Connect with us
DAPA Banner
DAPA Coin
DAPA
COIN PAYMENT ASSET
PRIVACY · BLOCKDAG · HOMOMORPHIC ENCRYPTION · RUST
ElGamal Encrypted MINE DAPA
🚫 GENESIS SOLD OUT
DAPAPAY COMING

Politics

Reform Councillor Says ‘UKIP’s Here’ In Fumble For The Ages

Published

on

Reform Councillor Says 'UKIP's Here' In Fumble For The Ages

A newly-elected Reform UK councillor mistakenly declared that “UKIP’s here” in his first message to voters.

Peter Reeve, who was formally UKIP group leader on Huntingdonshire District Council, has gone viral after accidentally mixing up the two parties.

Speaking to ITV Anglia, Reeve said: “Our message is UKIP’s here, working hard with local communities –”

“UKIP?” The reporter cut in.

Advertisement

“Reform, sorry!” Reeve replied, looking embarrassed. “Reform’s here, working hard with local communities.

“I’ve been doing this for 15 years, from the UKIP days through to Reform.”

The slip-up is especially unfortunate as Reform has tried to distance itself from its rival right-wing party – also once led by Nigel Farage – since getting into the mainstream.

However, the MP for Clacton has himself accidentally called Reform UKIP in the past.

Advertisement

Reeve has just been elected as the new Stanground South councillor on Peterborough City Council.

He’s one of four new Reform councillors within the local authority, taking the party’s total representatives to five out of a possible 18 on the council.

Farage’s party has made major gains among councils in England at the expense of both Labour and the Conservatives, winning almost 300 seats by 9am.

With the two main parties taking heavy losses, Farage has already insisted “what you’re witnessing is an historic change in British politics” even as the count continues.

Advertisement

He added: “Forget left-right, there is no more left-right, it’s gone, it’s out the window, it’s finished. As you can see we’re scoring stunning percentages in traditional old Labour areas.”

Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Politics

The glorious revenge of ‘the gammon’

Published

on

The glorious revenge of ‘the gammon’

The post The glorious revenge of ‘the gammon’ appeared first on spiked.

Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

White House Slams Mark Hamill Over Trump Grave Picture

Published

on

White House Slams Mark Hamill Over Trump Grave Picture

Donald Trump’s administration has issued a forceful response to Mark Hamill, after the Star Wars actor posted an AI-generated image depicting the US leader lying in a grave.

On Wednesday, Hamill – who has been a vocal critic of Trump throughout hos political career – took to the social media site BlueSky, where he posted a picture showing the president lying in a grave, in front of a tombstone suggesting tat he died in 2024.

“If only,” Mark captioned his post, before proclaiming that Trump “should live long enough to witness his inevitable devastating loss in the midterms, be held accountable for his unprecedented corruption, impeached, convicted and humiliated for his countless crimes”.

He added: “Long enough to realise he’ll be disgraced in the history books, forevermore.”

Advertisement

Since BlueSky is a relatively liberal platform compared with X, the vast majority of respondents had no problem with Hamill’s post.

However, the White House’s Rapid Response account on X, however, had a much angrier reaction, branding the actor “one sick individual” and a “radical left lunatic”.

.@MarkHamill is one sick individual.

These Radical Left lunatics just can’t help themselves.

This kind of rhetoric is exactly what has inspired three assassination attempts in two years against our President. pic.twitter.com/daJqcyssm7

Advertisement

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 7, 2026

Hamill later deleted his post and created another, which he called an “accurate edit for clarity”, that didn’t directly respond to the White House criticism.

In it, he said, Trump “should live long enough to… be held accountable for his… crimes”, and added: “Actually, I was wishing him the opposite of dead, but [I] apologise if you found the image inappropriate.”

Although wishing death on anyone, or cheering their demise, is generally considered tasteless and inappropriate, it should be noted that this is something Trump has also done repeatedly.

Advertisement

In March, Trump’s response to the death of former FBI director and special prosecutor Robert Mueller was: “Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”

Two years earlier, he posted a video on social media showing an image of a hog-tied President Joe Biden printed on the tailgate of a passing truck.

And just last month, he threatened the entire nation of Iran with genocide, saying that “a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again”.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

David Attenborough Hits 100: 5 Habits Centenarians Share

Published

on

David Attenborough Hits 100: 5 Habits Centenarians Share

Congratulations to the iconic broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, who recently reached the impressive milestone. He is now officially 100 years old.

The national treasure recently said he’s been “overwhelmed” by the love that’s been showered on him on his birthday. The BBC has thrown something of an Attenborough bonanza on its channels during his birthday week, too.

In 2024, the proportion of 90+-year-olds who’d made it to 100 rose from 2% in 2004 to 2.7%.

Which begs the question: is there something longevity legends like the Blue Planet star know, are, or do that makes hitting a century more likely?

Advertisement

Here’s what science says about those who reach the rare status of centenarian:

1) Having a positive outlook on life seems to help

A 2025 paper that looked at 270,000 Swedish people born from 1920-1922 for up to 30 years, starting age 70, found that those who lived to 100 tended to have a positive worldview.

Study author Karin Modig said, “maintaining a positive outlook on life – feeling a sense of purpose – does seem to be a common pattern”.

Advertisement

A separate paper found that those who have a positive view of ageing may be less likely to experience age-related decline. And the Japanese approach, “ikigai”, or having a passion you actively participate in in older age, could lead to healthier ageing.

2) Simply putting off diseases for longer is, obviously, useful

That same Swedish study found that 100-year-olds tended to get diseases later and have fewer of them.

Modig shared, “The results suggest that centenarians have preserved homeostasis and resistance to disease despite ageing and physiological stresses – something that may be due to a favourable combination of genes, lifestyle and environment.”

Advertisement

She added that “Having a healthy cardiovascular system” helps, too. Thankfully, heart health researchers say it’s never too late to improve this through quality sleep, physical activity, not smoking, and a good diet.

3) Good genes sure do help

OK, I admit this isn’t a lifestyle habit, but then, research shows not everything is within our control. One 2017 paper found that having a parent who lived to 95 increased their children’s likelihood of facing common health complications in older age, like high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack.

Still, researchers think only 25% of your longevity is down to genes.

Advertisement

4) Sleeping longer and better may be useful

A Chinese study found that, among older populations, 100-year-old adults who were the likeliest to sleep 7.5 hours (inlcuding naps) a day.

And the very elderly were 70% more likely to report great-quality sleep than their 65-79-year-old counterparts.

5) Eating well

Advertisement

A 2023 article in the journal Nutrients “found strong evidence for an additional role of both diet and lifestyle changes as agents for longer life and reaching centenarian status”.

And a spearate paper, also published in 2023, said that UK life expectancy could increase by as much as 10 years by shifting to healthier diets, including eating more “whole grains, nuts and fruits and less sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meat”.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Politics

Remarkably Bright Creatures Reviews: Critics Praise Sally Field’s Performance

Published

on

Unsurprisingly, Sally Field's work as Tova in Remarkably Bright Creatures has been singled out for praise

Netflix has gone and done the seemingly impossible, and adapted Remarkably Bright Creatures for the screen.

Shelby Van Pelt’s novel became a bestseller upon its release in 2022, telling the story of a lonely widow who befriends an octopus in the aquarium where she works.

As the story unfolds, she and the octopus, named Marcellus, team up to solve the mystery of her son’s murder, with certain passages even told from the marine creature’s perspective.

Because of its unique premise, bringing the story to life in film was always going to be a difficult task, but on Friday morning, Netflix unveiled its new movie version of the hit book, starring two-time Oscar winner Sally Field alongside Lewis Pullman and the voice of Alfred Molina as Marcellus.

Advertisement

The question is… how did they do?

Well, overall, critical reception has been pretty mixed, but one thing reviews can agree on is a stellar performance from Sally Field, as well as the fact that anyone looking for some cosy comfort viewing is onto a winner with this one.

Here’s a selection of what has been said about Remarkably Bright Creatures in the lead-up to its release…

“[Sally Field’s role] requires some heavy emotional bridges to cross as well as a light touch and maternal instinct to make this pairing with Pullman, as well as the vocal performance of Molina, work as well as it does […] Netflix has a warm and rather wonderfully old-fashioned movie winner with this one. There won’t be a dry eye in the house.”

Advertisement

“Respectable and heartfelt, [Remarkably Bright Creatures is] a very straightforward page to screen interpretation that gets the job done and the tears flowing thanks to strong performances by Sally Field and Lewis Pullman.”

Unsurprisingly, Sally Field's work as Tova in Remarkably Bright Creatures has been singled out for praise
Unsurprisingly, Sally Field’s work as Tova in Remarkably Bright Creatures has been singled out for praise

“As a film about animals, Remarkably Bright Creatures is human-centric treacle. But as a film about people, its gentle sense of humour and depth of feeling are enough to sweep you away on a wave of emotion […] It’s as cozy as an old woolen blanket, as sweet as a mug of hot chocolate and, ultimately, as moving as the sight of a sky turning purple over an endless horizon.”

“I’m not sure how much of the film would really work without [Sally Field] anchoring it – she adds volume to what’s otherwise a pretty low-level hum – but with Field smoothly moving between comedy and drama in a film that can’t always move quite so gracefully, it all just about stays afloat […] If Newman doesn’t quite get the tears she’s clearly craving, she manages to leave us charmed enough for it not to matter all that much. Remarkable might be a stretch, but decent will do.”

“Heavy on benevolent feeling and shy of outright human conflict, the film floats and sprawls and spirals like the creature to which it’s glowingly in thrall, but a bit of spine wouldn’t go amiss.”

“As a film, this tearjerking story about giant sea creatures, broken people, and huge secrets works well enough. Much like Van Pelt’s novel, it’s a cosy little drama with twists and turns that feel both inevitable and delightful. It’s all bolstered by Field and Pullman’s performances, which crackle with chemistry and good choices.”

Advertisement

“Too heartwarming to dismiss […] Remarkably Bright Creatures doesn’t need to be remarkable to be worthwhile. It just needs to be comforting, and if Netflix wants to keep owning the Mother’s Day weekend with films like this, then I welcome that effort.”

“[This] touching drama is like a warm hug […] Remarkably Bright Creatures is an excellent film for anyone looking for something heartwarming and cosy to watch. The cast elevates an already strong script, and the premise of a sentient octopus narrating the events of the film gives it a sweetly peculiar way to differentiate itself from the myriad of similar movies.”

“Remarkably Bright Creatures is a heartfelt character piece, featuring a cast that elevates the material and keeps the book’s potentially maudlin tentacles in check.”

Advertisement

“Mostly, Tova and Cameron use Marcellus as the non-consenting recipient of all their trauma-dumping. In fact, the poor creature is happily disappeared from the narrative for a good chunk of the film’s runtime, and no one really seems to miss him.”

Remarkably Bright Creatures is streaming now on Netflix.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Politics

Starmer Says He Won’t Resign After Labour Election Failures

Published

on

Starmer Says He Won't Resign After Labour Election Failures

Keir Starmer has insisted he will “not walk away” from 10 Downing Street despite Labour suffering catastrophic losses in the local elections.

The prime minister said he “takes responsibility” for his party’s performance, which has left them on track to lose around 1,200 councillors across England following a surge in support for Reform UK.

Labour is also expected to have been heavily defeated in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd elections when results start coming through later on Friday.

By 9am, Labour had lost more than 250 councillors, and lose control of local authorities in their traditional heartlands.

Advertisement

Asked if he would resign, the prime minister said: “The voters have sent a message about the pace of change, how they want their lives improved.

“I was elected to meet those challenges but I’m not going to walk away from those challenges.”

Speaking in London, where Labour also lost control of Westminster and Wandsworth councils, Starmer said: “The results are tough, they are very tough, and there’s no sugarcoating it.

“We have lost brilliant Labour representatives across the country, these are people who put so much into their communities, so much into our party.

Advertisement

“And that hurts, and it should hurt, and I take responsibility.

“When voters send a message like this we must reflect and we must respond.

“I think the vast majority of people do understand that we face huge challenges as a country.

“We’ve had a series of economic shocks in recent years and there’s a very difficult international situation at present, they know that.

Advertisement

“But they still want their lives to improve, they still want to see the change that we promised, they know the status quo is letting them down and they’re frustrated, they don’t feel the changes.”

He added: “We’ve made some big calls, to stabilise our public finances, to invest in our public services, not to get dragged into a war in Iran.

“But we’ve also made unnecessary mistakes, one of which was that although we were right to level with the public about the scale and depth of the challenges we face, we didn’t do enough to convince them that things will get better, that things will improve, the hope.

“And that is why in the coming days I’m going to set out the steps that we will take to deliver the change that they want and that they deserve.”

Advertisement

The PM went on: “These are tough results but tough days like this, they don’t weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised at the general election, they strengthen my resolve to do so.”

“I’m not going to walk away and plunge the country into chaos.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reflects on “really tough” results from the local elections in England, with Labour losing hundreds of council seats.

Latest 🔗 https://t.co/SZHhkmXZUF

📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/LJVKBhKnVJ

Advertisement

— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 8, 2026

Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Politics

Starmer vows to stay on as PM after Labour suffers major local election losses

Published

on

MDU logo

Keir Starmer has insisted that he will not “walk away” as prime minister after Labour suffered significant losses in the 2026 local elections. 

The comments came as it was confirmed that Labour had lost control of eight councils, namely those in Westminster, Southampton, Exeter, Redditch, Wandsworth, Hartlepool, Tamworth and Tameside.

Starmer maintained that “tough days” would not weaken his resolve. 

He told broadcasters: “The results are tough, they are very tough, and there’s no sugarcoating it.

Advertisement

“We have lost brilliant Labour representatives across the country, these are people who put so much into their communities, so much into our party.

“And that hurts, and it should hurt, and I take responsibility.”

The prime minister added: “Let me be clear, these are really tough results.

“The voters have sent a message about the pace of change, how they want their lives and those elected to meet those challenges and I’m not going to walk away from those challenges and plunge the country into chaos.

Advertisement

“This has been going on for a very, very long time… But we haven’t done enough to convince people that things could improve, that their lives can get better, that hope.”

Starmer went on to admit that the government had made “unnecessary mistakes” and described his job now as “to set out the steps that we will take to bring about the change that people want and deserve.”

The local election results in England, about a third of which were in at the time of Starmer’s remarks, are likely to be compounded from a Labour perspective by losses in Scotland and Wales. 

Results in the contests for the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru are not expected until Friday afternoon. 

Advertisement

Reform UK, meanwhile, has made notable gains across the country. 

The party secured its first London council overnight – a development Nigel Farage hailed as a “truly historic shift”. The Reform leader confirmed Havering was now “under new management”. 

Speaking outside Havering Town Hall, Farage joked that he would be “very sad” if Starmer resigned in the wake of the local elections. 

He said: “I suspect when you see the full results in the red wall, there’ll be a rebellion. Personally, I’d be very sad to see the prime minister go.

Advertisement

“I would be very, very sad indeed, he’s the greatest asset we’ve got.”

The Reform UK leader stated: “It’s our first win of a borough in London, and that, in some ways, goes against the trend, because the pattern that’s emerging over the country is that Labour are being wiped out by Reform in many of their most traditional areas.

“And what you’re going to see later on today is the Conservative Party being wiped out in their Heartlands, like Essex.

“London goes a bit against the trend in that the Conservatives and Labour have held up in some of the other boroughs. But I think overall, what’s happened is a truly historic shift in British politics.”

Advertisement

One Labour MP, Jonathan Brash, has reiterated his call for the prime minister to resign. 

Brash, the Hartlepool MP who first called for Starmer to step down over the Peter Mandelson vetting debacle, said the prime minister should “set out a timetable for his departure”.

Brash’s comments came after Reform won every contested seat on Hartlepool Council. Reform’s gains now mean there are 15 Reform councillors in Hartlepool. 

Brash responded: “I think the very best thing the prime minister could do now is address the nation tomorrow and set out a timetable for his departure. We can then have an orderly transition, one that, by the way, ensures the full breadth of talent within the Labour party is able to stand, should it want to.”

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Politics Home | “I’m Not Going To Walk Away”: Starmer Says He Is Going Nowhere Despite “Very Tough” Local Elections

Published

on

'I'm Not Going To Walk Away': Starmer Says He Is Going Nowhere Despite 'Very Tough' Local Elections
'I'm Not Going To Walk Away': Starmer Says He Is Going Nowhere Despite 'Very Tough' Local Elections

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his party “must reflect” following heavy losses in the local elections for Labour. (Alamy)


2 min read

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he is not going to quit despite early local election results pointing to major losses for the Labour Party.

Advertisement

Speaking to reporters in Ealing, west London, Starmer said he was elected to serve a five-year term and that he would stand to be prime minister again at the next general election. 

He said the results announced so far had been “really tough” for his party and that he would not “sugarcoat” them.

However, the PM insisted he is going nowhere: “Tough days like this don’t weaken my resolve to deliver the change that I promised. They strengthen my resolve.”

Advertisement

He added: “We have lost brilliant Labour representatives, people who put so much into their communities, so much into our party and our movement.

“And the voters have sent a message about the pace of change, how they want their lives improved.

“Labour’s elected to meet those challenges, and I’m not going to walk away from those challenges and plunge the country into chaos.”

While most results are yet to be announced at the time of writing, Labour has already suffered bruising losses in parts of northern England, such as Hartlepool, Tameside and Wigan.

Advertisement

Hartlepool’s Labour MP Jonathan Brash reiterated his call for Starmer to set out a resignation plan after Nigel Farage’s Reform UK won every council seat up for grabs in his area. 

In Wigan, which contains the parliamentary seat of Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, Reform won 24 out of 25 council seats being contested.

Labour is braced for more losses across England as results come in on Friday, and is expected to be voted out of government in Wales for the first time ever.

Advertisement

Earlier this morning, Defence Secretary John Healey told Sky News that Starmer will “stay the course” in Downing Street despite the local election results.

“What’s happened here is that we’re less than two years into a five-year term of a national government,” he said.

“It’s clear we have to go further. We have to be bolder. Keir would acknowledge we have to deliver more… He would acknowledge that we have to do more to give people a sense of hope for the future.”

 

Advertisement

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Politics

Labour Peer Says Andy Burnham Needs To Lead Party

Published

on

Labour Peer Says Andy Burnham Needs To Lead Party

The Labour Party finds itself in a profound crisis, squeezed from the right by a resurgent Reform UK and from the left by an increasingly confident Green Party.

What began as a landslide victory now feels like a government rapidly losing touch with the electorate, its once-solid base fracturing under the weight of discontent.

Some attribute this slump in support to specific missteps: the deeply unpopular winter fuel payment cuts that hit pensioners hardest, or the latest Peter Mandelson controversy that has once again raised uncomfortable questions about judgement and patronage at the heart of power.

These episodes have undoubtedly damaged the party. Yet they are symptoms, not the root cause. The deeper problem is that Labour is increasingly perceived – rightly or wrongly – as a party that prioritises those who are better off, the powerful and entrenched vested interests over the needs of ordinary working people.

Advertisement

Working class voters are fed up with paying higher taxes for deteriorating public services while the wealthiest grow ever richer, often finding ways to minimise or avoid tax altogether.

Taxes, in principle, should be both affordable and fair. At present, many feel they are neither. Labour appears to offer no compelling answers to the cost of living crisis that has ground down British households for the best part of two decades.

It is true that the government inherited an economy plagued by low growth and public services brought to their knees after 13 years of Conservative mismanagement and austerity. However, the public has grown weary of excuses. They want solutions, not reminders of the previous administration’s failures.

It may be unfair to expect Labour to resolve decades of accumulated problems in less than two years in office, yet that is the harsh reality of democratic accountability. Furthermore, based on the current trajectory there appears little cause for belief that things are about to turn the corner. Growth forecasts and projected rises in living standards remain utterly depressing.

Advertisement

So where does the party go from here if it is to win back the trust of voters?

The leadership question must be confronted head-on and without further delay. Does Keir Starmer possess the qualities required to steer the country through these turbulent times and reconnect with a disillusioned electorate? On the evidence of Thursday’s results, the answer is no.

It’s clear we need a change, and many MPs and Labour voters are looking to the most successful and popular Labour politician, Andy Burnham, to provide that change.

I believe that Andy should be allowed to stand in a by-election to boost Labour’s prospects and to provide the leadership needed.

Advertisement

This is not a discussion that can be kicked into the long grass. Ministers need clear direction and the confidence that the prime minister is fully behind the bold changes necessary to regain public support.

“The leadership question must be confronted head-on and without further delay”

Having promised to hit the ground running once elected, there have been far too many consultations and more reports. Quite simply, it’s not been good enough. Labour were elected to make decisions and deliver results. Any remaining reviews should be given strict deadlines, with clear expectations for actionable outcomes. We need to be laser-focused on just how little time there is left in this parliament to deliver meaningful change.

There is also a strong case for a fundamental review of Britain’s regulators. In some areas, power should be returned directly to accountable ministers. Where independent bodies remain, those failing to deliver improved services or adequate public protection should see their leadership changed without hesitation.

Above all, Labour urgently needs to articulate a compelling national vision – one rooted in clear values and a sense of the kind of country it seeks to build: a modern, democratic Britain that treats all citizens with fairness and dignity, expects everyone to contribute where they can, and provides proper support for those who cannot.

Advertisement

That vision must include ensuring the richest in society pay their fair share as responsible citizens. Bond markets are obviously important but they can be reassured by raising taxes on those able to bear greater responsibility. It makes no sense for Labour to permit a tax system that allows Rishi Sunak to pay a tax rate of 23% on his £2.2m income whilst a secondary head teacher will pay 40 or even 45% on their salary.

Delivery must become the party’s watchword: delivery, delivery, delivery. We hear this all too often but the evidence of this happening is sadly lacking. Ministers and civil servants alike should be held properly accountable for both their successes and their failures.

On the economy, Labour’s hopes rest heavily on delivering growth as the route out of its current difficulties. Yet the government has been strikingly timid in addressing one of the most significant drags on that growth: the damaging consequences of Brexit. Fearful of the right-wing press, it has largely avoided an honest conversation with the public on the issue.

The elephant in the room remains Britain’s fractured relationship with its closest European partners. If the UK is serious about achieving the higher levels of growth it desperately needs, it must explore rejoining some form of single market arrangement. Closer cooperation with European allies is also essential, not only for economic reasons but to defend shared democratic values against growing isolationism in the United States and the persistent threat posed by an aggressive Russia.

Advertisement

The prime minister does appear to have belatedly arrived at this conclusion, which is nonetheless welcome. However, we are nearly two years into government with very little delivery on this vitally important issue. The international trade deals we have entered are obviously welcome, but are sadly insignificant by any measure to the benefits of what the EU could offer.

Without a willingness to confront these deeper structural challenges – and to move beyond the cautious incrementalism that has defined its approach so far – Labour risks continuing its slide.

The party that once promised national renewal now finds itself fighting for relevance on multiple fronts. The coming months will determine whether it can rediscover its purpose or whether the forces outflanking it on left and right will continue to erode its support.

Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Zoe Ball And Angela Scanlon Fuel Strictly Come Dancing Hosting Rumours

Published

on

Zoe Ball and Angela Scanlon

As speculation mounts over who will be taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as hosts of Strictly Come Dancing, two big names may have just revealed themselves as the show’s new presenters.

Earlier this week, Strictly confirmed its line-up of professionals and judges for 2026, following the departure of five pro dancers from the show in recent history.

Under a post on Strictly’s official page announcing the full cast of returning stars, fans on the show’s Reddit thread noticed something notable in the comments.

According to screenshots shared by one fan, both Zoe Ball and Angela Scanlon had posted comments, sparking rumours that they will be teaming up to present Strictly when it returns to our screens later this year.

Advertisement

Fuelling this speculation even further, both Zoe and Angela’s comments were replied to by resident judge Motsi Mabuse, who will be back on the panel on the new season of Strictly.

Both Zoe and Angela’s names were featured on a shortlist of stars shared in the tabloid press last month, believed to have made it through to the final rounds of screen tests for the coveted gig.

Zoe did little to dispel the rumours about her taking over as the new host of Strictly during a recent conversation on her podcast, while Angela found herself at the centre of even more speculation about Strictly when she was recently unveiled as a new addition to the BBC’s Eurovision Song Contest presenting team.

A BBC spokesperson told HuffPost UK on Friday morning: “Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.”

Advertisement
Zoe Ball and Angela Scanlon
Zoe Ball and Angela Scanlon

Jonathan Short/AP/Invision/Scott A Garfitt/

Having competed on Strictly herself more than 20 years ago, where she made it to the final of its third season, Zoe took over from Claudia as the host of companion series It Takes Two in 2011, presenting it for 10 years.

She also briefly co-hosted the main show with Tess back in 2014, when Claudia Winkleman was unavailable due to a family emergency.

Like Zoe, Angela is also a former Strictly contestant, finishing in fifth place back in 2023.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Politics Home | Cabinet Minister Insists Starmer Will “Stay The Course” As Early Local Election Results Show Major Labour Losses

Published

on

Cabinet Minister Insists Starmer Will “Stay The Course” As Early Local Election Results Show Major Labour Losses
Cabinet Minister Insists Starmer Will “Stay The Course” As Early Local Election Results Show Major Labour Losses

Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed John Healey as Secretary of State for Defence in July 2024 (Alamy)


4 min read

Defence Secretary John Healey has said Keir Starmer will “stay the course” as prime minister despite early local election results pointing to major losses for Labour.

Advertisement

While most results are yet to be announced at the time of writing, those that have been declared show Nigel Farage’s Reform UK making major gains in traditionally Labour parts of northern England, such as Hartlepool and Wigan.

Speaking to Sky News on Friday morning, Healey said that Starmer would stay on in the job as he is “determined to do what he believes he’s got a duty to do, and was elected to do  – which is to lead this Labour government”.

Healey added that “too many” Labour councillors had lost their seats, and admitted that national sentiment towards the Labour government has “played a part in making their job harder”.

Advertisement

“What’s happened here is that we’re less than two years into a five-year term of a national government,” he said.

“It’s clear we have to go further. We have to be bolder. Keir would acknowledge we have to deliver more… He would acknowledge that we have to do more to give people a sense of hope for the future.”

However, Healey insisted that Labour could turn it around, recalling that the party lost over 1,100 councillors in the 1999 local elections, two years after its landslide general election victory in 1997, before going on to win the 2001 and 2005 general elections.

Advertisement

“We’ve got to work our way back. We’ve got to win back confidence,” he said.

So far, Reform has seen particular success in the north of England and the Midlands, with Labour losing control of multiple councils.

Councils such as Tameside – which covers former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner’s constituency – have gone from longstanding Labour control to no overall control after Reform gains. Farage’s party also won 24 of 25 seats up for grabs in Wigan, which is the constituency of Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.

In both Tameside and Wigan, the Greens increased their vote share significantly, showing that Labour faces electoral threats from both right and left.

Advertisement

Hartlepool’s Labour MP Jonathan Brash has called for Starmer to resign after Reform took all 12 seats up for grabs at the local election, with Labour losing its majority on the council after having taken control in May 2024. 

Brash urged the Prime Minister to “set out a timetable for his resignation as quickly as possible”. 

“It’s a terrible result in Hartlepool tonight for Labour,” he said, blaming it on a “failure of leadership at the top of the Labour Party”.

However, justice minister Sarah Sackman said she expects Starmer to lead the Labour Party into the next general election.

Advertisement

She told Sky News on Friday morning: “Jonathan Brash was making these calls even before tonight. I don’t agree with him. I believe in this idea that you’ve got to go with a plan, not with a mood.”

The minister added: “The country is fed up with the psycho drama of a revolving door of prime ministers… People want stability, and they want leadership.”

However, she said she recognised that the Labour government needed to “tell a better story”.

“We do need a galvanising message,” she continued. 

Advertisement

“We need to be proudly progressive. People want to see leadership, a clear sense of direction.”

She said that government initiatives, including investments in clean energy and bringing the Renters’ Rights Act into force, must be given a “chance to work”.

“But let’s also heed the message that voters are sending us, that they want us to give them that leadership, and to go further and to listen to what their fundamental concerns are around the cost of living, their everyday lives.”

Elsewhere, the Conservatives are showing more signs of bleeding support to Reform, and are at risk of losing councils like Essex, Hampshire and Norfolk to Farage’s party later today.

Advertisement

However, the Tories have won Westminster Council and become the biggest party in Wandsworth, suggesting that London may become a focus of Kemi Badenoch’s effort to rebuild the Conservatives.

The Liberal Democrats have won control of some councils in both the north and south of England, but lost Hull City Council to Reform UK. 

Most of the council results will be declared throughout Friday and into Saturday, as well as the election results for the Senedd and Holyrood in Wales and Scotland.

Additional reporting by Nadine Batchelor-Hunt.

Advertisement

 

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025