The proposal to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup finals has sparked widespread controversy, following media reports linking the idea to military developments in the region since late February, against the backdrop of escalating tensions between the United States and Israel against Tehran.

According to the Financial Times, Paolo Zampoli, a close associate of US President Donald Trump, has put forward to FIFA the idea of granting Italy Iran’s place in the tournament — to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico — should the Iranian team be unable to participate due to the security situation.

Zamboli explained, according to the same source, that he had discussed this proposal with Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, expressing his desire to see the Azzurri at the World Cup and pointing out that Italy’s illustrious record of titles gives it the technical merit to participate.

In contrast, the BBC quoted sources within FIFA as confirming that there is no intention to consider this proposal, emphasising the federation’s commitment to Infantino’s recent statements in which he confirmed that Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup remains in place, and that there is no intention to replace them.

The suggestion of Italy as a potential replacement, despite its failure to qualify following a penalty shoot-out defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the intercontinental play-offs, comes as the country is set to miss out on the World Cup for the third consecutive time, despite its high ranking among the non-qualifying teams.

Featured image via the Canary

By Alaa Shamali

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In a football world increasingly shaped by corporate interests, Rayo Vallecano remain defiantly human.

A neighbourhood club that has built its identity on solidarity, resistance, and a fierce loyalty to the persecuted. Their story is not just about football; it is about Vallecas, the working‑class barrio of Madrid that shaped them, and the values their fans refuse to compromise.

Rayo Vallecano, a club built on struggle

Founded in 1924, Rayo Vallecano have always lived in the shadow of their glamorous neighbours Real Madrid and Atlético. Their stadium, the Estadio de Vallecas, sits tightly inside the streets of a district known for labour movements, anti‑fascist organising, and a deep sense of community. That identity has seeped into the club’s DNA.

Rayo’s budget has long been among the smallest in La Liga — just £5.5 million compared to Real Madrid’s £469 million, according to reporting from The Independent. Even in recent seasons, their financial reality has remained closer to a Segunda División struggler than a top‑flight mainstay. Yet the club’s fans, especially the famous ‘Bukaneros,’ have turned that scarcity into a badge of honour. Supporting Rayo is not about trophies; it is about belonging to a cause.

A fanbase that stands with the persecuted

Rayo’s supporters have long aligned themselves with people facing oppression, whether political, social, or economic. Their banners regularly reference anti-genocide, anti‑racism, anti‑fascism, LGBTQ+ rights, and solidarity with global struggles.

The fans wave the flag of Palestine at home games, they regularly produce tifo’s for the support of Palestine. The club even released a rainbow‑striped kit in support of “unsung heroes fighting homophobia,” as reported by CNN

This ethos is not performative, it is lived.

When Ukrainian striker Roman Zozulya, who had been linked to far‑right groups, was set to join the club in 2017, Rayo fans protested so fiercely that the transfer collapsed. Their stance was simple: Vallecas would not welcome anyone associated with extremist ideology. The message was clear, the persecuted are welcome; the persecutors are not.

The story that defined Rayo Vallecano, paying the rent of Doña Carmen

Nothing captures Rayo Vallecano’s soul more than the story of Carmen Martínez Ayuso, an 85‑year‑old woman who lived near the stadium. In 2014, she was evicted from the home she had lived in for 50 years after her son used it as collateral for a loan he could not repay. The images of her crying on the pavement shook Vallecas.

Rayo did not hesitate.

The club announced they would pay her rent and help her find a new home, a gesture that made headlines worldwide. Coach Paco Jémez said:

We won’t stand idly by, We are going to help this woman, not just me, but the coaching staff, the players, the club.

He added: “Within our ability, we will help this lady, so she doesn’t feel alone.”  

For a club with one of the smallest budgets in Spain, the act was extraordinary. But for Vallecas, it was natural.

Carmen herself told Marca:

A thousand times thank you, God bless them. It’s a beautiful gesture, Viva el Rayo!

Her gratitude became part of the club’s folklore — a reminder that Rayo’s greatest victories often happen far from the pitch.

Football as a form of resistance

Rayo Vallecano’s identity is inseparable from Vallecas. The fans see themselves as defenders of the barrio’s values: solidarity, dignity, and resistance. Their tifos often show support for Palestine, they reference revolution, their chants echo social justice movements, and their presence at matches feels more like a political assembly than a sporting event.

Images of their supporters, drums emblazoned with skulls, banners reading “Por Nuestro Rayo Revolucionario” truly reflects a fan culture that refuses to be sanitised or commercialise

Rayo Vallecano — A club that punches above its weight

Despite their financial constraints, Rayo have repeatedly survived in La Liga, often playing bold, attacking football. Their recent resurgence under coaches like Andoni Iraola has earned admiration across Spain. But even when results dip, the fans’ commitment does not.

Because for Rayo Vallecano, success is not measured in league tables. It is measured in gestures like helping Doña Carmen, in standing with the oppressed, in refusing to compromise the values of Vallecas.

The beating heart of Vallecas

Rayo Vallecano are more than a football club. They are a symbol of a community that has always fought back, against poverty, against eviction, against discrimination, against indifference. Their fans support the persecuted because they know persecution. They defend dignity because they have had to defend their own.

In an era where football often feels detached from real life, Rayo Vallecano remain gloriously, defiantly human.

Featured image via the Canary

By Faz Ali

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In a new interview, the slippery Keir Starmer avoided answering the question when asked if he has his Cabinet’s backing:

WATCH: Keir Starmer refuses to say if the Cabinet is behind him amid the Mandelson vetting scandal pic.twitter.com/MWMfmJnDGA

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) April 23, 2026

This would be a terrible look for any prime minister. It’s even worse for Starmer, because if he doesn’t have the backing of his Cabinet, he doesn’t have the backing of anyone:

POLL AVERAGE | Net approval of leaders:

Polanski -8
Davey -8
Badenoch -14
Farage -16
Corbyn -36
Starmer -44

Farage enjoys the highest approval figure (32%), whilst Keir Starmer has the lowest (19%). pic.twitter.com/hevSO4etMq

— Stats for Lefties (@LeftieStats) April 3, 2026

Controversy

It’s clear why Starmer lost the backing of his Cabinet. At this point, the scandals are really stacking up:

So we're being asked to believe that Starmer announced the appointment of Mandelson before the security vetting had been completed and didn't then enquire about the vetting at any point subsequently, and according to Darren Jones this means due process was followed at all times pic.twitter.com/WckCGE8rbC

— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) April 17, 2026

Just been told by a Minister that there is serious unease in Downing Street tonight that Starmer diverted from his briefing book and went too far in telling the House at PMQs no pressure had been put on any civil servants over Mandelson. “They know that wasn’t true” they said.

— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) April 22, 2026

In the video above, the interviewer asks:

Are you confident the Cabinet is fully behind you?

Starmer answers (and we use the word ‘answers’ loosely here):

The Cabinet is working really hard on a huge amount of issues and what we’re delivering at the moment.

The Cabinet is always working on a huge amount of issues, because they’re the government. If they weren’t working on a huge amount of issues, that would mean something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

To be clear, the Cabinet being run off their feet is not an argument for the scandal-magnet Starmer to stay in position. The last thing ministers need is to be dealing with his neverending string of cock ups.

Starmer continued:

We’re preparing for the King’s speech and all the further measures that we’re going to need to take the country forward. And, of course, the issue we discuss at Cabinet a lot in recent weeks… is the war on two fronts, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the developing situation in Iran.

What we discuss at Cabinet is the international aspect of that, but also the domestic impact in relation to that and the measures that we need to take to ensure that we’re assessing the risks and making sure we’re protecting people in this country from those impacts.

Yet again, Starmer can’t decide if we’re involved in these wars or not.

He likes to brag that he didn’t allow Trump to drag us into the Iran fiasco when it suits him, but then he talks about facing a “war on two fronts” when he needs an excuse for not fixing problems at home.

Oh, and to be clear – we absolutely are involved in the war on Iran, no matter what the PM does / doesn’t claim.

End of the road for Starmer?

As we reported, it’s obvious why Starmer doesn’t want to say he has the backing of his Cabinet; it’s because he doesn’t:

NEW: A Cabinet Minister says they have now lost confidence in Keir Starmer and expect the Cabinet to move against him

[@theipaper]

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) April 22, 2026

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As one commenter noted:

“Keir Starmer refuses to say if the Cabinet is behind him amid the Mandelson vetting scandal”

Keir Starmer’s Cabinet right now: pic.twitter.com/IBEtzztMnb

— Monique Jolie #PardonAssange ☭ (@moniquejolie) April 23, 2026

We’d like to say Starmer doesn’t have long left, but never underestimate the ability of Labour ministers to dither and delay.

Featured image via X/Twitter

By Willem Moore

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What happens next at Stamford Bridge feels less like a recruitment process and more like the next chapter in a long-running drama — one in which the cast keeps changing but the plot rarely does. Now the question becomes: when and how will Chelsea be pulled out of this quagmire?

The dismissal of Liam Rosenior after just four months — but more importantly just six days after co‑owner Behdad Eghbali publicly backed him —  has left Chelsea exactly where they didn’t want to be, scrambling for stability, credibility and direction.

The manner of the Brighton defeat, the players’ visible loss of belief, and Rosenior’s own post‑match outburst made his exit inevitable. But the question now is who steps into a job that has become one of the most volatile in European football.

Chelsea — a club with no obvious plan

The general reporting consensus makes one thing clear, Chelsea are not rushing into a permanent appointment. There is currently, no number 1 candidate, and no appetite to repeat the mistakes of the past two years when managers were hired on long contracts only to be discarded months later.

The club’s leadership, a sprawling structure featuring multiple sporting directors, wants a manager with either Premier League experience or a proven record of success at a high level. That narrows the field, but not by much and with likelihood of no Champions League football next season, the job becomes a harder sell than it once was.

The names in the frame

Even with the current problems Chelsea are facing, certain level of names inevitably rise to the surface.

Andoni Iraola

Available this summer and admired for his work at Bournemouth, Iraola fits the profile: tactically modern, Premier League-proven, and capable of improving young players. But would he walk into a club where managers rarely last a season?

Oliver Glasner

Another coach with Premier League experience, Glasner has impressed at Crystal Palace. His organised, high‑pressing style would appeal to Chelsea’s hierarchy, but prising him away from a stable project may prove difficult.

Xabi Alonso

The most glamorous name on the market, but also the least likely. Alonso will have his pick of Europe’s elite jobs, and Chelsea’s current instability makes this a long shot. Given that there is also a phone call from Liverpool in the pipeline for Xabi.

Marco Silva

If Silva leaves Fulham, he becomes a compelling option: experienced, tactically flexible, and respected across the league. He also has a track record of improving teams without huge spending, something Chelsea may need as they navigate financial losses.

Cesc Fàbregas

The romantic choice. Currently coaching Como, Fàbregas would be a hugely popular appointment among fans. But Chelsea’s hierarchy is wary of appointing a manager without top‑level experience, and there is a belief he may one day be destined for Arsenal.

Beyond these names, Chelsea have previously spoken to Luis Enrique, Hansi Flick, Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi. Any could re‑enter the conversation, but the club insists it will not rush.

Chelsea’s structural question

Perhaps the biggest unknown is not the identity of the next manager, but the environment they will walk into. Chelsea’s five‑director sporting structure has been criticised for creating confusion, diluting accountability and undermining managers.

Any new manager will inherit a squad full of talent but short on experience, a fanbase exhausted by upheaval, and a club facing an £80m financial hit if they miss out on the Champions League. They will also have to navigate the futures of key players like Enzo Fernández, who could be sold if a nine‑figure offer arrives.

What the next manager must fix

Chelsea’s season has been a soap opera: the infamous huddle, the mole leaking team news, Cucurella’s barber becoming a storyline, Nicolas Jackson winning trophies at Bayern while his replacement struggled, and the club’s most in‑form centre‑back playing on loan at West Ham. Amid the chaos, one truth stands out: the next manager must restore belief, identity and discipline.

They must also bridge the gap between a young squad and the demands of elite competition. Chelsea plan to add more experienced players this summer — as a “tweak”, not a reset — but the manager will need to mould a coherent team from a group that has looked fractured and fragile.

The bottom line

Chelsea’s next manager will not just be a tactician. They will need to be a stabiliser, a communicator, and a unifier — someone capable of imposing clarity on a club that has lurched from one crisis to another.

The job remains one of the biggest in world football. But right now, it is also one of the most daunting. Whoever takes it on will define the next chapter of Chelsea’s modern era for better or worse.

Featured image via ChelseaFC

By Faz Ali

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A teenage boy died in custody at Young Offenders’ Institute (YOI) Feltham in West London on 20 April. His girlfriend has told reporters after identifying his body that he had been “beaten to a pulp”. Feltham has been described at the most violent jail in the UK’s already dysfunctional prison system.

A death at Feltham Young Offenders Institute

The Canary was tipped off on 21 April. Feltham staff flatly refused to speak to us, but the Ministry of Justice confirmed the death that evening.

A Youth Custody Service spokesperson said:

We were saddened to hear of the death of a child from YOI Feltham, who died in hospital on Monday 20 April, and our thoughts are with their friends and family.

As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.

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Now more details of the death have emerged. The BBC reported on 22 April:

The London Ambulance Service (LAS) said it was called to the site just after 22:00 BST on Monday to reports of an “unwell child”. The boy was treated at the scene and taken to hospital “as a priority”, where he died.

The Met Police said it was notified of the death in the early hours of Tuesday by HMP Feltham staff. A Youth Custody Service spokesperson said the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman would investigate the death.

The Daily Mail reported that Scotland Yard detectives were treating the death as “unexpected”:

On Tuesday, April 21 at 12.05am, police were notified by staff at Feltham Prison and Young Offender Institute about the death of a boy who had been found unresponsive and later died in hospital.

The London Ambulance Service were called at around 9.30pm on Monday, April 20 and treated the boy, aged 16, before taking him to hospital. He sadly died at 11.43pm.

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The Mail also said the individual’s girlfriend, who was not named, had identified his body. They quoted her at length:

His body had been beaten to a pulp, he was covered in scuff marks and bruises.

‘We had to look at him through a glass window, we weren’t allowed to say goodbye properly.

‘We are so confused. We don’t know how he died. He did have a heart condition but it is one that is very rare to die from.

He was a child

She continued:

His mother is completely broken. She was originally told he had died in the prison but then later that it was in hospital so we just don’t know what happened.

He had been in trouble, but he was 16, a child, and should have been protected. He had his whole life ahead of him and planned to go back to college but now he can’t.

It is a complete disgrace that this happened.

Before the story was picked up by legacy media, a source familiar with the matter told the Canary on 21 April:

He had a known heart condition and the other boys are saying he was calling for help (pressing cell alarm) for 45 minutes with no response.

The source said:

All the boys are heartbroken and they have no proper psychological support in there.

According to the BBC and Mail, and as confirmed by the MOJ to the Canary, a post mortem will be carried out in due course.

The MOJ also told us that in cases of this type involving a minor, names are not usually disclosed:

In terms of next steps, as with all deaths in custody the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will carry out an independent investigation. It is sometimes the case that a name may be published later, for example by the PPO on their website and in their report, or through formal processes led by the coroner.

Adding:

The police and coroner will also oversee the post-mortem and any inquest, which is typically when further details may enter the public domain.

Feltham was described by HM Prisons Inspectorate in 2024 as:

the most violent prison in the country.

The report claimed conditions at the youth jail, which houses offenders aged between 16 and 18, had:

deteriorated significantly since its last inspection, and was characterised by rising self-harm and very high levels of violence.

No child should die in prison

Inquest is an organisation which supports bereaved families following deaths involving the state – including cases like the Grenfell Tower fire and the Hillsborough football disaster. Inquest’s director Deborah Coles told the Canary on 22 April:

No child should be dying in the care of the state, let alone a prison. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

Coles described some of the shortcomings her organisation had seen:

Away from their families and support systems, locked in their cells for most of the day, with high rates of violence and self-harm, and prison guards now allowed to use PAVA spray, it is clear that imprisoning children will always be harmful and never be safe. This death is a urgent reminder of this.

Adding:

The government must divest money away from punishment and prisons and into community based support services to prevent further death and harm.”

The Canary will bring you more details as they emerge.

Featured image via the Canary

By Joe Glenton

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Iran’s state news agency Tasnim has published a map of the undersea cables running through the Strait of Hormuz in an evident warning to the US, Israel, and their enablers of the consequences of continued aggression. Because of the West’s block on access to the site, it can only be accessed via VPN.

Iran is not having it

In a new article carrying a thinly-veiled threat of retaliatory pain, the Iran-based outlet writes:

The concentration of a large number of internet cables in a narrow passage has made the Strait of Hormuz a vulnerable point for the region’s digital economy.

The point wasn’t lost on observers:

Seven major cable systems pass through the Hormuz Strait, including AAE-1, FALCON, TGN-Gulf, ,SEA-ME-WE and Gulf Bridge International. As an example of the scale of disruption any damage to these cables could cause, countries that use AAE-1 include France, Italy, Greece, India, Pakistan, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Yemen, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar.

The ‘FALCON’ (FLAG Alcatel-Lucent Optical Network) cable system crosses several seas and oceans, including the Atlantic, but the Hormuz stretch connects Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India and other countries. Tasnim’s article specifically name-checked US enablers in the region – Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Around 30% of global internet traffic passes through these cables, with the shallow depth and narrowness of the Strait leaving them clustered and vulnerable. Iran’s ability to flex on countries collaborating with the US-Israel axis is clearly not limited to oil.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

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Manchester City may be top again, but their narrow win at Burnley has cracked the title race wide open and Arsenal will feel the door has been nudged back in their favour.

The Premier League run‑in has entered its most volatile phase and if Wednesday night at Turf Moor proved anything, it’s that neither Manchester City nor Arsenal are sprinting cleanly toward the finish. City’s 1–0 win over relegated Burnley put them back on top, but the performance was jittery, wasteful, and strangely flat. It has given Arsenal fresh encouragement at a moment when momentum matters more than mathematics.

Manchester City are top, but far from convincing

Pep Guardiola’s side were expected to steamroll Burnley after their strong win over Arsenal at the Etihad days earlier. Instead, they scored early through Erling Haaland and then laboured, failing to kill the game and inviting pressure from a team already condemned to the drop. Gary Neville called it “the best win Arsenal could have hoped for,” arguing that City will “drop points” if they continue to play with such fragility.

City now lead Arsenal only on goals scored, three more than the Gunners with the sides level on points and goal difference. That statistical deadlock underscores how thin the margins have become. Arsenal will play twice before City next return to Premier league action, meaning the table could tilt again before Guardiola’s side even kick another ball.

Haaland, visibly irritated post‑match, dismissed concerns about goal difference, insisting “1–0 is amazing.” But the unease around City’s inability to put Burnley away lingers.  Sky Sports

Arsenal’s opportunity and their burden

Arsenal’s path is deceptively simple, win and keep winning, but the psychological strain is beginning to show. Back‑to‑back defeats to Bournemouth and City earlier this month shifted the emotional balance of the race, replacing Arsenal’s early‑season swagger with a creeping tension.

Gary Neville believes the Emirates crowd itself has become a factor, “extremely nervous” during the Bournemouth loss and warns that fixtures like Newcastle could expose those nerves again. Arsenal’s challenge, he argues, is as much internal as tactical:

They are so close to the finish line that for a moment they imagine they’ve already won.

Yet this is also a team that has repeatedly responded to setbacks. They will play Newcastle next, with the chance to restore a three‑point cushion and reassert control. The question is whether they can do it without tightening up under the weight of expectation.

Manchester City — Pep is in his element

One of the more striking analyses comes from sports psychologist Phil Johnson, who likened Guardiola to a “queen bee” whose emotional connection keeps City’s hive functioning under pressure. That cohesion, he argues, is what allows City to grind out wins even when they’re imperfect, a quality Arsenal have not yet mastered.  Yahoo Sports

City’s experience of title after title, run‑in after run‑in, remains their greatest weapon. Arsenal’s inexperience remains their greatest threat.

The run‑in, a race defined by flaws

Both teams are imperfect. Manchester City lack their usual ruthlessness; Arsenal lack emotional control. That’s what makes this title race compelling: it will be won not by the flawless, but by the side that manages its flaws best.

City are currently top, but unconvincing. Arsenal are chasing, but energised. With five games left, the only certainty is that the next twist is coming, but it may not favour the team currently in first place.

Featured image via the Canary

By Faz Ali

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An independent review has confirmed that a school did nothing wrong when it postponed the visit of a pro-Israel MP (a vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel no less!). So as we said at the time, it seems it absolutely was just a non-story that cynical actors were stirring up to create a useful scandal.

The pro-Israel MP and the cynical ‘scandal’

Israel’s genocide in Gaza has killed over 20,000 children. But our pro–Israel political elites apparently think it’s a good idea for Israel lobbyists to enter our schools. And they don’t want pesky parents, teachers, or students to have any say about that.

That’s why, when ordinary people questioned pro-Israel lobbyist and MP Damien Egan coming into a Bristol school, cynical political actors kicked up a fuss.

The school had postponed Egan’s visit because there were plans for a local protest against the high-profile member of the “opaquely funded” Labour Friends of Israel. And as the independent review confirmed, its decision to postpone over “safeguarding concerns” was entirely justifiable and legitimate.

Cynical right-wing agitators – Jewish and non-Jewish alike – at the time suggested the postponement was because Egan was a convert to Judaism. It wasn’t. And the fact that the school rescheduled his visit soon after proved its decision was not political or discriminatory.

What the media SHOULD be focusing on…

The problem is that the corporate media was, and is, awful. It fuels the highly problematic conflation of Judaism as a religion and Israel as a brutal settler-colonial apartheid state. And it did this even when reporting on the review saying there was nothing wrong with the school’s actions. For example, outlets ran with the headlines:

• Inquiry clears Bristol school of antisemitism for postponing Jewish MP’s visit
• School cleared of antisemitism after cancelling Jewish MP visit
• Bristol school cleared of antisemitism after postponing visit from Jewish MP Damien Egan

Although it’s completely irrelevant, especially considering what the inquiry itself confirmed, outlets placed focus on “Jewish MP”. There was no hint in these headlines that he’s a pro-Israel lobbyist. That’s despite it being a very relevant piece of information, as the whole postponement surrounded public resistance to his political positions.

It would be amazing if the mainstream media actually:

• Placed appropriate emphasis on exactly who Egan is and the politics he represents.
• Highlighted the current Labour government’s million-pound outsourcing of ‘antisemitism education’ to pro-Israel lobbyist (and former Labour Friend of Israel) Natascha Engel.
• Stressed that schools have been censoring solidarity with Palestine during Israel’s mass murder and destruction campaign in Gaza.
• There have been hundreds of incidents of UK institutions and pro-Israel groups targeting teachers and students with censorship in a systematic attempt to “dismantle solidarity” with Palestinians.
• Schools already have enough problems due to years of underfunding and backdoor privatisation. They don’t have time or resources to be dealing with cynical political games too.

This whole fiasco should be a lesson to us all. But it’s not one the corporate media is likely to learn (or want to learn).

Featured image via the Canary

By Ed Sykes

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Labour looks set to take massive losses across London in the 2026 local elections, with the Greens in particular set to benefit from the demise. However, predicted results are currently too close to call across a remarkable number of boroughs.

That’s according to YouGov’s first-ever multilevel regression with poststratification (MRP) model for the London locals. The news follows hot on the heels of the pollster’s latest predictions for the Welsh Senedd elections, which likewise show historic Labour losses.

It’s really not looking good for Starmer here, is it, folks? Our hearts bleed, they truly do.

Vote-share upsets in London

Let’s start with the vote-share projections for London as a whole. Compared to the last council elections in 2022, Labour, of course show the biggest predicted drop – down 16 points to just 26%. The Tories, meanwhile, look set to take a nine-point dive to 17% total.

Next to those massive losses, the Greens and Reform look set to make the biggest gains. YouGov predicts that the Greens could land 22% of the vote share across the city. For their part, Reform could see a 14-point increase, netting it… 14%.

However, the number of votes each party receives is only half the story. Where exactly those votes come from is, of course, just as crucial.

You’ve only got to take a glance at YouGov’s vote share projection chart to see how close the race may be. It’s got more stripes than a seaside rock shop:

YouGov's London council election MRP forecasts breakthrough for the Greens and Reform UK in the capital, but with close races in many boroughs

# of boroughs where party has highest vote share, central projection
Lab: 15 (-6 from 2022)
Con: 5 (-1)
Grn: 4 (+4)
LD: 4 (+1)
Ref: 3… pic.twitter.com/3ofLUWp3LR

— YouGov (@YouGov) April 22, 2026

Too close to call

The data were drawn from over 4,500 London adults between 27 March and 21 April. YouGov stated that many of the boroughs look so close that it’s unwilling to project wins and losses for specific seats. Instead, it is:

focussing on support for the parties. Owing to the first past the post voting system, this does not guarantee a party will win outright control of a borough, or even the most seats, as happened in Bexley at the 2002 elections and Havering in 2022.

London has 32 boroughs up for grabs. According to the central vote share projections, the second-placed party is less than 2% behind the leader in 10 of those boroughs. Allowing for a 5% difference, 16 boroughs are too close to call, rising to 25 boroughs at 10%.

More to the point, 12 of the boroughs with a 5% difference between first and second place are split between the Greens and Labour. As such, many of Labour’s historic heartlands could ditch Starmer’s party for the left-wing alternative. 

Even Labour’s London mayor, Sadiq Khan, warned the PM as much. As Khan put it, Labour was “in danger of being stonked” in the capital on May 7. He also called out Starmer’s apparent obsession with aping the far right:

I’m slightly nervous with this ‘hero voter’ strategy, this understandable obsession to chase the Reform voter. This could lead to progressive voters feeling, wrongly, the Labour Party isn’t for them.

We’d contest the ‘wrongly’ bit, what with all the recent highly public immigrant-bashing. 

Best case/worst case

Unfortunately, it’s a bit early to call the exact magnitude of Labour’s London losses just yet. The close-run nature of this election means that there are massive margins for error in YouGov’s model.

For instance, Labour could feasibly lead in just 7 boroughs in its worst-case scenario. Conversely, that number could hit 19 at the upper-bounds of the projection. Meanwhile, the upper-end estimate could see the Greens win 8 boroughs, and Reform take as many as 5.

Even the smaller local independents could lead in 3 different councils, with YouGov explaining that:

Lutfur Rahman’s Aspire party is forecast to, once again, come first in Tower Hamlets, having become the first party other than the Conservatives, Labour or Lib Dems to win a London borough outright at the 2022 elections. We also expect the Havering Residents Association to again do well in their patch, but to come under a strong challenge from Reform UK.

Of course, from a Canary perspective, we strongly dislike the amount of Reform teal we’re seeing on the London projections. Our friends in the capital, for all their faults, deserve better than a bunch of racist, lying, racist, incompetent, racist, lazy racists to represent them.

Yes, that was too many ‘racists’. Given that we needed the extra space to add receipts, we put it to you that this is a Reform problem, rather than a Canary problem.

Featured image via the Canary

By Alex/Rose Cocker

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A peaceful protester was stabbed outside Downing Street during a demonstration against the US and Israel’s illegal war against Iran, attended by Iranian activists on opposing sides.

Two men, who were taking part in an anti-Iranian counter demonstration, stabbed Mohammed Reza, a British-Iranian and father of two.

Paramedics took Reza to the hospital for treatment, but the extent of his injuries is unclear. Images circulating on social media show very visible stab wounds to Reza’s stomach. Police have since arrested the attackers.

Only recently, a video went viral on social media showing similar pro-monarchy protestors swearing at Reza, whilst he walked to the station with his children.

The stabbing occurred after counter-protestors threatened the main protest with physical violence in full view of the police.

According to Hands Off Iran Coalition:

Eye-witnesses report that the police seem to have paid little attention to keeping the counter-protestors away from the main demonstration, organised by the

This is despite the fact that police are aware that pro-monarchist anti-Iran protestors have a history of trouble and violence.

In recent weeks, they have also targeted mosques, centres and individuals that have shown support for Iran. This includes throwing Molotov cocktails at the Islamic Centre of England in London.

One rule for them

Over the last couple of years, the British Government has imposed increasingly harsher restrictions on anti-genocide protesters in the UK. From the proscription of Palestine Action and the Home Secretary banning the annual Al Quds Day march in London, to the introduction of the Crime and Policing Bill — it has become clear that the Israel lobby has more influence than ever on British politics and policing.

But now, a pro-Israel, pro-Iranian monarchist has stabbed a peaceful protester in broad daylight. Importantly, this only highlights how extra restrictions and curtailed protest rights are completely one-sided.

The Government claimed the changes would ‘protect the public’, yet it was well aware of the violent history of the counter-protesters, and did nothing. Meanwhile, the police continuously arrest and harass anti-genocide protesters, who have no violent history, simply for opposing mass murder and ethnic cleansing.

Two-tier policing is well and truly alive.

Feature image via the Canary

By HG

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