Rayner said that Labour’s approach “isn’t working, and it needs to change”, adding that the party should not have blocked Mr Burnham from attempting to become an MP.

Labour MP Catherine West called on cabinet members over the weekend to challenge Sir Keir by Monday, threatening to start formally gathering names to trigger a contest.

After Sir Keir’s speech on Monday morning, in which he vowed to prove doubters wrong and would not “walk away”, Ms West backed down from leadership bid, but urged Labour MPs to call on the prime minister to set out a timetable for his resignation by September.

The growing list of Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) members who have spoken out against the prime minister goes beyond the list of usually vocal opponents, echoing the 100-plus strong rebellion over welfare cuts that the cabinet faced last July.

Among them are former transport secretary Louise Haigh, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and veteran MP Barry Gardiner.

Labour was elected with 411 seats at the 2024 general election – a 174-seat majority – marking the best performance for the party since 2001. With this many sitting MPs, it technically becomes harder for a leadership challenge to be launched against the prime minister, as 20 per cent of these members would be needed to nominate a contender, which translates to 81 MPs.

However, with the figure of Labour MPs voicing their calls publicly, it will be cause for huge concern within Downing Street.

The fire at a recycling centre was first reported just before 9.00pm on Sunday

More than 80 firefighters have worked to bring a blaze in Co Down under control.

The fire at a recycling centre on Hillsborough Road in Carryduff was first reported just before 9.00pm on Sunday.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said crews worked tirelessly throughout to contain the fire and prevent further spread.

At the height of the blaze more than 80 firefighters and personnel were involved in the response, with appliances from across Northern Ireland, including from a pump from Whitla fire station and two water tankers from Warrenpoint and Pomeroy.

Two aerial appliances from Knock and Springfield fire stations were used alongside specialist rescue teams from Central fire station and a command support unit from Lisburn.

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental ignition.

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The new 5.4 kilometre ‘Whitespots Line’ is expected to open in a few weeks

A new greenway is almost ready for opening in County Down.

Officials at Ards and North Down Borough Council have briefed elected representatives that a stretch of greenway between Newtownards and Bangor is near completion, and will soon be ready for public footfall.

The new Whitespots Line of the Comber Greenway, a 5.4 kilometre active travel route linking Newtownards and Bangor, is expected to open at the end of May or the start of June this year.

READ MORE: Bangor seafront spot to be bulldozed for carpark despite thousands of objections

READ MORE: Recycling centres across Ards and North Down to open extra hours in summer months

In March the Stormont Department for Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmons visited the greenway and was met with a group of students from the West Winds Primary school who came along on their bikes. The PSNI joined the event, as well as councillors, council officers and the Deputy Mayor.

The Greenway contractor Charles Brand Ltd has completed sections at the Floodgates Park, Bangor Road to SERC, Green Road through Breezemount and Londonderry Park. Remaining sections still being finished are Breezemount to Drumhirk Way, Drumhirk Way to Ark Farm/The Somme/Whitespots, the rear of Belvedere, and the Floodwall over to Ballyrickard Waste Water Treatment Works.

A council officer report for the Ards North Down Environment Committee states: “Welcome signage and wayfinding signage is currently being produced and will be installed in due course. The branding follows the design of existing sections of the Comber Greenway in Comber, Dundonald and Belfast. A map is also being produced for installation at key entry points and will be added to the website also when finalised. The planting, fencing and addition of bins and benches is also being finalised.”

A new Comber to Newtownards section, planned to connect to the existing Comber Greenway, was granted approval in January 2025.

The council report refers to this plan, stating: “The discussions to connect the Greenway from the section at Ballyrickard Waste Water Treatment Works through Comber to connect with the existing Comber Greenway are ongoing. A planning application to deliver the section along the A21 is still required. Draft drawings are currently with DFI for its input prior to the submission of the planning application for that one missing section.”

A feasibility study for a proposed Green Road to Donaghadee Greenway will be forwarded later this year.

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New plans have been submitted to Redcar and Cleveland Council for 20 new one and two-bedroom flats on the site of the former Empire Theatre in Loftus.

Located at the corner of Deepdale Road and Cowscote Crescent, the long-derelict building would be demolished to make way for the new homes, which would include parking.

The scheme includes a single three-storey apartment building, designed to take advantage of the sloping site by partially setting the lower ground floor into the ground.

This approach ensures that the development does not appear overly dominant within the street scene.

The site has a long history dating back to 1911 when it first opened as the Empire Palace of Varieties, hosting variety shows and early cinema screenings.

Rebuilt and expanded in 1937, it became known as the Empire Theatre and later operated as the Regent Bingo Club.

In 1977, it briefly returned to life as a cinema before closing in 1983.

The building has since been used for storage, but has remained derelict for many years.

A statement from Origin Planning Services, on behalf of applicant Peter Hall, said: “The proposed layout has been carefully developed in response to the site’s prominent corner position and sloping topography.

“Adequate separation distances are achieved between the proposed development and adjacent properties, ensuring that privacy, outlook and residential amenity are preserved.”

Vehicle access would be from Deepdale Road, with 21 parking spaces provided.

The plans describe a “contemporary architectural approach” that aims to create a “high-quality and cohesive appearance” through the use of varied materials and façade detailing.

The flats would be located a short distance from Loftus Leisure Centre and other neighbourhood amenities.

Outline planning permission for residential development on the site was granted in 2023.

The reserved matters application now seeks approval for detailed design, layout, and access arrangements, bringing the long-anticipated redevelopment of the site a step closer.

The northern lights may be visible across the UK, including Manchester, later this week after a powerful solar flare erupted

A powerful solar flare could potentially trigger northern lights displays later this week.

This follows a coronal mass ejection (CME) on May 10 — a vast expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona. These events can eject billions of tons of coronal material and carry an intense magnetic field.

The eruption broke out at 1.13pm on Sunday and is now rotating into Earth’s “strike zone” on the Sun’s northeastern edge. Any significant solar flares or CMEs will have a greater likelihood of being directed towards Earth as this region comes into view over the coming days, reports the Express.

The Met Office says part of the expanding plume of solar material could brush past Earth around May 13 – in just two days’ time. This could set off minor geomagnetic storm conditions, boosting the northern lights across the UK and northern US.

The northern lights are visible in the UK on multiple occasions throughout the year, particularly during periods of heightened solar activity, with 2026 being a peak year.

While best observed in Scotland and high-latitude areas every few months, powerful solar storms can occasionally make them visible across the whole of the UK, including the south, between September and March.

They were last spotted in the UK during intense displays on 23-24 March 2026, with notable sightings reported further south across the country earlier in the year.

The breathtaking displays are produced by solar activity, whereby charged particles from the Sun’s atmosphere travel through space as solar wind and collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere. These impacts energise oxygen and nitrogen atoms, which then emit energy in the form of vivid, luminous colours.

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The Gower MP Tonia Antoniazzi is the latest politician to call for the Prime Minister to step aside

Another Welsh Labour MP has called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to resign, saying now is the time for him to “step aside in an orderly manner”. On Monday evening the Labour MP for Gower, Tonia Antoniazzi, said it was time for Mr Starmer to stand down.

It also emerged that around 80 MPs have signed a letter calling for Sir Keir Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure. The Press Association is reporting Most of these have publicly called for the Prime Minister to stand down, it is understood.

A fourth Government aide has also resigned, joining the dozens of Labour MPs calling for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down following the local elections.

The Labour party was humbled in elections last week which saw them lose more than 1,460 council seats across England and finish a distant second to the SNP in a vote to decide the next Scottish Parliament. In Wales Labour suffered a result which would previously have been considered unthinkable: finishing third, comfortably behind Plaid Cymru and Reform.

The party now has only nine seats out of 96 in the Senedd, with even First Minister Eluned Morgan failing to get re-elected. She has since stepped down as Labour’s leader in Wales and will be replaced as First Minister by Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

Nationally this has been seen as the electorate making their views on Keir Starmer’s premiership perfectly clear.

Posting on social media, Ms Antoniazz, said: “Sir Keir Starmer is a man of great integrity who has led the Labour Party through difficult times.

“There will be those that disagree with me but I think it is genuinely time for him to step aside as PM in an orderly manner. I will make a further statement tomorrow.”

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This came after fellow Labour MP Ruth Jones – who represents Newport West and Islwyn – told the BBC on Monday morning: “I think we need him to set out the timetable for when he is going to stand down – not yet, not in a rush, not in a hasty way.

“He’s done a brilliant job, he’s been there six years, he’s got us in, after one term in the wilderness, he’s got us a massive majority.

“He’s brilliant on the international stage but he’s not cutting through on the doorstep as a leader with charisma.”

Blue Labour, an internal pressure group, has called for the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for his departure.

The group said in a statement on X: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure.

“Nothing has convinced us that he is able to rise to the challenge confronting this country.

“As the process unfolds, no candidate should be blocked from standing; the job is too important for factional warfare and NEC machinations.

“Labour must now navigate a very difficult transition to a new prime minister. It must avoid the danger of retreating back into its comfort zone in which it can pretend there are no hard choices and trade-offs in rebuilding the country.

“There is a hard road ahead. The people of our islands are looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.

“The next leader must have a clear programme of government and story to tell the British people about how we will get there.”

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LONDON (AP) — The Beatles are headed back to one of the band’s most famous sites with a new fan experience in London.

Apple Corps Ltd, the company founded by the Fab Four, announced Monday that it will open a new seven-floor fan experience at the company’s early headquarters. The building is the place where the band’s “Let It Be” album was recorded and its rooftop was the site of the Beatles’ last public performance on Jan. 30, 1969.

The attraction in central London will allow fans access to the rooftop, studios and extensive Beatles archives.

“It was such a trip to get back to 3 Savile Row recently and have a look around. There are so many special memories within the walls, not to mention the rooftop. The team have put together some really impressive plans and I’m excited for people to see it when it’s ready,” Paul McCartney said in a statement announcing the attraction.

“Wow, it’s like coming home,” Ringo Starr said in a statement.

An opening date for the attraction has not yet been announced.

Interest in the Beatles remains high, with four biopics in production. Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series, “The Beatles: Get Back,” relied heavily on footage filmed during the “Let It Be” recording sessions and of the farewell rooftop performance.

In 2023, artificial intelligence helped create the final Beatles recording, the song “Now and Then,” which relied on recordings by the original Beatles.

The new location will create 30 jobs

Papa Johns has announced the opening of its second store in Northern Ireland, as part of its wider expansion plan to launch 20 new locations across the region.

The new store will officially open on 21st May on Upper Newtownards Road bringing Papa Johns pizza to even more customers in the area. The opening follows the successful launch of the brand’s first Northern Ireland location in Ballymena in December 2025.

To celebrate the launch, the new East Belfast store will offer customers any large pizza for just £10, available for both collection and delivery for a limited time.

Papa Johns currently operates more than 450 sites across the UK and continues to invest in new store openings, digital innovation, and menu development, such as the recent launch of its Sourdough range. The expansion across Northern Ireland reflects the brand’s ongoing strategy to bring high-quality, handcrafted pizzas to more communities while creating long-term business and employment opportunities.

The Northern Ireland rollout is being led by experienced franchisee Rana Abhol of the Rana Group, who brings over 25 years of experience in the pizza industry. Having joined Papa Johns in 2017, Rana has built a strong track record within the business and currently operates more than 25 locations across the UK.

“We are excited to continue our expansion in Northern Ireland with the opening of our Belfast store,” said Chris Phylactou, Managing Director U.K. & Europe at Papa Johns.

Adding: “Following the success of our first location in Ballymena, this marks another important step in our long-term growth strategy for the region. We’re proud to bring our Better Ingredients, Better Pizza promise to more customers, while also creating valuable job opportunities and supporting local communities.”

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