After yet another tumultuous week in politics, Brian Reade says if Starmer had a makeover that turned him into The Thick Of It’s Malcolm Tucker, the calls for his resignation would soon disappear

IS it any wonder most people ­currently find British politics a more depressing sight than a pool of cold dog sick on a new rug?

The bald, kilted fund-robber with his two £350 hairdryers, the rage-baiter and his dubious five million quid “reward”, and the latest dump of Mandelson files, which had TV ­political editors breaking into hot flushes of expectation over something that turned out to be a nine-inch pile of nothingness. I dump more ­interesting food packaging into my recycle bin. And I’m a vegetarian.

Ooh, Wes got a bit hysterical over Gaza, Pat hates backbenchers ­interfering over benefit cuts, Darren told Mandy he was sorry he was sacked and the biggie: Keir Starmer lacks (drum roll…wait for it)…“verve”.

Is that it? We have splurged a million quid on 1,500 pages of redacted word salad which insults the phrase ­tittle-tattle. The only thing worthy of note was Peter Mandelson comparing the chaos inside Keir Starmer’s government to the BBC’s political satire The Thick Of It. Not because it was original but because it reminded me that if Starmer’s government was more like The Thick Of It then he might stand a chance of survival.

How many times have you heard ministers bemoan the fact that Labour is doing great things but can’t get its message across? Bridget Phillipson was at it this week, arguing that they’ve scrapped the two-child benefit limit, expanded free school meals and brought in free childcare but nobody seems to know about it.

Well whose fault is that if it’s not your government’s timid messaging? If Starmer had a makeover that turned him into The Thick Of It’s Malcolm Tucker the calls for his resignation would disappear.

Imagine if he’d said this to Tony Blair after his mealy-mouthed intervention last week (and I have censored Tucker’s swearing): “You’re not a grandee, you’re a bland-ee. You’re political mist – no substance, no weight. You have all the charm of a rotting teddy bear by a graveside.”

OPINION

OPINION

Or this to Kemi Badenoch at PMQs: “You’re an omnishambles. You’re like that coffee machine, you know, from bean to cup, you f**k up.”

How high would you punch the air if he said to Robert Peston: “Feet off the furniture you Oxbridge tw*t, you’re not in a punt now.” Or this to a Daily Mail sketchwriter who fancies himself as a wordsmith: “I enjoyed your novel… way of writing a f***ing awful story.” Imagine the applause if Starmer told Lee Anderson: “You sound like a hairy-arsed docker after 12 pints. You’re so dense that light bends around you.”

Or this to Robert Jenrick: “I’ve never seen anyone look so ugly with just one head. Who did your media training, Myra Hindley? All these hands all over the place. You were like a sweaty octopus trying to unhook a bra.”

And how high would Labour have soared in the polls if, after Nigel Farage had cynically called for “pure, cold rage” following the tragic death of Henry Nowak, Starmer had turned and said: “You want cold rage? How about I tear your skin off, wear it to your mother’s birthday party, and rub your nuts up and down her leg while whistling Bohemian f***ing Rhapsody?”

If you want to get your “verve” back, Prime Minister, then get your Malcolm Tucker head on.

The Four in a Bed contestant was left in tears as she admitted “I get really emotional”.

A Four in a Bed contestant was left in tears moments into the episode.

Father-daughter duo Dennis and Holly were taking part in the competition, which aired a repeat episode on Saturday.

The pair had been the first to welcome their competitors to their Norwich B&B, leaving them impressed with the cleanliness and Holly’s breakfast skills.

So impressed that when the final stage came around, Holly and Dennis received such high praise that she was left in tears.

On payment day, the duo received feedback from Kent hosts Harry and Sarah, Oxfordshire B&B owner Dawn, and Ollie, who owns a boutique hotel in Kent.

While Ollie paid Dennis and Holly exactly what was owed for his stay, Dawn underpaid by £10 due to a lack of wardrobe in her room and dirty windows.

Reflecting on her comments, Dennis admitted: “I’m genuinely disappointed by [the windows] because our standards should be much higher and generally are, so apologise for that. Not good enough.”

He later added to the camera: “Taking the money off was arguably a bit harsh, but I get it. We can’t complain too much, although it was uncomfortable.”

Dawn, meanwhile, said: “I stand by my payment because I believe that a wardrobe is a facility that should be in a B&B. And the window not being clean, everything should be spotless.”

However, Harry and Sarah took a vastly different view, and even overpaid Holly and Dennis for their stay.

After handing over a £12 overpayment, Harry praised: “We had an amazing stay at your place. Everything you needed and more.”

Breaking down in tears at hearing his comments, Holly said: “Thank you, sorry I get really emotional!”

Sarah, also becoming tearful, replied: “You’ll get me going!”

“It means a lot,” Holly added, while Harry later added to the camera: “They ticked every box,” as Sarah said: “They rival some of the best hotels that I’ve ever stayed in.”

Holly went on: “It means so much for us, and we’ve put so much into the business.”

Not long later, it was revealed that Harry and Sarah’s overpayment had left Holly and Dennis the winners.

“I’m delighted,” Dennis said, as Holly added: “It’s the best feeling.”

He quipped in front of the others: “We are all winners, but we’re the best winners.”

Dennis then added to his daughter: “I’m very proud of Holly,” as she told him: “It wouldn’t be possible without you!”

Four in a Bed is available to watch on Channel 4.

Three tunnels form part of the complex under the city

A European city has an extensive network of tunnels beneath it. The Blanka Tunnel Complex is the longest city tunnel in Europe and runs for a total length of 5,502 meters.

The tunnel sits under Prague and is the longest road tunnel in the Czech Republic. It connects the area west of Prague Castle with the Trója district in the North-east of the city.

Three tunnels, consisting of the Bubenečský, Dejvický, and Brusnický, make up the complex, which was designed to relieve heavy traffic from the history city centre. In its first 49 months since opening, it was used by 139 million cars.

Today, it is estimated that 88,000 vehicles use the tunnel every day. The Blanka Tunnel Complex opened on September 19, 2015, but it was a long time coming.

Construction launched in 2006, but it was planned since 1993. The tunnel was due to open in 2011, but the biggest and most expensive project in Prague was delayed by four years.

It cost 43 billion crowns, which is £1.5 billion today and doesn’t include all construction costs. During the construction of the tunnel complex, there were three landfalls.

The incident occurred twice in the Stromovka park, creating a hole measuring 15 to 25 meters. Another landfall happened in the garden area of the Ministry of Culture in Hradčany.

Since opening, the Blanka Tunnel Complex has undergone continuous maintenance. There is 24/7 monitoring by a dedicated control centre that works night shifts to service lights, ventilation systems, cabling and drainage.

Last year, the tunnel marked its 10th anniversary. Prague Daily News said: “It relieved congestion in the city centre, reduced journey times, and took vehicle traffic underground.

“Since its opening, around 780 million vehicles have passed through the tunnel.

“The Dejvický Tunnel has borne the greatest load with more than 271 million vehicles, followed by the Brusnický Tunnel with almost 266 million and the Bubenečský Tunnel with 236 million vehicles.

“Although Blanka has been in regular operation for years, the approval process for part of the project is still not fully concluded.

“A formal decision by the Administrative Court has meant that the relevant section continues to operate only under provisional use.

“Observers, however, expect a final acceptance soon.”

The crash happened at around 2.20pm on Friday (June 5) at the junction of Campbell Street and Harper Green Road.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed the incident involved four vehicles and said there were no serious injuries or arrests.

A spokesperson for the force said: “It was a four-vehicle collision at around 2.20pm on June 5.

“No serious injuries or arrests were made.”

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service also attended the scene, where a temporary police cordon was put in place while emergency crews dealt with the aftermath of the crash.

Firefighters worked to make the area safe before sweeping and clearing debris from the road.

One of the vehicles involved, a BMW, suffered severe damage to its front and front-left side, with an airbag deployed during the collision.

The road was reopened after emergency services completed their work and the scene was made safe.

Voters see Brexit as a “big disappointment” and “not worth it” resulting in a rise in support for rejoining the EU, according to the UK’s leading pollster.

The decision to leave the EU has “not withstood the test of time” and is blamed for making immigration and the economy worse, says Professor Sir John Curtice.

Writing in Sir Anthony Seldon’s book, The Brexit Effect, which is being serialised in The Independent, Prof Curtice says: “The 2016 referendum has failed to resolve the debate about whether Britain should be inside or outside the EU. The country now finds itself outside an institution of which a modest majority at least would like to be a member.

“For the time being at least, a significant body of voters have decided that being outside the EU is not worth it.”

The serialisation is part of a new campaign by The Independent on how Britain can rebuild its shattered links with Europe. The campaign – Europe: The Way Back – will consist of news, analysis, interviews and live events examining the impact of Brexit and what our relationship with Europe should look like.

Prof Curtice says support for Brexit has “changed markedly” according to 500 polls conducted since 2016.

In the last five years there has been “a decisive and consistent shift away from Brexit”. He writes: “As a result, the success of the 2016 ballot as an exercise in direct democracy can be disputed.

“For many it has come to be regarded as having proved markedly worse in practice than they had anticipated.”

Similarly, there was an expectation that immigration would be lower if Britain left the EU. However, while immigration from other EU nations fell, there had been a sharp increase in immigration from non-EU countries.

“Voters seem to have reacted to this unexpected experience by blaming Brexit,” says Prof Curtice.

Brexit was widely thought not to have made much practical difference to the country’s ability to make its own decisions, according to the pollster.

“All in all, then, Brexit has proven a disappointment for many voters. Most thought immigration would fall as a result of leaving the EU. In practice, many now believe it has resulted in higher levels.

“While some always had doubts about the economic consequences of leaving, there is now a widespread view that the economy is worse off as a result.”

There was also a belief that Britain now has less influence in the world, he said.

“Brexit has largely failed to live up to Leave voters’ expectations. This suggests it is unsurprising that support for being outside the EU is much lower now than it was when a narrow majority voted in 2016 to Leave.”

Prof Curtice concludes: “The narrow vote in favour of Brexit has not withstood the test of time particularly well. Within a year, the balance of opinion was already beginning to swing against the decision, and by the time the UK left, there was a clear if narrow majority against.

“Within a couple of years of leaving, that lead had widened into a double-digit one.

“On this issue, the hopes that Leave voters once had of Brexit appear to have been thoroughly dashed.”

Claims that Brexit would lead to Britain regaining its sovereignty were also judged to have been proved untrue, says Prof Curtice.

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So far June has been rather chilly, but that could change later this month

As June gets off to a chilly start weather maps show when a heatwave will return to the UK later this month. The latest weather maps show when temperatures will climb above 30C in parts of the UK after a cold snap.

A surge of hot air will begin pushing into southern Britain on June 17 before peaking on June 18, according to the latest WXCharts. The forecast isn’t quite as extreme as the record-breaking heat seen in May, it does suggest temperatures could reach 31C in parts of England, the Express reports.

The warmer weather comes following a dramatic period of weather swings. Earlier forecasts indicated temperatures could plunge to just 1C in parts of Scotland on June 11, with much of the UK seeing overnight lows of between 5C and 8C. Even the normally warmer South East was forecast to struggle to reach double figures on the coldest day.

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Following chilly interlude, weather maps show temperatures rebounding sharply, with parts of southern and eastern England turning red on forecasting charts as warmer continental air spreads across the country. According to the June 18 temperature map, the hottest conditions are expected across East Anglia, the South East and parts of the East Midlands.

Greater London and South East experience the highest values on the map, with temperatures up to 30C. According to the map, temperatures in those areas actually span a wider range, starting from as low as 18C along the Welsh coast and reaching up to 28C in the Midlands and South West, and 29C in the North East.

However, forecasters caution that the warmth may be short-lived. Previous charts have suggested temperatures could fall by nearly 10C within days of the peak, highlighting the highly changeable nature of June’s weather.

The Met Office’s long-range forecast for June 10 to June 19 states: “Changeable early in this period with Atlantic low pressure systems affecting the UK. These will bring showers or longer spells of rain at times. The wettest conditions will be in the northwest, with more in the way of drier interludes in the southeast.

“Strong winds may affect parts of the UK at times, especially the northwest. Later in the period, higher pressure and more settled conditions may begin to become more prevalent, especially in the south. There will probably still be some showers or longer spells of rain though. Temperatures are likely to be near to or a little above normal overall.”

Areas forecast to see temperatures of 27C or higher include:

• South East
• Greater London
• East Anglia
• East Midlands
• West Midlands

For more of today’s top stories, click here.

EXCLUSIVE: Convicted twice and acquitted twice of murder, Amanda Knox describes the miscarriage of justice against Andrew Malkinson, who was wrongly branded a rapist, as “absolutely horrifying.”

Convicted twice and acquitted twice of murder, Amanda Knox describes the miscarriage of justice against Andrew Malkinson, who was wrongly branded a rapist, as “absolutely horrifying.”

Ms Knox says of Mr Malkinson, 59, who served 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit: ’It also sounds like a very typical wrongful conviction case, where authorities got tunnel vision. They went after the wrong person and then, all of these years later, after somebody has had their entire life derailed, they actually find the true perpetrator.”

This week, father-of-six Paul Quinn, 52, was given a 24 year sentence for the rape, which Mr Malkinson – a security guard working in Salford when he was arrested – has dubbed an “insult.”

Recalling her own first night in jail, Ms Knox – who served nearly four years in an Italian prison after her wrongful conviction for the 2007 murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher, 21 – says: “I imagine that [Malkinson] had the very same feeling that I had, which is ‘oh my god, this is a huge misunderstanding. ‘My innocence will ultimately become clear.

“I lived for years with the feeling like, ‘okay, there’s this crazy story that’s being put out there, but there are these institutions that I trust and there’s truth beyond a reasonable doubt.’”

Now married to US author and podcaster Christopher Robinson, 43, with whom she has a daughter, Eureka Muse, 5, and a son, Echo, 3, Amanda, 38, also believes misogyny was “absolutely 100%” involved in her own wrongful conviction.

Speaking to Tom Swarbrick on LBC radio, she says there was a “hyper focus” on her. Claiming she was portrayed as a “femme fatale,” she adds that the focus on “my appearance, my behaviour, [was] as an attempt to make me seem guilty.”

She feels the same misogyny has been faced by Lucy Letby, the 36-year-old former neonatal nurse, serving life for the murder of seven infants and attempted murder of seven others between June 2015 and June 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Ms Knox says she was seen as having “the face of an angel but is really a demon inside.” Now host of Doubt: The Lucy Letby Podcast, Ms Knox “leans in the direction” of Letby’s innocence.

She has written to her and says, if they ever speak, she won’t sugar-coat the fact that wrongly convicted people do die in jail. She says: “What I can guarantee her is that her life is worth living.

“No matter what circumstances we arrive at in life, we can find a way to find meaning out of them.”

Ms Knox, who lives in Seattle, USA, says she still thinks about Meredith, who she lived with in Puglia, Italy, where they were exchange students, every day, but that her parents “never seemed to want to speak to me.”

She says of Meredith, who came from Coulson, south London: “She has left an indelible mark on my life. She was a real person who I knew. Especially now that I’m a mother, I think about my daughter entering a world that is not fair and not kind and is not safe for women. She [Meredith] changed the course of my life.”

*Amanda Knox was speaking on LBC’s Drive with Tom Swarbrick and is availableon Global Player and the LBC App.

Ends

A video has been released of the moment of a serious hit and run collision that left a man with ‘life changing injuries’.

The collision took place in a 20mph zone on Northgate on the Headland in Hartlepool and left 22-year-old Ryan Cameron with a serious head injury.

Liam Kenny, of Miers Avenue, Hartlepool, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and banned from driving for 51 months at Teesside Crown Court on Monday, June 1, after pleading guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, drink and drug driving, and riding without a licence or insurance.

The video, released by Cleveland Police, shows Kenny in a bar, then speeding through the streets on the bike. 

Detective Constable Aileen Ward, from the Matrix Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This case highlights the devastating consequences that dangerous driving can have on individuals, families and communities.

“This was a 20mph area designed to protect the public, yet Liam Kenny chose to ignore the law.”

Liam Kenny. (Image: CLEVELAND POLICE)

Mr Cameron had been out collecting a pizza with his mum when he was hit by a Yamaha 125 motorcycle ridden by Kenny.

He suffered a fractured jaw and skull, as well as bruising and bleeding on the brain.

The court heard Kenny had spent several hours drinking at a nearby pub before taking the motorcycle, which did not belong to him.

He fled the scene after the crash but was later arrested and found to be almost four-and-a-half times over the legal alcohol limit and 12 times over the limit for benzoylecgonine, a substance linked to cocaine use.

DC Ward said Mr Cameron continues to undergo rehabilitation one year on and has shown “remarkable strength throughout his recovery.”

“Our thoughts remain firmly with the victim, who sustained traumatic and life changing injuries, including a significant brain injury as a result of the collision,” she said.

“The impact on his life is irreversible.

“He supports the road safety message highlighted by this case and hopes that no one else has to experience the same devastating consequences.

“I would also like to thank the witnesses who came forward, along with the Great North Air Ambulance Service, paramedics, off-duty medical personnel and members of the public, whose swift actions and intervention helped to save the victim’s life.

“We hope this case serves as a clear reminder to drivers and riders across Hartlepool and the wider Cleveland area that unsafe and illegal behaviour on our roads will not be tolerated.”

Kevin Reeves, 31, of Portswood Road, Southampton; Andrew Riddett, 38, of Seacombe Green, Southampton; Harry Varney, 34, of Briarswood, Southampton;Taylor Grundy, 22, of Pavillion Way, Gosport; and Dillon Crawford, 29, of Wilton Avenue, Southampton, were charged with violent disorder, Hampshire Police said.