Lord David Blunkett has warned the police service in England and Wales ‘isn’t good enough’, as the Police Leadership Commission is set to conclude a ‘serious overhaul’ is needed

The police service in England and Wales is “not good enough” and its leadership needs an “ethical reset”, Lord David Blunkett has said.

The former Labour Home Secretary said a major report he co-authored on police leadership, which will be published on Monday, found weaknesses in leadership, morale and culture across the service.

The Police Leadership Commission will conclude that police leadership requires a “fundamental overhaul” as there are “significant causes for concern”.

“At the moment, the service isn’t good enough,” Lord Blunkett told the BBC. “At the moment, the morale and motivation of many of those working in the service needs a reset.”

The report, produced along with the former Conservative policing minister Lord Herbert for the College of Policing, will call for a “root and branch modernisation” of recruitment, development and monitoring within the police service.

In an article for the Mail on Sunday, Lord Blunkett said: “Supported by the Home Office, the independent Police Leadership Commission has concluded we need a root-and-branch overhaul of recruitment, training, appraisal and promotion. And that nowhere do we need more radical change than at the very top.

“It is at the very highest level in policing that we’ve found the most troubling evidence of failure, particularly when it comes to promotions. I don’t use the word ‘nepotism’ lightly because it implies deep seated preferential treatment for those close to the senior officers making the decisions. But I’m afraid it’s true.”

The Commission highlights a lack of leadership support for frontline officers, where almost a third of the service has less than five years’ service. It also criticises a postcode lottery system of promotion, with some officers raising concerns around perceptions of fairness, nepotism, and favouritism around stepping stones such as temporary promotions.

The report noted a “narrow talent pool” at the top of policing, where chief constable roles regularly attract a single suitable candidate.

The review describes a collective failure by both policing and successive governments to invest sufficient time, resources and attention to police leadership development over decades. It demanded central funding to be restored in line with other public services such as the military and NHS.

Among recommendations, the Commission has called for reformed recruitment and nationally accredited training for all new constables and a new senior constable rank to reward and recognise experienced frontline officers who provide leadership and standards. It also wants a National Academy of Police Leadership to provide consistent, high-quality development across forces and support a stronger candidate pipeline.

Lord Herbert said: “If policing is to rebuild public trust, raise standards and meet the challenges of the future, leadership must now become a priority, properly funded, consistently developed and treated as a core operational capability.

“The reforms we set out are intended to support frontline officers and reset police leadership culture towards high performance around what matters most: cutting crime and keeping people safe.”

Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia likened the ruling to “April Fool’s Day” and insisted his federation was “defending football”, while United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino defended the development, which emerged as his side prepared for the Seattle clash, taking place on Monday night local time.

Big screens inside the Azteca alerted people that an electrical storm was approaching and to remain in their seats, though many sought cover from the rain.

Play cannot begin until 30 minutes have passed since lightning was last detected within an eight-mile radius of the stadium.

With regards to delays caused by severe weather, Fifa has no power to make its own rules – it must adhere to the advice of local authorities.

In the United States, recommendations of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are used.

The NOAA says if any lightning strike is detected within eight miles of a stadium the game has to be stopped. The rules are the same in Mexico.

When there is an increased risk of lightning strikes, the safety of players and supporters is given paramount importance.

All players must leave the pitch, and fans must seek shelter away from their seats.

A mandatory 30-minute countdown begins. Each time there is a lightning strike inside the distance, the countdown clock resets to 30 minutes.

If a full 30 minutes has elapsed, the supporters can go back to their seats and players will have a short warm-up.

Sources told BBC Sport on Saturday that world governing body Fifa had been set to reschedule the fixture, and confirm in a statement, but news of the proposal angered both English and Mexican officials.

The English Football Association (FA) requested time to review the weather forecast in more detail.

As talks went on, concerns over the impact on player preparation, fan travel and the logistics around moving the staging of such a huge game were discussed.

The proposed change was first reported by local media in Mexico.

Fifa maintained no decision had been made and – after pushback from both associations – it was decided to keep the tie at its original kick-off time.

By KYLIE STEVENS, SENIOR BREAKING NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA

Published: 22:42 BST, 5 July 2026 | Updated: 23:53 BST, 5 July 2026

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has apologised after taking part in a ‘shag, date or marry’ game during a podcast interview. 

Appearing on the Bush Deep podcast with host Nikki Osborne, Albanese was asked to play a game of ‘shag, marry or date’ involving Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman and Rhonda Burchmore, choosing which celebrity he would sleep with, marry or date. 

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Responding to the question, the Prime Minister said: ‘I’ve just got married. I’m only six months in.’

‘But if it goes tits up?’ Osborne hit back.

‘Kylie, clearly,’ he replied. 

‘You’d marry Kylie? And shag her? And date her?’ questioned Osborne.

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‘All of the above,’ replied Albanese. ‘She’s terrific.’

The remarks drew criticism, with some colleagues accusing the Prime Minister of resorting to ‘locker-room antics’.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has apologised after taking part in a ‘shag, date or marry’ game during a podcast interview 

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The Prime Minister declared Kylie Minogue was ‘all of the above’

Albanese, who is currently in Fiji to sign a new treaty with the Pacific nation, apologised on Monday morning in a brief statement.

‘I apologise unequivocally for the comments,’ it read.

Independent Fowler MP Dai Le said Albanese’s remarks were ‘unbecoming of a gentleman’ and suggested he was trying to appeal to a younger generation.

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‘In parliament we’re not supposed to use certain words,’ she said.

‘I will find that very unbecoming of a gentleman, but maybe the prime minister is trying to appeal to another group, a target audience that don’t mind that kind of language being used.’

Community Strong MP Zali Steggall said it was ‘entirely inappropriate’ for the PM to respond to the question. 

‘He needs to learn to push back, lead by example and call it out as sexist,’ Steggall said.

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One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce also weighed in, describing Albanese’s remarks as ‘a bit below him’.

The Prime Minister described Aussie pop star Kylie Minogue as ‘terrific’

Albanese also opened up about his sex life with Jodie Haydon

‘There are lots of people who feel they’ve been in a very unfortunate relationship with the Prime Minister of Australia, and he doesn’t need to play a stupid game,’ Joyce said on Sunrise on Monday.

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When asked what he would have done had he been asked, Joyce replied: ‘Avoided the question, like most people.’

Elsewhere in the podcast interview, Osborne asked if Albanese and his new wife Jodie Haydon were ‘bonking like rabbits’.

‘Well, when we have time,’ he replied.

‘After the footy. It’s always a good aphrodisiac, a Souths win,’ he added, referencing the couple’s beloved NRL team.

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Residents of Guam and surrounding U.S. island territories in the western Pacific were urged to take shelter as Super Typhoon Bavi was expected to make landfall early Monday, threatening an area still recovering from another destructive storm earlier this year.

Bavi, a massive cyclone approaching the Mariana Islands east of the Philippines, was forecast to strike Rota early Monday morning local time, National Weather Service meteorologist Edwin Montvila said.

“They are currently already encountering catastrophic wind,” he said of Rota, a territory of fewer than 2,000 people northeast of Guam, adding that an extreme wind warning was in effect for the island. The cyclone is forecast to be a category five super typhoon with winds that could reach 180 miles (290 kilometers) per hour and gusts of 215 miles (346 kilometers) per hour, Montvila said.

In addition to Rota, typhoon warnings were in effect for Guam, Tinian and Saipan, while tropical storm warnings and watches were in place for other islands in the area.

The storm comes months after Super Typhoon Sinlaku, the strongest tropical cyclone this year, battered islands in the region in April, bringing ferocious winds and relentless rains. A cyclone becomes a super typhoon when it has maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 kph) or stronger.

Bavi posed an “imminent danger to life,” Montvila said, with the weather service telling residents across the islands to immediately move to interior rooms where they were sheltering and stay away from windows.

A capacity crowd welcomed David Gray into the Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Saturday (July 4), as part of his Past & Present World Tour.

The performance included more than three decades of his songs, including favourites such as The One I Love, My Oh My, Be Mine, White Ladder, You’re The World To Me, This Year’s Love.

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David Gray performed in front of a capacity crowd in Scarborough yesterday (Saturday, July 4) (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Organisers said a key moment of the night was when the crowd sang along to Babylon, before Gray finished the night with Sail Away.

Very special guests The Divine Comedy were also on the Scarborough bill with David Gray (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Gray was accompanied by The Divine Comedy, who opened the evening with their song The National Express and charmed the crowd with their timeless songwriting, the organisers said.

Scarborough Open Air Theatre’s next performances see Alanis Morissette performing tonight, while Michael Bublé is set to perform on Monday as the season of open air performances in Scarborough is set to run until August 22.

Officers attended the scene and an arrest was made

Cambridgeshire Police were called to a street fight in a Cambridgeshire city on Tuesday, June 30. The force was called just before 8.30pm with reports of two people involved in a fight in Cowgate, Peterborough.

Officers attended the scene. They launched a search and with the help of CCTV operators, a 14-year-old boy was located and arrested.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: “Just before 8.30pm, we were called with reports of two men fighting in Cowgate. Officers attended and with the help of CCTV operators, located a 14-year-old boy and arrested him.”

Around four hours earlier, police were called with reports of a separate incident just minutes away. Officers rushed to a fight involving three people in Long Causeway just before 4.20pm. Two men were arrested.

By HARRY BAMFORTH, LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE REPORTER

Updated: 23:14 BST, 5 July 2026