Iran‘s soccer federation said on Saturday the country “definitely” will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and insisted that tournament hosts — the United States, Canada and Mexico — consider Tehran’s concerns around the team’s travel and how it will be treated.

“All players and technical staff, especially those who served their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, should be granted visas without problems,” Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran president Mehdi Taj said, according to Iranian media.

The team represents a country in a fragile ceasefire with the United States after the U.S. and Israel sparked a war with attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, and whose citizens are subject to a travel ban imposed by the Trump administration.

In the statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, Taj said Friday that Iran had presented conditions tied to participation — including guarantees over visas, security and treatment of Iranian players and officials — and added that the Islamic Republic would take part “without retreating from our beliefs, culture and convictions.”

The remarks came after Canadian authorities last month denied entry to Taj ahead of a FIFA Congress, reportedly because of his past ties to Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, which both the U.S. and Canada have designated as a terrorist organization.

Taj has repeatedly said that Iran would seek assurances from FIFA that Iranian officials, players, national flag and anthem would be treated with respect during the World Cup.

Concerns over issuing visas to people who completed their mandatory military service in the Guard had been raised previously by others.

The matter potentially could affect one of Iran’s key players, Mehdi Taremi, team captain and a striker who had completed his mandatory military service in the Guard. In Iran, conscripts also can be assigned to the police or the army, often at random.

Iran’s team has drawn with Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt in Group G and opens the World Cup against New Zealand in Inglewood, next to Los Angeles.

Iran has qualified for four consecutive World Cups and seven overall but has never advanced out of the group stage. Currently ranked No. 21 in the world, Iran lost just one match in the Asian qualifying.

THAI cuisine tops the culinary charts for me so when I learnt that one of York’s popular Thai dining spots had changed, it felt only right to try it out – admittedly months after the newest venture had opened.

I reserved for 6.30pm on a Saturday night at Thai Season on Bishopthorpe Road, which was previously home to the delicious Rice Style.

The small restaurant was almost full when we arrived and a stream of hopeful walk-ins kept popping in to enquire about tables throughout the evening – it was a positive sign.

Thai Season is on Bishopthorpe Road, York – here’s our verdict. (Image: Nadia Jefferson-Brown)

Thai Season also runs a stall at Shambles Market so perhaps its reputation has spread.

The exterior has a blue-painted frontage that befits the vibrancy of ‘Bishy Road’, once hailed the Notting Hill of the North, and there are tables outside where a handful of people were waiting as we arrived. Inside, the colourful theme continues with blue, red and whites stripes up the walls, and the restaurant’s name is lit up in blue neon lights above the bar just in case you forget where you are.

(Image: Nadia Jefferson-Brown)

We ordered drinks – Thai lager Leo (£4.95 for 330ml) and two diet cokes (£3.50) – and shared some lovely and crispy misshapen prawn crackers (£3.95) with a Thai sweet chilli sauce that I like, while we checked out the menu.

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For starters, my son ordered the five pork Gyozas (£6.95) that contained fairly small morsels of pork, flavoured with garlic and chives, enveloped in a hot and crispy casing that was deep fried, with a sweet, sticky and moreish soy dipping sauce on the side. It was a good start.

Vegetable spring rolls with Thai sweet chilli sauce. (Image: Nadia Jefferson-Brown)

I had three vegetable springs rolls (£7.25) which were decent in size and piping hot. Hand-rolled, they were also very crispy and had a good balance of pastry to filling, including pickled cabbage, carrot and vermicelli. They didn’t have much flavour, but the accompanying sweet chilli sauce did the trick.

My husband ordered his favourite Thai starter – Tom Yum soup which is usually a fragrant hot and spicy broth and should have come with mushroom, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, red chilli and lime juice.

The soup he was served was a fairly vibrant red that paled once stirred to become an almost creamy consistency with an overriding flavour of coconut milk – not the broth he was expecting. We suspect he’d been mistakenly given the alternative Tom Kha soup (£8.50) with chicken, whose main ingredient is coconut milk, which would also explain the absence of any discernible lemongrass.

Disappointed, he decided to go with it as the restaurant was very busy – though he’d ordered a coconut-based curry for his mains so it wasn’t ideal. However, he enjoyed the soup which was nice and hot, with plenty of finely-sliced chicken, along with a few mushrooms and some skinless baby tomatoes.

Thai Green Curry with plenty of chicken but too much oil. (Image: Nadia Jefferson-Brown)

For mains he ordered a Green Curry (£16.50), I went for my all-time favourite, Massaman Curry (£17.95) – both curries came with Jasmine rice – and my son plumped for Pad Thai (£13.50).

For the second time, my husband was served the wrong dish – a red curry instead of green. On this occasion, he reminded the waitress of his original order, and she apologetically returned to the kitchen. It didn’t take too long to swap the dish, but long enough for mine to cool while I waited so we could eat together. Some fresh portions of hot rice would’ve been welcome to compensate for the delay but this wasn’t offered.

The green curry had a clearly visible layer of oil on top which my husband said was very unpleasant to taste. The chicken was good – nice, tender and plenty of it, with bamboo shoots and fine beans in the mix but he said the sauce itself didn’t pack the anticipated punch. His verdict was that it was average rather than good, ruined by the oil – and not something he’d order again.

My choice of Massaman is usually a rich but mild and aromatic curry with beef or chicken, potatoes, onions and roasted peanuts. I’m a creature of habit when I like something and have eaten this curry a lot! While there have been variations in consistency and sweetness over the years, I’ve rarely had a bad one. Until this one.

The Massaman Curry that missed the mark at Thai Season. (Image: Nadia Jefferson-Brown)

Scraping for the positives first, I’ll say the portion of rice was a good size and cooked well. Both the rice and curry were served in their own bowls which were hot to touch to ensure the food stayed warm.

I poured the curry in with the rice and started my meal, but the texture of the meat – described on the menu as ‘slow cooked shin of beef’ – was squidgy and unpleasant, and demanded a closer inspection. Not liking what I saw, I set about cutting off large bits of fat and gristle and deposited them into the now-empty curry bowl. By the time I’d finished, almost half of the base was covered in inedible and unsightly scraps.

The remaining bits of beef were very small – not enough for an appetiser never mind a main meal at the top end of the menu’s price list. It was also tough and sinewy. I was left with a few morsels to go with the rice and three small pieces of potato. Any remaining sauce that hadn’t been soaked up by the meat lacked any depth of flavour and barely made any impression on me at all. It was incredibly disappointing.

Afterwards, I regretted not requesting another dish but the waitress who’d asked if our meals were ok had come to the table while we were still waiting for my husband’s dish to arrive so I hadn’t started mine at that point. I was then unable to catch anyone’s attention as the restaurant was packed by then and very busy.

When our dishes were subsequently cleared, I showed the offending fat and gristle left in the bowl. I noted that our waitress didn’t seem particularly surprised. She explained they used brisket and said “sometimes this is an issue”. Why, then, isn’t the Massaman checked every time it leaves the kitchen if this has been a problem in the past?

Our waitress said she’d tell the chef (for what good that would do), and offered not to charge me for the dish which was only right in the circumstances. Her apology seemed genuine – but wouldn’t tempt me back.

The best dish of the night – Pad Thai at Thai Season on Bishopthorpe Road, York . (Image: Nadia Jefferson-Brown)

On a happier note, my son had no complaints about his Pad Thai. It was a generous portion, he loved the succulent slices of beef and said the fried egg had absorbed all the flavours of the dish, which came with plenty of chopped peanuts to sprinkle over. The finely-sliced carrots and bean sprouts lent a nice crunch, and we all agreed he’d made the best choice of the night – though that isn’t the biggest compliment, all things considered.

With noise levels from other diners rising around us, making it increasingly difficult to hear each other, I was keen to pay and leave without bothering with desserts. I checked the bill carefully to ensure the Massaman wasn’t included – and noted that we’d been charged for three beers instead of the two ordered. It was resolved easily enough, with yet another apology.

Usually, after a night out, I leave a restaurant mentally planning my next meal on a return visit – on this occasion, I left disappointed, peckish and determined not to venture back. Perhaps we were unlucky with our choices, perhaps we’d picked an unusually busy night, perhaps the kitchen was short-staffed … who knows. But I do know, that with so many decent restaurants in York, I won’t be going back to this one.

Reviews are independent and paid for by The Press.

Verdict

Food: Inconsistent

Atmosphere: Busy and bustling

Service: Hit and miss

Value: Poor overall

Address: Thai Season, Bishopthorpe Road, York

Tel: 01904 463248

Web: thaiseasonyork.co.uk

The music mogul was not happy during the ITV talent competition’s latest semi-final

Simon Cowell called out the Britain’s Got Talent producers on live TV in an awkward semi-final moment.

It was a busy night for the ITV talent show on Saturday night (May 9) as more acts looked to make it through to the final later in the month. To date singer Matty Juniosa, and her dog Salsa, illusionist Fabian Fox, musician Sadeck Berrabah and dance troop LMA have all been sent through.

Ant and Dec revealed at the beginning of the episode that KSI was the judge with the power of the golden buzzer this week. The YouTuber and boxer could send any act he wanted straight through to the final.

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“What do I do with this power? I could troll with it. It’s all about feeling with me. If it makes sense I’ll press it,” he said to the Geordie presenters.

Performing this week was glowing performance group Antigravity, daredevil act Liwei Yang, The Lux City Choir, dance group Mega Unity, acrobatic act Mizuki Shinagawa, harpist and singer Niamh Noade, dance group Playground and comedian Ted Hill.

Early into the semi-final, The Lux City Choir looked to stun the judges with a powerful performance of Miley Cyrus’ The Climb. Fans will recall that they sang Whitney Houston’s Higher Love at their audition.

Sadly, the performance didn’t go down as well as expected with the judges, with several of them calling out the song choice. Alesha Dixon said: “I loved the opening, I felt like I was in the circle of trust. It was a beautiful way to start the performance… your voices are just perfect.

“My only small criticism was the transition in the middle of the song, it felt a little clunky to me. I really liked the Miley Cryus song… just creatively, I would have liked you to go to a different song. It just didn’t work.”

Amanda Holden added: “I got goosebumps when you first started… The song choice was brave. I was waiting for that massive moment we’ve seen with you before, I didn’t feel like we got that today. I love how free you are and how relaxed you are.”

KSI stated: “I felt like the introduction was really nice, your voices are heavenly. I’m not sure of the song, I don’t know what the song is. It kind of went over my head… I wasn’t able to relate or respond well to it.”

When it came time for head judge Simon to have his say, the music mogul defended the act. Instead, he called out the show’s production team after asking if they could perform again.

“Are we able to do this again? If this was an audition, I’d say let’s just hear you because your voices are great. The track kicked in and we lost you.

“What would have been beautiful in the middle, if the track had just completely dropped away and heard how good you are. You were actually overproduced, boo to the producers I’m afraid. Seriously, it’s not your fault,” he noted.

Lux City Choir member Josh then said: “First of all, a big thank you. This is the biggest thing we’ve ever done. We worked really hard for this.”

A POPULAR York shop is starting a new lease of life – just down the road in a North Yorkshire town.

Born of Botanics has opened up a new premises having moved out of York city centre.

The business, run by entrepreneur Alex Hall, started off in a historic shop in Goodramgate before moving into Stonegate in 2022.

Originally it was known as The Little Yorkshire Candle Company then rebranded as Born of Botanics to reflect the fact the shop also sold body oils and creams and scent diffusers as well as aromatic candles – all hand made from natural ingredients.

It’s new base will be at 21 Kirkgate in Tadcaster, where Alex says there is a thriving independent retail scene.

Alex Hall’s Born of Botanics moves to Kirkgate in Tadcaster. Photo supplied

She told The Press: “There is a lovely high street here which is full of independents.”

The new shop opened on Tuesday this week and will stock Alex’s products as well as run a series of workshops, focussed on wellbeing and creativity.

Alex will be making her products in the front of the store, so customers can see what goes into each one.

She said: “I will have my workshop here and will be making in the shop front – candles, body products, bath products and oils.”

Alex Hall’s Born of Botanics moves to Kirkgate in Tadcaster. Photo supplied

The new shop has an upstairs which allows her to offer workshops too; this follows a run of successful workshops she has already run at alternative venues.

“Last year we ran a few workshops such as yoga, sound baths and scent blending, which customers loved. And it made me think about what I wanted to do next,” she said.

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At the new Tadcaster shop, Alex has already organised a paper flower-making workshop and has a calligraphy class and ‘blend and unwind’ session in the pipeline.

Flower making workshop at Alex Hall’s Born of Botanics in Kirkgate in Tadcaster. Photo supplied

During the latter one, customers can blend their own oils and take away their own scent, said Alex.

And she said Tadcaster was a great location, because many of her customers were based along the Leeds to York corridor – and she lives locally.

“I’ve known Tadcaster for years. Geographically, it is very central, and an easy stop off the A64.”

She added many independents were setting up and flourishing in the town.

“I feel like something is happening here at the moment – and it is something I want to be part of!”

For all the latest follow Alex on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/bornofbotanics/

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There is also beautiful countryside with picturesque walks waiting to be discovered

Cambridgeshire is a historic place, filled with many stories of the past. Some of these stories are light hearted and seem mythical, yet some stories are dark.

In the village of Babraham, there is one dark story about a former vicar. At the centre of Babraham is St Peter’s Church.

This has been on the same site since the 12th century. Babraham was a wealthy village, however in 1445 the vicarage was exempt from paying tax due to its poverty. In 1535, the village was reported to be one of the poorest.

From 1549, John Hullier served as vicar and remained vicar for six years. Before he became a vicar in Babraham, he was a chorister at Cambridge’s King’s College and also attended Eton.

During his vicarage in Babraham, John refused to renounce the Protestant faith. By doing this, it resulted in his death.

On April 16, 1556 – which was Maundy Thursday – John was burned at the stake on Jesus Green in Cambridge.

The village itself, like many other names in Cambridgeshire, has a name that is hard to pronounce. Some may think it’s pronounced like Bab-ra-ham, but its correct pronunciation is Bay-rum.

Despite being a tiny village, the ancient location has much on offer. It is home to the world-famous Babraham Institute and Babraham Research Campus, considered one of the UK’s major bioscience research hubs.

There is also lots of surrounding countryside that provide scenic places to walk. A hidden nature spot to visit is Babraham Pocket Park.

This is a community-run green space in the village, and it offers visitors a serene place to walk around.

Also amongst the surrounding countryside is wildlife including sheep, so it’s a great way for animal lovers to get closer to nature.

WHILST Upper Wensleydale has some wilder mountains and remoter valleys the scenery, from Askrigg to the West is tamer, more tranquil and full of interest and beauty.

The River Ure marks the backdrop for the walk which includes Aysgarth Falls, Bolton Castle and pretty Redmire.

Head across the fields from Redmire towards the village of Castle Bolton. The path heads directly for Bolton Castle (it’s the village name which is Castle Bolton – confusing), certainly the best preserved castle in the area.

Bolton Castle is most famous as the ‘prison’ of Mary Queen of Scots for six months as she awaited the pleasures of Elizabeth I. It is worth paying the entrance fee at least for the gardens which are impressive throughout the spring and summer.

However, the walking has hardly started so it is soon time to move. From the castle leave via a gate to the west of the castle car park (follow the farm track to keep your height) and head initially through fields of sheep but soon onto the open moors. The views both up and down Wensleydale are excellent.

Aysgarth Falls Upper Falls

Where the farm track runs out, follow the bridleway as it bends south/left and starts to drop steeply down towards the village of Carperby. The bridleway turns into a lane just above the village and enters on its eastern fringes. Take your time walking through this lovely village, exactly as the ‘real ‘James Herriott (Alf Wight) did on his honeymoon in November 1941.

I find walking from Carperby to Aysgarth Falls not very satisfying; my best suggestion is to take the road heading south from the west end of the village for 350 metres and then head along the footpath in the fields to your right. This soon enters the car park and visitor centre at Aysgarth Falls.

If you have not visited the falls previously the most interesting circuit is to the east of the road near the visitor centre where there are viewing platforms and some lovely woodland walking. You can also get to the Upper Falls, to the west of the road near the road bridge at the foot of the road. It is a good time to stop and enjoy a bite and a brew.

Cross the River Ure at the road bridge and immediately in front of you some steep steps climb through some buildings into the grounds of St Andrews Church, a Grade II-listed building set in a large church yard. Pick your way through the gravestones to emerge at its east end and start four-and-a-half miles of excellent riverside walking.

More walks:

It is rare in the Dales that you can stick so close to a river on a public footpath for so long. It is well signposted.

There are only two things to disturb the walk: meeting the busy A684 for 100 metres as it crosses Bishopdale Beck, and a little further on where you may (and should not) be tempted to shorten the walk by crossing the stepping stones across the Ure.

The first bridge crossing of the Ure east of Aysgarth is at Bolton Hall, a lovely country house set in its own grounds. Continue north on the estate road, cross the busy road to Wensley and continue up the footpath to the attractive (another one!) village of Preston under Scar, a history dominated by lead mining. A footpath heads west through the village and some woodland for three quarters of a mile before emerging; at a road, turn left and drop the final half mile back into the village of Redmire.

Fact file:

Wensleydale map

Distance: Roughly 13.5 miles.

Height to Climb: 400m (1,310 feet)

Start: SE 047912. There is parking in Redmire to its north end.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard. A long walk but straightforward and easy to follow. The riverside section can be muddy after rains.

Refreshments: The Bolton Arms at Redmire is a lovely traditional Dales pub.

Be Prepared: The route description and sketch map only provide a guide to the walk. You must take out and be able to read a map (O/S Explorer OL30) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass. You must also wear correct clothing and footwear.

Casualty spoilers follow for Saturday’s (May 9) episode that is now available to view on BBC iPlayer. The episode in question will air on BBC One at 8:45pm.

Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) made the gravest of mistakes this week and it’s one that could’ve had major consequences – both in terms of her career and a patient’s life.

The fan-favourite ED consultant, who has been struggling with pains, was taken aback when her prescription was unexpectedly changed to opioids. At first, she vowed to do without them.

But with her pain levels increasing – not to mention stress at an all-time high in the ED due to a series of explosions on Wyvern Estate – she ultimately took the drugs.

Teddy Gowan (Milo Clarke), meanwhile, rescued a young girl from the aforementioned explosion and, as the opioids took effect, Stevie made a big mistake, administering too much morphine to the patient.

Matty Linlaker (Aron Julius) later worked out what had transpired and confronted Stevie but he ultimately refrained from telling her what she did, instead taking the blame when confronted on it by Dylan Keogh (William Beck).

The question is: will the truth come out? will Stevie face consequences for her actions?

Matty subsequently asked Stevie out for dinner but she declined.

The doctors, as fans will know, commenced an affair after they grew close in the wake of Kim Chang’s (Jasmine Bayes) death.

A number of weeks ago – at the beginning of the latest boxset Lethal Legacy – after the team spent the day trying to deal with what appeared to be the start of a new pandemic, the two were seen kissing passionately behind an ambulance

The relationship received quite the reaction from viewers and in the show it seems Stevie fears a similar reaction if Dylan – who is Matty’s dad – were to find out, opting instead to keep her dalliance’s with Matty a secret.

But as any soap fan knows, secrets don’t stay secret for too long.

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In terms of viewer reaction to the new coupling, fan Hannah wrote on social media: ‘stevie why???? I love you sm but matty???’.

Predicting more drama for Stevie, this person added: ‘STEVIE NO!!! this won’t end well’.

Casualty airs Saturday at 8:45pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.

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MORE: Casualty trailer appears to confirm shock death and fans are terrified

Having missed out on selection for last year’s Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam decider against France, Marlie Packer’s remarkable international career may have seemed to some to be winding down.

The 36-year-old, who lost the England captaincy to Zoe Stratford at the start of last year, had slipped down the pecking order and was fighting to make a home World Cup squad.

Packer went on to play at the tournament but remained on the fringes and did not feature in any of the knockout games as England claimed glory.

Less than a week on from becoming a two-time World Cup winner, she announced she was “not hanging up her boots any time soon”.

Despite being leapfrogged by Sadia Kabeya, player of the match in the World Cup final, the Saracens forward said she was contracted until June 2026 and felt fitter than ever.

It was a good decision to continue. The Red Roses have lined up another Grand Slam decider against France next week thanks to Saturday’s 61-33 victory over Italy, a win spearheaded by Packer’s four tries.

The performance earned her the player-of-the-match award, as did her two-try display against Wales, with the veteran forward taking advantage of injuries and pregnancies disrupting John Mitchell’s starting pack.

“My secret weapon is that I am enjoying it and I have a smile back on my face,” Packer told BBC Sport.

“I am getting the minutes. For the last couple of years, Sadia Kabeya has had the nod over me but fair play, I have my opportunity at the moment and I am enjoying it. I have a smile and there is no pressure.”

In Parma, Packer showed impressive acceleration to latch on to a kick through for her opening try, before bulldozing her way to the tryline three more times – smashing through a number of Italy defenders for her fourth score.

Despite being the oldest player in the squad, Packer is now firmly in line to feature in the decider against France next Sunday at the 42,115-capacity Stade Atlantique in Bordeaux.

“Marlie doesn’t go away, does she?” Mitchell said to BBC Sport when asked about the 115-cap flanker, who led her country to back-to-back Grand Slams in 2024.

“After the World Cup she was like, ‘Where do I sit?’ and I said, ‘Marlie, you are one of the best sevens in the country and if you are happy with that, I am happy with that’.

“She is so determined and she has achieved so much. All the standards that we have now have very much been shaped by the way she leads.”

England captain Megan Jones was also full of praise for her former skipper, who registered 12 tackles against Italy and made 92 metres from 14 carries.

“She has a never-say-die attitude and is next level. She goes 100% even when we are walking,” Jones added.

A Labour MP has dramatically warned would-be leaders in the cabinet to challenge Sir Keir Starmer by Monday – or she will – following the party’s disastrous local election results.

Catherine West, the MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet, who was sacked by Sir Keir as a junior minister in the Foreign Office, said the cabinet should “reorganise themselves” and put forward their “best communicator” to replace the PM, avoiding a contest.

If that did not happen she would seek the 80 names needed to trigger a contest, she said.

Speaking to The Independent, Ms West said: “We had cataclysmic election results last week and our response so far does not match the emergency that faces us.”

She added: “I am terrified we will end up with Prime Minister Farage.”

Her intervention came as Sir Keir recruited party favourites Gordon Brown and Baroness Harriet Harman to try and help secure his flagging premiership.

As the scale of Labour’s failures at the local elections ballot box emerged, The Independent has also learnt that some senior ministers were attempting to prevent a leadership election amid fears that the former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner could launch a coup as early as next week.

Meanwhile, support is growing for energy secretary Ed Miliband, health secretary Wes Streeting and defence minister Al Carns.

Ms West’s move comes amid speculation from Labour MPs that the serious candidates to replace Sir Keir – including Ms Rayner and health secretary Wes Streeting – were awaiting “a stalking horse” to “allow them to swoop in”.

Speaking to The Independent, Ms West said she would welcome Mr Streeting, Mr Miliband, Ms Rayner or education secretary Bridget Phillipson taking over as leader and prime minister.

But she warned that time was running out for Labour with an election two to three years away.

“We need to tool up for this, because it’s going to be the fight of our life. We need to take on Reform and to put forward a centrist vision of the country that people can really get behind.”

Ms West, who originally comes from Australia, warned that the urgency meant that it was no longer possible to wait for Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who would need to win a by-election to become an MP for a takeover bid.

Ms West has been in contact with the party leadership over her intentions, including party chair Anna Turley and Ms Phillipson who will be on the morning media round with her on Sunday.

She said: “Basically, the cabinet needs to get into the room, close the door and sort it out between themselves. Give Keir a role of some sort. He’s very good on the international relations.

“I think there’s so many good people, not just in the cabinet but her newly elected people, dust off your CV, get yourself in there.”

Downing Street has not commented on Ms West’s challenge but in a bid to win back the party faithful, the prime minister appointed Mr Brown – once described by Tony Blair as “the big clunking fist” – as his special envoy on global finance and brought in former deputy leader Baroness Harman as his adviser on women and girls.

Sir Keir posed with both on the steps of Downing Street on Saturday, ignoring questions about his future.

But an attempt on Friday night to get his cabinet to wheel in behind him backfired after a number of senior figures notably remained silent.

One ally claimed that Mr Streeting was “waiting for another candidate to go first before entering the fray”.

Others not to publicly endorse the prime minister were home secretary Shabana Mahmood, energy secretary Ed Miliband, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who have all been identified as possible leadership contenders.

Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines commander who has growing support among Labour MPs, also notably avoided offering his support.

An ally of Mr Carns added: “Al’s problem is if he jumped he could just be seen as a stalking horse. Wes [Streeting] and others want him to go so they can swoop in.”

With at least eight Labour MPs now publicly demanding Sir Keir sets a timetable for his departure, pressure was mounting on the prime minister as more privately said he could not lead them into the next election.

The latest to speak out was Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash, who saw Reform sweep his area. He said: “I’d prefer by party conference [in September], but setting the timetable is the critical thing.”

Another told The Independent that “it is not just MPs on the left who want him to go”.

A previous loyalist added: “The mood is generally awful as you can imagine. I’m not saying anything publicly right now but clearly we can’t go into the election with him as leader.”

A second minister added: “The fear at the moment is we will end up with Angela as our version of Liz Truss.”

A source close to Ms Rayner denied speculation that she could launch a bid as early as next week.

But the hopes to get Mr Burnham in as an MP as a “unifying figure” to lead the party appeared to have united ministers with leftwing rebels.

There was speculation that MPs were being told they would get a peerage if they stepped aside for Mr Burnham.

However, one MP warned: “Given what just happened I am not sure where Andy Burnham could stand and win a seat even if someone was willing to step down to give him an opportunity.”

Labour’s disastrous performance saw Reform winning most of the council seats in the north west of England, including all 22 available in Wigan and 16 out of 17 in the Tameside Council area which includes Ms Rayner’s constituency.

Sir Keir continued his fightback on Saturday with a video put out on social media where he admitted that the party needed to do more to convince voters.

He said: “It’s important that we reflect and respond to these results – we haven’t done enough to offer people hope for the future.”

With plans for a major speech on Monday, he added: “In the coming days I’ll be setting out the path ahead.”