Jenny Gilruth, SNP candidate for Mid Fife and Glenrothes, said: “The SNP has transformed childcare in Scotland – providing 1,140 hours of free, high-quality early learning and childcare, worth around £6,000 to families every year. But we have heard from families across Scotland who need more support.

The group warns the current system is “outdated, increasingly unaffordable, and too rigid” — piling pressure on public finances as the population ages.

At the centre of the proposals is a dramatic shift away from the traditional pension model.

Instead, the think tank wants a new “lifespan fund” – allowing people to build up state-backed support not just through work, but also caring responsibilities and education.

That support could then be used during key moments in life – including unemployment, retraining or caring for family.

Tom Smith, director of economic policy at the Tony Blair Institute, said: “Britain’s state pension system was built for a different era.”

He added: “We can’t keep pouring money into a system that is increasingly unaffordable.”

Triple lock ‘cannot continue’

The report takes direct aim at the triple lock — the policy that guarantees the state pension rises each year by the highest of earnings, inflation or 2.5%.

Smith said: “Pension spending must be contained, and that means the triple lock cannot continue after the next election.”

He added: “Ending it will require political leadership from all parties — but that should only be the first step.”

A £66bn warning

The intervention comes amid stark projections about the future cost of pensions.

The report warns that the number of pensioners is set to surge from 12.6 million today to nearly 19 million by 2070.

At the same time, spending on the state pension could rise sharply – from around 5% of GDP to 7.8%, putting pressure on taxes and public services.

By contrast, the proposed new system could limit spending to around 5.5% – potentially avoiding £66 billion a year in extra costs by 2070.

‘Real freedom’ but with a catch

Under the plans, people would be able to dip into their pension pot earlier in life but would later repay it through higher National Insurance contributions.

Smith said: “TBI’s proposed Lifespan Fund offers that better alternative.”

He added: “It gives people real freedom to use support earlier in life… and to top it back up before retiring on their own terms.”

Big political battle ahead

The think tank is urging cross-party talks to push through reforms before the next election – setting the stage for a major political debate over the future of pensions.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “Age UK firmly believes that the Triple Lock should be retained into the next Parliament.

“Over time this policy has rebuilt the value of the State Pension, helping to improve the living standards of some of our poorest pensioners.

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“Today, we continue to hear from older people who are struggling financially, and the extra money the Triple Lock delivers makes a meaningful difference to many lives.

“In new polling, 3 in 10 pensioners say they are struggling financially – even before the worrying rise in energy prices.

“Going forward, we need a national debate to determine the purpose and appropriate value of the State Pension as, at present, it is set too low to provide those reliant on it with a decent standard of living throughout their later lives.”

What do you think about these proposals to replace the triple lock? Let us know in the comments.

The Met Office has forecast temperatures could surge to 26C on Friday across the UK, with 38 counties across the UK expected to hit 20C or above during the warm spell.

The Met Office has forecast temperatures could rocket to 24C within hours as Scotland enjoys a welcome warm spell.

Despite “showers” expected to arrive in the west and south-west tomorrow, with rain spreading northeastwards, the Met Office says conditions will be feeling “much warmer” in the east. It will “feel humid for many”, the national weather agency confirmed.

The Met Office’s afternoon forecast predicted highs of 26C in southern areas tomorrow, while temperatures are expected to climb to 24C in the north. Saturday is also set to be a warm day, with highs of 23C in the south and 20C in the north.

Temperature anomaly maps for tomorrow show the UK blanketed in deep red, indicating where temperatures are forecast to rise well above the seasonal average. Glasgow and Edinburgh are expected to see highs of 18C.

The ECMWF weather model predicts highs of 23C tomorrow, with the warmest conditions concentrated in the south-east of England, particularly in and around London. Afternoon highs of 22C and 23C are also expected across the Midlands and South Yorkshire, reports the Mirror.

Overall, the ECMWF model suggests as many as 38 counties will see temperatures reach 20C or above. Disappointingly for residents of Northern Ireland and Wales, all of these counties fall within either England or Scotland.

UK counties facing 20C or above on Friday

Scotland

• Sutherland
• Ross-shire and Cromartyshire
• Nairnshire
• Morayshire
• Banffshire
• Aberdeenshire
• Berwickshire
• Roxburghshire

England

• Northumberland
• Durham
• Yorkshire
• Lancashire
• Cheshire
• Shropshire
• Staffordshire
• Leicestershire
• Nottinghamshire
• Derbyshire
• Lincolnshire
• Norfolk
• Suffolk
• Cambridgeshire
• Northamptonshire
• Warwickshire
• Worcestershire
• Herefordshire
• Oxfordshire
• Buckinghamshire
• Bedfordshire
• Wiltshire
• Berkshire
• Hampshire
• Surrey
• Kent
• Sussex
• Essex
• Middlesex
• Devon

BBC Weather forecasts for Friday: “A band of cloud and showers will sweep into many western parts tomorrow. Eastern areas will be sunny and warm, particularly in south-east England. Showers will later push east into north-east England.”

It also predicts for the weekend: “Over the weekend, it will become unsettled and cloudier with frequent scattered showers, or even longer spells of rain on Sunday, for England and Wales, with a chance of thunder. Cloudier with lighter showers further north. Monday will be mainly cloudy with some lingering spells of rain. Some sunny breaks may develop towards the far south and north-west.”

Despite the scorching temperatures, this warm period is not anticipated to be classed as an official heatwave. An official heatwave is only declared when temperatures meet or surpass the heatwave threshold for three consecutive days.

The heatwave threshold ranges between 25C and 28C across the UK. It sits at 28C in the south-east of England where temperatures tend to be higher, dropping to 25C the further north you travel.

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To mark International Dawn Chorus day we’ve asked wildlife experts to make their case for why their favourite songbird deserves your vote. Cast your vote in the poll at the end of the article and let us know why in the comments. We hope their words will inspire you to step outside and soak up some birdsong this spring.

Song thrush

Championed by Cannelle Tassin de Montaigu, Research Fellow in Ecology and Evolution, University of Sussex

When people talk about the UK’s best bird songs they often go straight for the big names – loud, dramatic performers that grab your attention. But quietly in the background is the song thrush, a bird whose song is far more impressive than it first appears.

What sets the song thrush apart is not volume or flair, but structure. Its song is built from short, clear phrases, each repeated two or three times before moving on. It’s as if the bird is politely checking that its audience is paying attention. In a dawn chorus that often feels a bit chaotic, there’s something refreshingly organised about it. It’s a bird that’s actually thought things through.

It might not have the dramatic flair of the common nightingale, and it’s less showy than some of the usual favourites. There are no soaring crescendos or dramatic flourishes. But that’s part of its charm. The song is neat, rhythmic and surprisingly memorable once you start listening for it.

In the early morning soundscape, where many birds seem determined to out-sing one another, the song thrush isn’t trying to steal the spotlight. It just quietly does its thing, and does it very well. Underrated? Definitely. Worth your vote? I’d say so.

Robin

Championed by Judith Lock, Principal Teaching Fellow in Ecology and Evolution University of Southampton

The European robin is a delightfully common sight in gardens. You will very likely have heard the characteristic “tic”, followed by a tuneful verse lasting a few seconds. In noisy urban environments they sing louder, less complex songs, in order to be heard.

The male robins use their spring song (January to June) to signal their quality to females, then forming breeding pairs, and to signal competitive ability to other males. The spring song lasts one to three seconds, composed of four to six short motifs. They have an impressive repertoire of about 1,300 motifs, indicating that song is the particularly important for robins, in comparison to birds that rely more on colourful plumage or behavioural displays to communicate with each other.

Most birds sing mainly in the morning but robins sing all day. People often mistake their lovely evening song for a nightingale’s. Constant territory defence from non-migrating robins means that the robin song is a year-round soundtrack too. From July to December, both males and females sing the autumn song, of higher-pitched long, descending notes, with interspersed warbles. This song is to defend their individual winter territories. This indicates that song first evolved first in songbirds to ensure survival, before it became a signal used by males for reproduction. Each robin’s song is dynamic, constantly changing in response to the condition and age of the bird, and their rival.

Great tit

Championed by Josh Firth, Associate Professor of Behavioural Ecology, University of Leeds

Its song may not be as flashy as the nightingale or as poetically melancholy as the blackbird. But scientists have been taught so much by the great tit’s song, heard across British habitats from ancient woodlands to urban gardens. This spring marks 80 continuous years of UK-based scientists studying great tits at Wytham Woods, Oxford, the world’s longest-running study of individually-marked animals.

The unique dataset includes a family tree totaling over 100,000 great tits, with some birds’ lineages traceable back 37 generations. Early research on
Wytham’s great tits during 1970s-1980s resulted in some the first studies to inform the scientific world about how bird song can help males find mates and defend territories, how larger song repertoires can bring more reproductive success, and how young birds learn these repertoires from neighbours (not just their fathers).

And a pioneering study published in 1987 taught us how male great tit song even tracks female fertility, increasing their singing efforts as their female partner’s egg-laying period approaches, and then quietening after she starts laying. Modern technological advances are allowing insight into the hidden meaning embedded in great tits’ songs. In-depth processing of 109,000 recordings of great tit songs has revealed how each bird’s melody tells the story of their own identity as well as that of their local culture and social circles.

A great tit’s age also affects their song: older males keep singing rarer, fading song types while younger birds adopt newer ones. So, Britain’s greatest song belongs to the great tit’s “teacher-teacher” call, for all it has taught us, and for all we have left to learn.

Chaffinch

Championed by Joey Baxter, PhD Candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Sheffield

Why change a winning formula? As far as I’m concerned, the chaffinch sings the biggest banger that UK birds have to offer. While the blackcap attempts to impress with ostentatious bells and whistles, the chaffinch keeps things simple with a catchy riff. Where the starling goes for quantity and novelty, with a frankly plagiaristic repertoire of mimicry, the chaffinch goes for quality, singing proudly in the knowledge that it is delivering a true earworm.

Bubbling trills accelerate before tumbling downwards, slowing to rich watery chirps and finishing with the final flourish. This jaunty lick, the real hook of the song, is often punctuated by an upward inflection at its end, the rising intonation giving it the air of an unanswered question. The chaffinch’s song has rhythm, it has melody, and it’s instantly recognisable. It possesses the wisdom that sometimes it is better not to do everything, but to do one thing well.

The identity of United’s next full-time manager remains uncertain with only four matches left to play this term, though former long-serving midfielder Carrick is widely believed to be the frontrunner for the permanent role after impressing since taking the interim reins in January following the sacking of Ruben Amorim after only 14 months in charge.

Footage from the security checkpoint shows officers taking down magnetometers when the alleged gunman emerges from a doorway and starts sprinting toward them with a firearm

Prosecutors have shared a video of the moment authorities say an armed man stormed the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in an attempt to kill the US president.

Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for Washington, posted the video on social media on Thursday, April 30. The nearly six-minute video shows the alleged gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, walking back and forth down a hallway the day before the attack, and briefly checking out the hotel gym.

Footage from the security checkpoint shows federal officers taking down magnetometers when the alleged gunman emerges from a doorway and starts sprinting toward them. The gunman quickly reaches the officers before most of them appear to notice him.

Only one officer visible in the video appears to have drawn his gun before the gunman passed; Pirro said he’s the one who was shot and returned fire.

Prosecutors had previously claimed the agent was shot in the bullet-resistant vest during the melee, but had not confirmed it was Allen who shot the agent. Pirro said that there is no evidence that the officer was hit by friendly fire.

Allen, 31, from California, was injured but was not shot during the incident at the Washington Hilton, which disrupted the event packed with journalists and administration officials, including top-ranking leaders.

Allen earlier on Thursday agreed to remain jailed while he awaits trial. He did not enter a plea during his brief appearance in federal court.

Court papers state that Allen took a picture of himself in his hotel room minutes before the incident, and that he was outfitted with an ammunition bag, a shoulder gun holster and a sheathed knife.

Allen reportedly referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and alluded to grievances over a range of Trump administration actions.

He was charged on Monday with the attempted assassination of the president and two additional firearms counts, including discharging a weapon during a crime of violence.

He faces up to life in prison if convicted of the assassination count alone.

The summer holidays are almost here

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Passengers flying with easyJet have been reminded about an “important” 30-day rule – and ignoring it could cause a few issues. According to the airline, the online check-in process, which is “quick and easy”, should be done anywhere from 30 days up until 2 hours before departure.

And with many gearing up for the summer holidays, the more organised you are, the faster you can board without all the hassle.

Travellers are reminded: “You can check in between 30 days and 2 hours before your flight departs and you can download or print your boarding passes for all your flights. You may need your passport or identity card and we‘ll ask you to confirm your contact details.”

You can store your boarding pass in the free easyJet mobile app or print it out. A PDF on your phone won’t work because airport security can’t scan it. If you lose it, you can print it again – make sure it’s printed clearly.

You may need a new boarding pass

easyJet stress: “If you make any change to your booking – like adding hold luggage or flight changes – make sure you check in again, and print off a new boarding pass.”

It adds: “If you have any technical problems whilst checking in, please don’t give up and do try again later. If you continue to have difficulty, please ask our ground crew for help when checking in at the airport: this must be done before the bag drop closing time.”

“You’ll miss your flight”

Urging people to read its “important timings” section, easyJet stresses that all passengers need to ensure they have all documents ready and arrive at the airport in time or risk missing their flight.

It reads: “These are the important timings when you travel with us. You need to have all your documents ready and leave enough time to get through the airport so that you can be on time for your flight. If you’re late, we may not accept you for travel and you’ll miss your flight.

“All timings are based on your flight’s scheduled departure time. Unless we tell you otherwise, these timings still apply even if your flight is delayed, as we always do what we can to make up any delay.”

The budget airline flies to over 150 destinations across Europe and North Africa. It also operates from a host of airports and in an exciting update for holidaymakers, it introduced new flights to the Canary Islands, Egypt, France, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Poland and Slovenia.

The new routes will launch in winter this year, and will see easyJet be the only airline to offer some of these holiday hotspots from three UK airports.

What’s the point of play? Is it simply a way to keep children occupied, or something more? For some, it’s about learning literacy and numeracy. For others, it’s how friendships form and relationships deepen. But it can be all of these at once, and more.

Most parents recognise that play matters. But there’s less agreement on what kind of play is best. Should children be guided towards activities designed to build specific skills, like sports for coordination, or construction for maths and engineering? Or should the child’s own interests lead the way, regardless of perceived educational value?

Our research focuses on a type of play often dismissed as “just for fun” – playing with dolls. Across a series of studies, we found that doll play can help children understand other people’s thoughts and feelings. This is a skill that underpins social interaction throughout life.

There is pressure on parents to create the “right” environment for development, often filled with toys that promise clear educational outcomes. STEM-focused toys (science, technology, engineering and maths), in particular, are widely seen as beneficial for learning. Doll play, on the other hand, can be viewed as having little educational benefit.

Our findings challenge that assumption.

More than make-believe

When playing with dolls, children often play out scenes between characters. These may seem simple on the surface but could present opportunities for the child to develop social and emotional skills.

As parents, it seems obvious that playmates are important for building and learning about relationships and other people, and recognising others’ emotions (empathy). But what if children can develop these skills even when playing alone?

Previous studies have found that children who engage more in pretend play tend to have stronger social understanding and empathy. Earlier studies, however, didn’t often use controlled methods to separate out the different factors linking pretend play and social understanding.

So, we set out to test this more directly. We worked with children aged four to eight, assessing their ability to understand that others can hold different beliefs and desires to their own. This is an important milestone in social development. If children recognise that their own mental states may vary from others, this should help them better understand other people and know how to interact with them.

After that initial assessment session, children were randomly assigned either a set of dolls or a tablet with open-ended creative games. They were asked to play several times a week, with parents logging how and when play occurred. We didn’t instruct children how to play because we wanted to understand their natural behaviour.

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After approximately six weeks, both sets of children came back and again completed the task about understanding others’ mental states. We found that the children who had been assigned dolls to play with, rather than tablets, showed a greater improvement in their understanding of others’ mental states during the intervening period.

The findings suggest that doll play can actively support the development of social understanding. This is consistent with prior research of ours showing that areas of the brain linked to social processing are activated during doll play, and that children use more language about thoughts and feelings when playing with dolls than when using tablets.

Why it matters beyond childhood

For parents, the message is reassuring – playing with dolls lets children practice skills that they can also use when playing with playmates, like understanding others, anticipating behaviour and responding appropriately.

These abilities matter far beyond childhood. They help us collaborate, resolve conflicts and navigate relationships. In a world that often feels increasingly divided, the capacity to see things from another person’s perspective is not just useful – it’s essential.