Jamie Carragher named the two favourites to win the Premier League title next season after defending champions Liverpool were beaten by Manchester United.

Liverpool’s dismal season suffered another blow on Sunday as Arne Slot’s side lost 3-2 to arch-rivals United at Old Trafford.

The Reds battled back from 2-0 down to level the match through Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo before Kobbie Mainoo scored a 77th-minute winner for Manchester United.

United’s victory confirmed their place in next season’s Champions League and all-but secured them third-place in the Premier League with a six-point lead over fourth-placed Liverpool with three games remaining.

Speaking after the game, Old Trafford legend Gary Neville suggested Manchester United were not far away from challenging for the Premier League title and said it was ‘up for grabs over the next one or two years’.

But Carragher dismissed United’s title credentials and also ruled Liverpool out of winning the Premier League next season, claiming there will be another title race between current contenders Arsenal and Manchester City.

Asked if Liverpool or Manchester United are in a better position to win the Premier League next year, Carragher said on The Gary Neville podcast: ‘I still think Liverpool are better-placed and the reason I say that is we’ve seen Man United’s best team out there today.

‘Liverpool are three of four short there. They also have the players who have won before in terms of the biggest trophies.

‘I don’t think either of them will be there in terms of the title next season. I still think it will be Arsenal or Manchester City.

‘There’s a false economy with Manchester United when they haven’t played any European football and they went out in the first round of both cup competitions.

‘Now that can fool you. Man United will finish third this season but I don’t think for a minute believe they’re the third-best team in the Premier League.

‘I still think Liverpool are in a better position in terms of the squad when the injured players get back and having those players that have won trophies before.’

Addressing the same talking point, Neville said: ‘There’s a couple of real unknowns. The managers and which club is going to recruit the best this summer.

‘Both are going to sign three or four. But how much money do the clubs have to spend money on recruitment?

‘I do think the league could be up for grabs over the next couple of years and I think Manchester United could be in a position to exploit that.

‘At some point, Pep [Guardiola] has to leave. And I don’t think the other big clubs aren’t quite right. There is a league title up to grabs over the next one to two years.’

Manchester United return to Premier League action next weekend against Sunderland, while Liverpool face Chelsea at Anfield.

Title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City can barely be separated going into the final few weeks of the Premier League season.

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners beat Fulham 3-0 on Saturday to move six points clear but Man City now have two games in hand, the first against Everton on Monday night.

Arsenal are bidding to win their first Premier League since 2004, while Manchester City have won six titles in the last eight years.

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MORE: Gary Neville urges Manchester United to ‘trade’ £60m signing after Liverpool win

MORE: Arne Slot singles out Man Utd star for praise after Liverpool defeat

MORE: Roy Keane points out ‘only problem’ in Kobbie Mainoo’s game

A woman has shared her top tips for travelling with only hand luggage, including a ‘genius’ carry-on hack to help you avoid paying extra baggage fees at the airport

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A savvy traveller has been praised for revealing her ‘genius’ method to maximise hand luggage capacity while sidestepping additional charges when flying.

The globetrotter, posting as @lifeofjazz_ on social media, has shared her clever technique for travelling exclusively with cabin baggage to dodge the need for checked luggage at the airport. Initially, she makes certain her case complies with dimensional specifications and weight restrictions to prevent any complications during check-in. But she added: “I have a few tricks that I do when travelling with only hand luggage.

“Number one, I put a bag inside a bag. You see this bag [referencing her video], there’s another bag inside of it. I usually go to Boots or Duty Free, and get a bag because they are not allowed to touch anything inside something you’ve bought already within the airport.

“I have a crossbody bag, obviously that’s fine, it’s tiny. Then I have my small suitcase, make sure you roll everything within your suitcase so it can fit.”

Additionally, she suggests getting on the aircraft promptly to secure space in an overhead locker instead of attempting to cram it beneath your seat.

Commenting on her post, one user said: “I do the duty thing too. Get a cheeky meal deal from Boots and ask for the biggest bag.”

Another user added: “People also don’t realise you don’t need to use those plastic bags for toiletries, you can use your own see through makeup bag, doesn’t matter how big.”

A third user revealed: “But nowadays you can even bring a cabin wheeled bag, just a rucksack. I do the duty free bag but Ryanair told me they have limitations on duty.”

Another traveller suggested: “I always bring a pillow case put some clothes in.”

This comes as fellow passengers revealed their top tips for enhancing the airport journey, with one stating: “You can’t bring a full water bottle through airport security, but you can bring an empty one.”

They continued: “Most airports have water bottle fillers installed at drinking fountains after security. Beats paying six dollars for bottled water.”

Building on this advice, another passenger suggested making security screening quicker by taking off bottle caps, demonstrating to officers that containers are genuinely empty.

Someone else offered an alternative approach: “You can bring ice in a bottle though as long as it’s not melted. I like to do that and then fill it up inside the airport. I love ice water.”

One savvy flyer recommended bypassing the first water refill point beyond security – typically congested with queues – and heading to the next available fountain for a swifter top-up.

Another traveller shared a health-focused suggestion for extended journeys, noting: “For personal comfort, I find compression socks to really help during longer flights/trips.

“I also carry an empty water bottle through security, then refill it before boarding in order to have plenty of water for the flight.

“I carry a light sweater or thin-down vest in my bag (too many cold flights). Noise-cancelling headphones. I also carry a small external battery pack.

“Always plan for the worst (long lines, delays) allow plenty of time and arrive early.”

Wu Yize played some spectacular snooker on Sunday night and leads Shaun Murphy 10-7 after two sessions of the World Snooker Championship final.

The pair were level at 4-4 after the opening session, with both showing signs of nerves, but both were more settled in the evening.

The 22-year-old in his first final made a blistering start at night, knocking in breaks of 82 and 103 to stride into a lead.

Murphy wasn’t doing much wrong and took the next with a 72, but Wu claimed the next two, including an 89 to look in good nick at 8-5 ahead.

It was pretty relentless attacking snooker from both, with Murphy feeling forced into the odd safety, while Wu took on near enough everything.

The Magician made 70 to take the 14th, before Wu responded with a 66 as the fans in Sheffield continued to be treated to brilliant scoring.

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While Murphy was not poor by any stretch, it felt like he was hanging on to Wu, but it looked like he might escape with just a one-frame deficit when he took the 16th and got in the balls in the 17th.

He was a touch unlucky to land awkward and played, what looked like, a perfectly good safety, but Wu sank an immense long red and knocked in 91 to finish the day 10-7 up.

Seven-time champion Stephen Hendry was loving the performance of the thrilling Chinese star from the BBC studio.

‘What a player. He’s just brilliant. He plays the game properly and goes for the shots,’ said the Scot.

‘He’s obviously at a stage of his career when he’s not had many scars and he’s not thinking about the consequences of missing. He’s just having fun.

‘The important thing is when he’s playing shots, he’s fully committing to them. There are no thoughts of bailing out at any stage.’

He added: ‘He’s having fun out there and that’s the worst kind of opponent you can have, someone who looks as though they’re enjoying themself.’

Six-time champion Steve Davis said Wu is ‘scaring the life out of everyone he plays’ after wins over Lei Peifan, Mark Selby, Hossein Vafaei and Mark Allen.

Hendry said Wu is at the forefront of ‘frightening’ snooker talent from China now at, or rising to, the top of the game.

‘The talent coming through from China is quite frightening,’ he said. ‘[Zhao] Xintong last year, Wu Yize now, a guy called Chang Bingyu who beat Shaun this year with 100 per cent pot success. The young talent is frightening.’

There is a long way to go in the race to 18 frames, which comes to an end on Monday, but Murphy has work to do to keep up with the Chinese phenom.

MORE: World Snooker Championship final halted by protestor complaining about BBC licence fee

MORE: Mark Allen makes Crucible final prediction and reacts to longest-frame controversy

MORE: How Peter Ebdon makes his presence felt while Shaun Murphy is at the table

– The debut episode of Dynasties – which focused on the chimpanzee – became the most popular programme of the month when it aired in November 2018. The series, narrated by Sir David, also documented the struggles of baby penguins fighting to avoid an icy death, with the BBC camera crew intervening and coming to the rescue of the stricken birds, breaking a long-held stance of wildlife filming not to get involved.

“For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” he said in a post on social media without specifying which countries.

The Monday letters page hopes for some Star Wars Day reveals, as a reader shares footage of a cancelled third Maximo game.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Summer gaming
Every December we get people talking about what games they think best celebrate the season, and it’s always Christmas NiGHTS or something, but what about the game that’s best to play when the weather is good?

The first one that always comes to mind for me is Super Mario Sunshine, which is easily the worst 3D Mario but I still have fond memories of playing because it reminds me of the summer holidays. So imagine my shock that when I looked up the release date it did come out in the summer in Japan and the US but didn’t make it to Europe until October!

Maybe I only played it the next summer, but I don’t think so. I think I got it when it came out and it was so bright and sunny, with its beaches and water pistol backpack, that I just associate it with summer and holidays. I actually think that’s kind of neat.
Primer

Dark tidings
Happy Star Wars Day, everyone (assuming this gets shown on Monday). I’m hoping we might get a tease of Star Wars Jedi 3 today, as I don’t think there’s a Star Wars Celebration until next year now. Not sure how likely that is but it seems a long time since the last one, even if they were set back by the director leaving.

I’ve really enjoyed the last two games, even if I don’t really like the grey Jedi theme going on with Cal. I feel the movies made it very clear that ‘once you start down the dark path forever will it dominate your destiny’, so the idea of switching it on when you get to a hard part seems wrong to me.

But I guess that’s the problem with Star Wars nowadays, everyone has their own view of it and there’s no way everything, or maybe even anything, is going to match up with that.
Lonni

GC: There is no Star Wars Celebration this year so it’s not impossible there could be some kind of annoucement today, although something at Summer Game Fest is more likely.

Bored of the Rings
I don’t know how I feel about Warhorse maybe working on a new Lord of the Rings game. Although I would like to see a big budget role-playing game, I don’t know that Warhorse are quite big enough to do it the way I imagine. The scale would have to be a lot bigger than Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and that’s going to cost so much I’m not sure it’s feasible for anyone.

I’d much rather see them make something new. Whether it’s a new historical setting or something completely different I’m not bothered, but Kingdom Come was great at ignoring what other companies were doing and going with what the developers were passionate about. As much as I love Lord of the Rings that’s what we need more of, not more licensed games.
Scooter

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Aging gracelessly
I really like the look of those Commodore 64 and Spectrum portables, but I feel like we’re dancing round the problem at the moment. It’s all very easy to recreate the hardware – you could just run it as an emulator on any PC or phone – but the games themselves are in need of a major update.

I know remasters of such old, UK-centric games are unlikely but as good as The Great Escape and Head Over Heels seemed to anyone at the time I just don’t think they can entertain anyone new nowadays, and I can tell you I’ve tried with my kids.

You could say the same for NES games but of course they get constant remasters and remakes to keep them playable. Maybe there’s something that can be done as a fan project or a Kickstarter but I think the more likely option is that these games will just fade from memory and never be played again, at least within the next decade or so.
Blanko

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Sunny with a chance of snowdrift
In terms of the debate over the new Resident Evil movie trailer I’m happy for it to ignore the characters and even monsters, to a degree, as what works in a game does not necessarily work in a movie, as we’ve seen multiple times with Resident Evil itself.

What I don’t get though is why is it snowing in the film? This is set in Raccoon City, before it gets nuked, and not once has it ever been portrayed as snowing during that time. I don’t think it was ever implied to be winter and I seem to remember everyone having light clothing. Heck, Jill was wearing a boob tube in Resident Evil 3!

Some details like that do annoy me for some reason, as it doesn’t seem to add anything and yet it makes it clear that they don’t care about directly contradicting the games.
Kubrak

Exclusive U-turn
I think it’s obvious that Microsoft’s campaign against exclusives was not coming from an honest place. On one hand it was coming from Satya Nadella, who doesn’t understand games and doesn’t like the concept of exclusives. But most of it was coming from Xbox in general realising they didn’t have any exclusives anyone cared about so the obvious thing to do was try and pretend exclusives were anti-consumer and shame Sony for having them.

The weird thing is it kind of worked. I don’t know that any normal person really believed it, but all of a sudden Sony were releasing games on PC and Switch, despite the obvious dangers of undermining the PlayStation and the fact that they weren’t very good ports and were making Sony look bad.

This isn’t the first time they’ve done this though. I’ve never understood why they gave in and allowed console cross-play. I don’t really play multiplayer, so I don’t care either way, but why treat Xbox as an equal when before they were forcing people to make a choice.

I’m more than prepared to accept I’m wrong for some kind of business reason but here we are and they’re reversing the exclusive policy, or at least that’s what all the rumours say.

It seems to have taken them a very long time to realise what everyone else knew before they even started, wasting who knows how much time and money in the meantime. Seems about typical for this generation.
Focus

The kids are alright
I am actually very surprised that Roblox fans have turned against the new AI graphics mode. It’s probably only a vocal minority but well done to those kids.

It’s not quite NFT levels but there does seem to be a turn against AI in games, that pleases me greatly. Just like NFT we can make a stand and stop companies from using it, if we just close our wallets to them. This is going to be a tougher fight, but I feel we can still win it.
Tacle

Join the queue
Nice to see a call for a new Maximo from Terry Gold this weekend, there are dozens of us!

I first played Ghosts To Glory digitally on PlayStation 3, which nowadays is only a slightly less archaic means than plugging in a PlayStation 2, and it quickly became one of my favourites alongside Contra: Shattered Soldier (I like hard games).

As Terry pointed out, there was a sequel, the Army Of Zin, which sadly toned down the intricate level design and difficulty to focus more on combat.

There was also plans for a third game, footage of which you can see here, but sadly it was cancelled due to poor sales of Army Of Zin and poor everything from Capcom Studio 8’s next and final game, Final Fight Streetwise.

After all these years I’m quietly optimistic we could get a new Maximo, considering Capcom’s can’t miss, fan-pleasing form of late. Although they haven’t made any new Dino Crisis and that seems like a no-brainer.
ANON

GC: Like you, we’d assume Dino Crisis is next in line but after that we’d think there’s a reasonable chance of some kind of new Ghosts ‘N Goblins game.

Inbox also-rans
At this point I’d settle for a low budget XCOM 3 but I don’t think it’s going to happen. I hate to say it but I think 2K has bigger fish to fry.
Loki

After reading that Aphelion review I’ve got to wonder how long has it been since Don’t Nod had a hit? Maybe Square Enix can get them in to try and revive Life Is Strange but if not I’m not sure they’re going to last long.
Klump

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According to the analysis, the cost of staples including pasta, frozen vegetables, chocolate, eggs and beef – all up between 50% and 64% – and olive oil, up 113%, had already seen some of the steepest rises, reflecting their sensitivity to volatile oil and gas prices, synthetic fertiliser costs and climate impacts such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves, both in the UK and in key import regions.

Anthony Slaughter is getting used to being recognised in what has been the most high-profile election campaign of the many he’s fought.

The Wales Green Party leader says he was recognised and greeted four times by people he didn’t know in his home town of Penarth as he walked to our meeting.

As we chat a woman approaches the table to greet him. “It’s partly since the television debates,” he tells me.

“People say in the comments afterwards that I look different and sound different to other politicians and people want change.”

Knocking on doors for the Senedd election campaign he says people tell him their biggest concerns are the cost of living and NHS. No surprises there – but he also says people are hankering after more positive politics.

There’s no doubting that some of the Green Party for Wales’ manifesto for Thursday’s Senedd election is a wishlist most people could get behind. But until now Mr Slaughter and the party have shied away from costing it.

At last I pin him down to figures, which he insists are entirely doable, with the caveat that no party will have the exact data needed for accurate sums until, and unless, they get into power – or at least some form of power-share.

So here are his figures for the Green Party’s Senedd election manifesto:

• Pledge of free bus travel for all people under 22 – £59m over three years.
• £1 bus travel for all people aged up to 59 (the 60 and over free travel would continue) – £325m over three years.
• Scrapping council tax and replacing it with a land value tax – cost-neutral albeit with an estimated one-off administration cost of £3m to £4m.
• Expanding Labour’s universal free school meal for primary age children to include secondary pupils – between £80m and £100m a year.
• The Green Party’s manifesto pledges on the NHS, to boost GP and dental services, and provide more primary care cannot be costed as yet and depend on a “fairer” budget settlement coming to Wales from Westminster.

On paying for all this Mr Slaughter says the current funding settlement “is not fair” and Wales should also get consequential HS2 funding and monies from the Crown Estate. His party would also like to see Wales have more power over income tax, as is the case in Scotland, so Wales can raise money that way.

The Greens would also aim to raise money to help pay for its policies through its proposals for a green transformation fund. This would involve selling bonds for people to invest in the green sector and renewable energy in Wales. The party estimates this fund could generate £200m.

Subsidised and free bus travel would also boost coffers because every £1 spent on bus travel makes £4.50 in environmental and social benefit, Mr Slaughter adds.

He reels these figures off without consulting notes and says he wants to bring more positivity and clarity to politics.

On being positive he looks pained when I ask about a controversial retweet by Zack Polanski, Green Party leader for England and Wales, following the stabbing of two Jewish men in London.

Mr Polanski, who is himself Jewish, shared a social media post criticising Met Police officers’ response to the attack in Golders Green on Wednesday, April 29.

Mr Polanski has since apologised for reposting a post on X, which said: “Essentially (his) officers were repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head when he was already incapacitated by Taser.”

“For me that would not have been appropriate [to have reposted that tweet],” concedes Mr Slaughter.

“I have not spoken to Zack since and I cannot speak for him.”

Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley accused the Green party leader of “fuelling tensions” by sharing the post as he himself posted an open letter to Mr Polanski on social media. Sir Mark said Mr Polanski’s retweet had reinforced “inaccurate and misinformed commentary”.

Officers at the scene were not armed when they detained the suspect, who appeared in court on Friday.

Mr Slaughter says the matter highlights how politicians are expected to respond to things instantly and how social media is “a minefield” for them.

He fears “one of the ugly things” about the recent televised leaders’ debates, in which he has clashed with Wales’ Reform leader Dan Thomas, is that comments risk “demonising the other”.

Before the debates start broadcasters urge the leaders to “fight back” to make good television. None of this is necessarily good for politics or debate, he feels.

While Mr Slaughter has stood in council, Senedd, and Westminster elections in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2024 this campaign is a new beast and he’s ready to take it on.

The Green Party for Wales has never had an MS and has been a party far from power in Wales. That could all be about to change. While polls in this election forecast vary they generally agree the Greens will, within days, have represenation in the Senedd.

With Reform and Plaid neck and neck the Greens, Lib Dems, and Labour have ruled out working with Reform.

If they are able to form a government Plaid, which has previously had a co-operation agreement with Welsh Labour, may not want to be associated with the now less-than-popular party. That means they could come knocking at the Greens’ door.

With the new voting system for the Senedd there may never again be a majority government in Wales, Mr Slaughter predicts. He feels this is a good thing as parties and politicians will have to co-operate, negotiate, and work together for the common good rather than shout at one another across a divide.

His party has not so far had any formal discussions with Plaid on whether it would work with them but Mr Slaughter has thought about how those conversations might go.

While the parties may agree on some key areas there are others that could be tricky and there are some issues the Green Party would refuse to compromise on.

“There have been no official talks with Plaid Cymru but I have made it clear where I will listen and collaborate. Co-operation is in my DNA,” Mr Slaughter says.

“I have spent a lot of time talking to the Scottish Greens who have done this (a deal with a minority SNP government).

“When that deal started to crumbling they walked away and we would too,” he cautions.

“It’s not about red lines but we have to be clear what our priorities are. Meaningful action on climate and nature is critical.”

One contentious potential issue could be pylons to take electricity from wind farms to connect to the grid – a matter fiercely opposed by many in affected rural areas of Wales.

“We need pylons,” Mr Slaughter says. “We need large-scale infrastructure.

“I would never diminish people’s attachment to the landscape but it’s no help if the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru say: ‘We can put it all undeground. We don’t need pylons’ because we do. Wales is 20 years behind where it could be on renewables.”

He believes whoever takes charge of the Senedd needs to be more honest and open reality and to act faster and more boldly to put that policy in place.

He accuses the Labour Party of being “bad at communications” and holding up policy with onerous consultations.

On the matter of whether some voters are turning to the Green Party more out of despair at Labour or dislike of Reform Mr Slaughter insists that is not the main thrust behind his party’s growth.

“Zack becoming leader did turbo-charge growth in Green Party support but the fundamentals were already there,” he says. ” We were already growing.

“We have had big action days in Cardiff. People are really fired up and excited. I am recognised now and I am confident with that. It’s encouraging.

“With this campaign you are not just hoping but believing you can win and that changes the dynamic. We have not been so well-resourced and professional in previous campaigns.”

With days to go before polling day the leader of the Green Party in Wales is excited and ready to see what comes next.

After all the campaigns he’s fought did he ever think his party would get this close to seats in the Senedd and perhaps even power-share in government?

“I wouldn’t have kept doing it if I hadn’t,” he replies with a quiet smile.

In a world of instant demands politics can be a long game after all.

“Sporty Spice” was at Market Street record shop, Wax and Beans, to celebrate the release of Sweat, her new album which has been available to buy and stream since Friday, May 1.

Fans queued round the block at the independent record shop for their chance to meet the former girl group star turned solo singer.

Wax and Beans co-owner Ben Soothill said: “To be honest we had to cap it at 300 because we only had two hours to do this, otherwise we could have had 500 to 600 people.

Fans gathered at Wax and Beans in Bury for a meet and great with Spice Girls icon Melanie C (Image: Danny Crompton)

“It’s exceeded expectations, it was a great vibe tonight. We had a couple of DJs, there were original fans of the Spice Girls from the 90s and there were young kids as well.”

He added: “It’s certainly up there in terms of the crowds we’ve had. Jade from Little Mix drew a really big crowd for us last year. That was a younger crowd, but this is definitely one of the biggest we’ve had as well.”

Fans gathered at Wax and Beans in Bury for a meet and great with Spice Girls icon Melanie C (Image: Danny Crompton)

Melanie, full name Melanie Chisholm, first found stardom in the 1990s as a member of British pop sensation the Spice Girls.

With more than 100 million record sales worldwide, the group became the biggest girl group of all time thanks to global hits like Wannabe, 2 Become 1, Spice Up Your Life and many more.

Fans gathered at Wax and Beans in Bury for a meet and great with Spice Girls icon Melanie C (Image: Danny Crompton)

Launching a solo career in the late 90s, Melanie went on to achieve solo stardom with hits like Never Be The Same Again and I Turn To You.

She has also taken part in various Spice Girls reunions throughout the 2000s and 2010s.

Fans gathered at Wax and Beans in Bury for a meet and great with Spice Girls icon Melanie C (Image: Danny Crompton)

Sweat marks her ninth solo album and is said to draw inspiration from the UK’s ’90s rave scene, which is described as a formative part of her youth.

A statement from Melanie C’s team said: “Recorded between London, Stockholm and Sydney, ‘Sweat’ fuses her past and present – the sport and the spice, the forgotten teenage raver and the accomplished DJ.”

Fans gathered at Wax and Beans in Bury for a meet and great with Spice Girls icon Melanie C (Image: Danny Crompton)

Wax and Beans has become a much-loved staple of the music scene in Bury and elsewhere across Greater Manchester and the North West.

A regular host to events like Record Store Day, Wax and Beans was named Best Independent Record Store at the 2025 Independent Music Awards.

Fans gathered at Wax and Beans in Bury for a meet and great with Spice Girls icon Melanie C (Image: Danny Crompton)

MORE: ‘Jade is the next pop icon’ – singer visits Bury town centre for debut album signing

The Market Street venue regularly hosts intimate music events and signings.

In a similar event last year, Jade Thirlwall of pop group Little Mix visited the store to meet fans and sign copies of her debut album, That’s Showbiz Baby.

Clare Haughey, the SNP candidate for Rutherglen and Cambuslang and a mental health nurse, said: “More people than ever before are needing mental health support but under the SNP, our NHS has a record number of staff employed to provide mental health support and our mental health budget for the year exceeds £1.5 billion.