Thursday, October 31, 2024
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Guardiola issues Manchester City warning after Fulham player’s seen flying kites



Pep Guardiola says he has no doubt Fulham will “do everything” to beat Manchester City in Saturday’s clash (11 May), no matter how much fun they have had in training.

Video footage circulated this week of some of Fulham’s squad flying kites at the club’s training ground during a lighter moment in their schedule.

That prompted some fans of City’s title rivals Arsenal to question whether the mid-table Cottagers will have their minds fully on the job as they prepare to host the champions on Saturday lunchtime.



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Week-in-Review: Conservative defections reflect Keir Starmer’s ruthless pursuit of power – Politics.co.uk

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What is Keir Starmer’s defining characteristic politically? If you ask the wider public, according to the recent rise of polling-informed “word clouds”, the answer tends to be some shade of: he’s “boring”, “dull”, “bland”. And, no matter how high Labour’s polling lead climbs, Starmer cannot detach himself from a response that — for any other leader — would serve as a two-word political eulogy: “Don’t know”.

The Conservative response to Starmer’s death by a thousand adjectives is to conclude that Labour is winning in spite of their leader, not because of him. As long as voters populate Starmer’s word clouds with “Don’t knows” and “Not sures”, we shouldn’t rule out a Conservative recovery, this logic runs. 

At Westminster, this view of Starmer as “dull” reflects a broader discourse of uncertainty surrounding the Labour leader: with which intra-party faction does he best identify? What could this tell us about the ideological tenor of a Starmer government? 

But we are now approaching the point in the electoral cycle when to suggest you “don’t know” who Starmer is politically — for those who occupy Westminster at least — is to admit you haven’t been paying close enough attention. Having chalked up two Conservative defections in as many weeks, the Labour leader has once again displayed that his primary organising principle as a politician is his breathtaking ruthlessness.

For the Labour left, Starmer’s “ruthlessness” and plan to pursue power at the apparent expense of principle is his foremost vice. Scattered and demoralised, the Socialist Campaign Group’s membership owes its recent stay in the political wilderness to Starmer’s merciless machinations. Conservative infighting rumbled into a new phase this week, with rebels having resolved to let Rishi Sunak own the coming cataclysm. But don’t be fooled by the noise surrounding the conversion of Natalie Elphicke, Starmer’s internal fight is over.

Ultimately, to understand why this view of Starmer as “boring” or somehow inscrutable still shapes SW1 discourse, one must return to the circumstances in which he first emerged as Labour leader in 2020. Then, having vanquished his leadership rivals, the scale of Starmer’s struggle for power no less than defined Westminster’s perception of him. Facing a buccaneering Boris Johnson at the peak of his powers, Starmer was quickly written off as unworthy of the challenge ahead. Johnson conducted his politics through force of personality, through spectacle. In short, Labour’s attempts to cast Starmer as Johnson’s managerial foil may have set up a political windfall — but it did not excite contemporary observers. 

Parliamentary arithmetic, too, was said to define Starmer’s destiny. Johnson was not just shaping how we treat our politicians — but, in pursuing Brexit, Britain’s very electoral geography. Could Starmer thwart the shifting tectonic plates of UK politics in a single term? Few commentators spotted hints the Labour leader could succeed where so many of his predecessors had failed — certainly now the terms of the political battle had shifted so definitely in the Conservatives’ favour. 

Rishi Sunak’s disappearing majority: where have so many Conservative MPs gone?

In this sense, Starmer’s future became self-fulfilling. He was destined to lose and therefore irrelevant; and irrelevant and therefore destined to lose. Worse still for Starmer, this dynamic was playing out during a once-in-a-generation pandemic, when the to-and-fro of politics was suspended in favour of sombre consensus. Throughout Covid, the spotlight searched for Downing Street and Johnson, not Starmer’s lawyerly quibbling. At best, he was “forensic” — but ahead of the infamous Hartlepool by-election in 2021, Starmer proved unable to cross-examine his way through the Conservatives’ “vaccine bounce”.

Suffice it to say, the Labour leader was never afforded a forum in which to publicly define his mode of politics during this period. But through 2020-2022, Starmer found solace in his ability to govern and mould his party. By disempowering and dispossessing his left flank, the Labour leader exhibited a propensity for taking significant but calculated risks: a trait that has only strengthened as Starmer’s ruthless pursuit of power has progressed. 

Starmer goads Sunak after Conservative MP defects: ‘What is the point of this government?’

This is the prism, in the end, through which we should seek to understand Natalie Elphicke’s defection to the Labour Party this week — and the ruthless PMQs choreography which came with it. At 12 noon on Wednesday, most of the shadow cabinet — including Rachel Reeves and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper (whose brief Elphicke’s defection has clearly implicated) — remained non-the-wiser to Starmer’s designs. And, crucially, neither was Rishi Sunak. The PM was due a tough enough outing after his party’s local elections drubbing; and he could muster no meaningful comeback to a further defection and Starmer’s rolling reproofs.  

Indeed, viewed against the backdrop of the local elections, it is no secret that Elphicke’s defection adds further weight to the prevailing narrative of Conservative decay and decline. Elphicke is, of course, the second Tory turncoat in as many weeks — having followed Dr Dan Poulter to the welcome embrace of Starmer’s Labour Party.

Starmer vows to restore ‘integrity’ to asylum system with new Border Security Command

Last month, Starmer seized on Poulter’s defection to make a broader pitch to Conservative voters on mental health and the state of the NHS. On Friday, Elphicke served as the warm-up act to a significant speech from the Labour leader on illegal migration. The symbolism was plain: a Conservative MP at the forefront of the small boats crisis has defected to Labour just as the government is set to operationalise the Rwanda scheme. 

But more broadly, the drumbeat of defections and set-piece speeches would suggest that Starmer is not yet done drawing from Conservative ranks. 12 days separated Poulter and Elphicke’s defections — how long before British politics gains another born-again Starmerite?

On the surface, this is the Labour leader taking his mantra to “fight like we’re five points behind [in the polls]” extremely seriously. Defection after defection, by-election routing after by-election routing, Starmer intends to utterly enervate the Conservative Party — only to tussle with what remains across the despatch box after the next election.

To ask, then, whether Starmer underestimated the backlash in the Labour Party to Elphicke’s defection is to misunderstand his politics — or lack thereof. In Tom Baldwin’s biography of the Labour leader, Angela Rayner recently remarked of her boss: “Keir is the least political person I know”. It is, ultimately, Starmer’s lack of political loyalties or clear association with a party tradition (he has only been an MP since 2015) that empowers his ruthlessness. Today, Starmer’s politics is entirely ends-focussed; with electoral victory the Labour leader’s lone North Star. Intra-party concerns are, at best, an afterthought.

Indeed, commentators lampoon the Labour “big tent” for expanding beyond its reasonable limits after Elphicke’s entrance; but consider just how well that suits the apolitical Starmer, who has long sought to cultivate a wide appeal — even far into Conservative territory where Elphicke resides. 

As such, the clear subtext of Starmer’s speech on illegal migration on Friday was that he intends to turn his party into a vehicle for those who desire effective, stable governance. The wide ideological reach of the Starmer project is its very point.

Don’t doubt either that Starmer will soon turn on his defectors, and Elphicke in particular. With Starmer’s speech on illegal migration having garnered greater media attention than it might have otherwise, expect the former Tory to now be quietly sidelined — unless Starmer resolves she can be redeployed in his war on Conservative rule.

In the end, after the local elections and two Tory defections, the days that saw Starmer shrugged off a political irrelevancy seem more distant than ever.

Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on X/Twitter here.

Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website, providing comprehensive coverage of UK politics. Subscribe to our free daily newsletter here.

Labour’s small boats strategy is the essence of ‘Starmerism’





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Fulham vs Man City: Premier League – LIVE!

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Pep Guardiola’s side are on a 20-match unbeaten run in the Premier League, their last defeat coming in December against Aston Villa, and there has been little indication that a slip-up is imminent. There is a further boost in that City have a fully-fit squad to choose from, while Erling Haaland is back to top form after scoring four goals against Wolves last weekend.



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How Did MMA Outgrow Boxing in Terms of Fan Base and Revenue Generation?


Introduction to the Rise of MMA

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), with the UFC as its flagship, has skyrocketed in popularity to become a major force in global sports entertainment, boasting an estimated 300 million fans worldwide. This impressive number showcases a substantial fan base spanning various demographics. Notably, MMA resonates strongly with younger audiences, particularly males aged 18 to 35, who are pivotal in digital engagement and content consumption. The sport’s visceral appeal, combined with a format that encourages frequent high-stakes battles, aligns well with the fast-paced media consumption habits of this demographic. Additionally, MMA’s ability to integrate various fighting styles—from boxing to wrestling to jiu-jitsu—offers a dynamic spectacle that captures the interest of a diverse audience, setting the stage for its explosive growth.

Global Expansion and Appeal

The global reach of Mixed Martial Arts is a testament to the strategic expansion efforts of organizations like the UFC and ONE Championship, which have successfully broadcast events in over 170 and 190 countries, respectively. This extensive international presence has been instrumental in cultivating a worldwide following, drawing fans from every corner of the globe. These organizations have not only promoted their events globally but have also localized content to cater to diverse audiences, further strengthening their international appeal. This proactive approach in global marketing sharply contrasts with the sport of boxing, which, despite its venerable history and strong foothold in traditional strongholds like the U.S., Mexico, and the U.K., has not achieved the same level of global penetration. Boxing’s more fragmented industry structure, with multiple governing bodies and a lack of unified marketing strategies, has hindered its ability to expand on a global scale as effectively as MMA.

Pay-Per-View Success and Financial Impact

The Pay-Per-View (PPV) model has been pivotal in demonstrating the burgeoning appeal of Mixed Martial Arts compared to boxing. For instance, the UFC 229 event, featuring the much-anticipated clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, set a remarkable record with 2.4 million PPV buys, amassing about $180 million in revenue. This event is just one of many that underscore the robust, consistent demand for MMA content. Following this, other significant events like UFC 264 and UFC 202 also garnered impressive numbers, with 1.8 million and 1.65 million PPV buys respectively. This consistent performance is indicative of MMA’s ability to regularly draw large audiences, thereby maintaining a steady revenue stream. On the contrary, while boxing can also generate substantial PPV revenue, as evidenced by the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao bout, which achieved an astounding 4.6 million buys and generated over $400 million, it tends to depend more on less frequent, high-profile fights. This reliance on marquee matchups highlights a key difference in revenue generation strategies between the two sports, with MMA capitalizing on a more regular schedule of appealing fights to maintain viewer interest and financial success.

Economic Contributions and Market Valuation

Revenue from these events contributes to a broader economic footprint for MMA. The UFC, for instance, has a market capitalization estimated at $11.3 billion as of 2024, starkly contrasting major boxing promotions like Matchroom Boxing, valued at $850 million. Media rights revenue is a critical component of this valuation, with UFC’s earnings from such sources surpassing $800 million, more than triple the combined revenue of other major combat sports promotions.

Betting Market Integration

The betting market’s integration with MMA has also played a pivotal role in its commercial success. Promotions such as sportsbook bonus offers have propelled the industry forward, illustrating the sport’s growing integration with mainstream entertainment and gaming industries. This is bolstered by MMA’s alignment with digital trends and online consumption, where platforms offer extensive betting options that engage viewers and enhance their interactive experience during events.

Athlete Compensation Disparity

The disparity in athlete compensation also reflects broader economic realities between MMA and boxing. While top boxers like Canelo Alvarez can command upwards of $35 million per fight, leading MMA fighters like Conor McGregor have also secured large paydays, such as the $23 million for his appearance at UFC 264. However, the average pay for most professional MMA fighters remains lower, though opportunities for bonuses and a share of PPV revenues offer additional earning potential.

Social Media Influence and Viewer Engagement

MMA’s success is further mirrored in its social media traction, where fighters like Conor McGregor amass millions of followers, significantly impacting fan engagement and promoting events. Television ratings offer another perspective on MMA’s ascendance. Events such as UFC 249 prelims command substantial viewership, with ratings and viewer counts that often surpass those of many boxing events, indicating MMA’s ability to maintain viewer interest through frequent and well-promoted fights. Live event attendance also remains strong, with venues like the T-Mobile Arena regularly selling out, reflecting the sport’s robust appeal and the effectiveness of its marketing strategies.

Conclusion

The multiple factors contributing to MMA’s eclipsing of boxing in terms of fan base and revenue are clear and multifaceted. Through strategic global expansion, innovative use of digital platforms, and alignment with contemporary trends in sports consumption, MMA has not only captured but also sustained the attention of a diverse and growing audience worldwide. The sport’s adaptability to market demands and its ability to produce consistent, engaging content have made it a powerhouse in the sports entertainment industry. As MMA continues to innovate and cater to the preferences of a tech-savvy, younger demographic, it solidifies its position not just as a popular sport but as a cultural phenomenon with a strong and expansive presence in the global sports landscape. This ongoing evolution positions MMA to potentially widen its lead over boxing in the coming years, leveraging its dynamic format and broad appeal to shape the future of combat sports.



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Darkness into Light: Thousands across Ireland take part in annual fundraiser for Pieta

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Thousands of people across the country took part in the annual Darkness into Light predawn walk on Saturday morning.

Held to raise money in aid of suicide and self-harm prevention charity Pieta, official walks took place at some 230 locations in Ireland and abroad this year.

Walkers set off in darkness from locations including GAA clubs, churches and schools. The 5km walks finish as dawn is breaking, to symbolise hope for those in distress or who have been bereaved through suicide.

The first Darkness into Light took place in the Phoenix Park in Dublin in 2009, when some 400 walkers took part in a 5km in aid of Pieta. The first international walk took place in 2012. The organisation expected more than 100,000 participants to take part in Saturday morning’s events.



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Why I’ve quit Labour to campaign for Greens and Independents

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‘I’m now sitting as an independent councillor, but I don’t feel politically homeless or hopeless.’

Hilary Schan is a councillor in Worthing and former Co-Chair of the Labour campaign group Momentum.

I’ve quit the Party I’ve given eight years of my life to. When Peter Mandelson was asked about my resignation this week, he described it as “a very important development”. At least we agree that defections from Labour are significant, but he thinks that me and other “disgruntled hard leftists” leaving the Party is a good thing. 

While it’s no surprise that the ‘prince of darkness’, who is reportedly advising Starmer and his team and seemingly has the Shadow Cabinet on speed dial, would welcome our departure, stating this publicly just after Labour has suffered widespread losses to left-wing candidates, while the leadership embraces a hard Tory MP, right shows how complacent the Party has become. 

In the last eight years, I’ve knocked on countless doors, helped to elect the first Labour council in my hometown of Worthing’s history, and become a Labour councillor here myself. For the last two years, I’ve been proud to serve as the Co-Chair of Momentum. I’ve resigned from that role and I’m now sitting as an independent councillor, but I don’t feel politically homeless or hopeless. 

I’ve joined We Deserve Better – the new initiative building the alternative to the race to the bottom between the Tories and their Tory-lite opponents in Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. While Labour benefited from Tory collapse in last week’s elections, and many other places besides, we also saw voters roundly reject Starmerism in favour of socialist, pro-Gaza independents and Green candidates in Labour heartlands from Norwich to Newcastle, Oldham to Bristol. Our campaign is mobilising support for these candidates in key Parliamentary constituencies including: British Palestinian Leanne Mohamad’s grassroots campaign to unseat Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting in Ilford North; and Green Co-Leader Carla Denyer’s campaign in Bristol Central, where Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire is at real risk.

Last week’s election results show the Tories’ vote has collapsed and there is no coming back from their spectacular self-implosion but Labour is still facing a backlash in its urban heartlands. Over the weekend, one Labour figure after another was wheeled out to promise that the Party is listening and that they will work to win back the support they’ve lost, particularly within the Muslim community. But these seem only warm words. Instead, Starmer seems to be actively trolling them.  

With Israel now bombarding Rafah, Labour’s refusal to condemn Israeli war crimes and listen to 56% of the public, and 71% of Labour voters, who back a ban on arms sales is more egregious by the day. Meanwhile, a refugee bashing, union trashing, anti-abortion, hard right Tory MP who has undermined the fight against sexual harassment being welcomed by Starmer with – literally – wide open arms, while he still refuses to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn or  Diane Abbott, despite one hundred years of party service between them. This will only drive away even more young, ethnic minority and progressive voters.

It’s not like there’s much else for them to be excited about. Labour won’t: nationalise our public services, implement rent controls, scrap the two-child benefit cap, abolish tuition fees, tax the rich, repeal authoritarian laws, implement a Green New Deal or give the NHS the money it needs.

So while there’s no prospect of the Tories getting back into power after the next election it’s no surprise there’s no real enthusiasm for Starmer’s Labour either. He’s 60% less popular than Blair was in 1997 and recent polling shows 61% of people think they will be the same, or worse off under a Labour government. On the domestic front, Labour’s “unrecognisably” watered down ‘New Deal for Workers’ is just the latest example of  a decent policy they announce and then swiftly consign to the dustbin of history, along with Starmer’s leadership pledges, showing yet again that Starmer can’t be trusted and alienating even more of Labour’s core voter base in the process.

Naturally, you may ask, why not stay and fight from within Labour? This had been my mission as Momentum Co-Chair but, from stitching up parliamentary selections by blocking left candidates and even allegedly rigging votes, to the hounding of left-wing MPs and the empowerment of corporate lobbyists over party members, the reality is that the game is rigged.

And as the Gaza kickback shows, the Labour Leadership only responds to pressure from outside. It’s time for the Left to be that force again. We need to free ourselves of our collective Stockholm Syndrome, and rediscover the mass energy and excitement which powered Corbynism, above all in 2017.  

We Deserve Better is working to revive that spirit . We want to mobilise the tens of thousands of Labour members who campaigned for Labour in the last two elections – who knocked on doors, delivered leaflets, phonebanked and organised in their communities – to help us elect socialist independents and Greens in key seats where we know they can win, or if they can’t join the campaign on the ground, then donate to our campaign war-chest. 

Although electing any candidate not from a main party is a tall order in our First Past the Post system, much of the country is crying out for an alternative. There is a massive constituency for hope. Until now, though, opposition to Labour has been fragmented. We’re coming together to mount a serious challenge, electing progressive candidates is vital to pressure Starmer to finally listen to the voters he has taken for granted, mirroring Reform UK’s pressure on the Conservatives but from the left.

While projections and polls using different methodologies are producing wildly different results about the number of seats, it’s clearer than ever that the Tories are toast. Those feeling politically abandoned by Labour can support the alternative and send Labour a message on Gaza, climate change and austerity, safe in the knowledge that there is no possibility of the Tories returning to power. Mandelson once infamously said Labour needn’t worry about its base as “they’ve got nowhere else to go”. Now, we do. Join the alternative. 





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Local elections: Is Labour's breakthrough in Leave areas really what it seems? – LabourList

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Labour may not have healed the electoral wounds of Brexit as much as its breakthrough in a string of Leave–voting areas at the local elections appears to suggest, according to new analysis by leading elections expert Sir John Curtice.

Yet experts also suggest Labour may not actually need to prove its Brexit credentials as much as once thought – with Brexit support and its salience waning, and many voters unaware or un-supportive of its stance but backing it anyway.

Local election successes in Leave areas

Labour’s electoral successes last week included regaining Hartlepool council, a former party stronghold where it suffered a painful by-election defeat in 2021.

That shock Tory victory in 2021 had been attributed by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the Tory pledge to “get Brexit done“, in a town that had voted almost 70% to leave the EU in 2016.

Yet three years later Labour won political control not only in Hartlepool, but also in a “number of heavily Leave-voting areas where we had underperformed for a long time”, as party national executive committee member Luke Akehurst noted in a recent piece.

It won control too in Thurrock (72.3%), Cannock Chase (68.9%), Hyndburn (66.2%) Redditch (62.3%) and first ever wins in traditionally Tory Rushmoor (58.2%) and Adur (54.6%).

Meanwhile Labour made gains in Leave-voting North East Lincolnshire and Peterborough too.

Analysis for Sky News found that in wards where more than 55 per cent of people voted Leave, the Labour vote increased by almost 10 points since 2021.

Results seemingly show Labour shedding Remain image

The results are likely to be seen by many as a vindication of Labour’s efforts to reconnect with Leave voters under Keir Starmer following setbacks in the “red wall” in 2019 and Hartlepool two years later, from ruling out rejoining the EU or single market to pledging to end “immigration dependency”.

Sky News suggested that overall the “results show [a] Brexit shift”.

Two of Britain’s leading electoral analysts, Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, wrote in The Sunday Times that electoral breakthroughs in such heavily Leave-voting areas showed “many of Labour’s problems in the ‘red wall’ appear to have dissipated.

Luke Tryl, director of More in Common, said Labour were “making the biggest gains in the places where they struggled the most at the last general election”, which he said gave the party the opportunity to “run the board much more”.

Poll shows Labour support lower among Leavers who think party wants to re-join

The reality appears more complicated than voters now trusting and backing Labour on Brexit, however.

Psephologist Sir John Curtice noted in a recent piece of analysis of Redfield and Wilton polling for UK in a Changing Europe that fewer than one in five voters knows that Labour has accepted Brexit.

Twice as many say they think the party wants to rejoin as say it wants to stay out, whether they themselves are pro- or anti-Brexit,  and the rest either say Labour is unclear or are unsure of Labour’s stance.

Curtice said this “cannot be regarded as a success”, adding: “It seems that many voters are not clear where Labour stands on Brexit.”

Crucially, among voters who want to stay outside the EU, those who think Labour agrees with them are four times more likely to support the party than those who think it wants to re-join.

Meanwhile Brexiteers who think Labour does not have a clear policy on the issue are “19 points less likely than rejoiners to say they will vote for the party”.

Some on the left might worry that such negative or unclear perceptions of its stance could leave Labour vulnerable if the Tories, Reform or right-wing press ramped up efforts to portray Labour as a party seeking to reverse Brexit.

Uncertainty over Labour’s stance is widely seen to have damaged its fortunes in 2019.

Labour support strong regardless of stance

Yet such perceptions do not in fact seem to be costing Labour anywhere near as much overall support as many would have once once assumed, however.

One factor could be shrinking numbers of Leave supporters. While 52% voted Leave in 2016, the polls are only looking at the views of the 41% would do so now. That shrinks further to 38% when don’t-knows are included.

The group who want to rejoin is not only much larger, but also significantly more pro-Labour.

Rejoiners are actually twice as likely to believe Labour wants to rejoin. Curtice said voters’ lack of clarity overall “perhaps may be regarded as a signal of success by a party that has wanted to downplay the issue”.

Party support is remarkably high among pro-EU voters who think Labour shares their stance, at 61%.

Yet it is also very high even among pro-EU voters who know Labour plans to stay out, at 48%, and those who think it has no clear policy, at 44%.

“That apparent disregard of Labour’s stance by re-joiners that helps explain why, despite then party’s official stance on Brexit, Labour finds itself still being backed by a heavily pro-EU set of voters,” wrote Curtice.

A further factor could be that while Labour support is lower among Leave supporters overall, its Brexit stance does appear to have cut through to those Leavers currently saying they will vote for the party.

While the public are generally far more likely to see Labour as a ‘rejoin’ party, Labour’s current Leave-backing supporters are far more likely to see it as the opposite.

Brexit less on voters’ minds – but Labour can’t take Red Wall rebuild for granted

Such a strong Labour showing among voters with such varied beliefs could also simply show Brexit’s declining significance for how how people vote.

Christabel Cooper, director of research at Starmerite think tank Labour Together, told LabourList Brexit and Britain’s relationship with the EU had lost salience with voters since the last general election.

“All the research we have done, unless you deliberately prompt Brexit, people don’t talk about it.

“The idea that’s driving any behaviour ahead of the election, I find that very hard to believe.”

She added: “The 2019 result was actually quite misunderstood. People, certainly on the Conservative side, wanted to believe that a bunch of former Labour voters had irreversibly switched to the Tories on the basis of a socially liberal/conservative axis.

“Now that the economy is in a pretty dire state and the Conservatives are in complete chaos, it is not surprising that they are swinging back to Labour.”

As a result, she suggested Labour’s position on Europe is unlikely to leave it vulnerable at the election.

Yet Cooper suggested that while the Tories cannot bank on these voters’ support in 2024, neither can Labour bank on having won them back for good either.

What really happened in 2019 was that a group of voters turned “from solid Labour voters into swing voters” – which any party needs to keep fighting hard for.



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Ford's Dakar 2025 – Raptor Revs with Sainz Sr. & Roma | EN.WHEELZ.ME

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Ford Performance is gearing up for an adrenaline-fueled adventure as it announces its entry into the 2025 Dakar Rally with the formidable Ford Raptor. The excitement doesn’t stop there – joining the lineup are two off-road icons, Carlos Sainz Sr. and Nani Roma.

Sainz, eyeing his fifth Dakar Rally triumph, reunites with Ford, marking a full circle in his illustrious racing journey spanning nearly four decades. Meanwhile, Roma, a two-time Dakar champion, extends his successful partnership with Ford and M-Sport.

The action has already begun with active testing of the 2025 Ford Raptor underway, signaling Ford Performance’s commitment to conquering one of the toughest races on the planet.

Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsport, expressed Ford’s unparalleled ambition in off-road racing, highlighting the expertise and experience brought by Sainz and Roma to the team.

Matthew Wilson, M-Sport Director and Dakar Team Manager, welcomed Roma back to the fold and emphasized Sainz’s legendary status in the sport, affirming their readiness to tackle the Dakar challenge head-on.

For Sainz, the project marks a thrilling reunion with Ford and M-Sport, igniting memories of his historic partnership with the brands since 1987. Roma echoed the sentiment, expressing his excitement to collaborate with Ford and M-Sport on this monumental project.

As the team gears up for Dakar 2025, the stage is set for an exhilarating journey, fueled by passion, expertise, and a relentless drive for victory.



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Police officer shot with crossbow in High Wycombe

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An officer is shot with a crossbow and a man is stabbed in a “serious assault and weapons incident”.



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What’s on TV tonight: Doctor Who, Inside Windsor Castle and more



British Academy Television Awards  
BBC One, 7pm
The great, the good and the merely good-looking of small-screen entertainment flock to the Royal Festival Hall in London to celebrate the best television of the past year. Once again, TV’s ubiquitous Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett host, with the nominations covering comedy to current affairs via the swarming sub-divisions of entertainment and factual. 

As ever, though, it’s the acting and drama categories that draw the most attention, with Brian Cox (Succession) and Timothy Spall (The Sixth Commandment) topping the odds to take Best Lead Actor, and Sarah Lancashire (so unforgettable in Happy Valley) the favourite for Lead Actress. While The Gold, Top Boy and Slow Horses are all fancied for Best Drama series, Happy Valley remains in front (even if co-star James Norton was bafflingly omitted from the nominees). Comedy, by contrast, looks like an open race, but we’re gunning for Such Brave Girls or Big Boys. Michelle Visage and Tom Allen host from the red carpet from 2.45pm: you can watch on the Bafta online channel or via social media. GO

Hancock’s Half Hour
BBC Four, from 7pm
Marking today’s centenary of the birth of Tony Hancock, four episodes of his long-running (first on radio, later TV) comedy series, written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The episodes, broadcast between 1959 and 1961, include The Bowmans (a parody of The Archers) and The Blood Donor. 

Our Welsh Chapel Dream
Channel 4, 8pm
Keith Brymer Jones’s restoration project takes another step forward when he and wife Marj submit their planning application to turn the chapel into their new home and pottery studio. Waiting for a decision, they rip out some rot, learn some Welsh and try to win over the locals.

The Responder
BBC One, 9pm
Pressure continues to come at copper Chris (Martin Freeman) from all sides. When he and Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo) discover they’re now on the hook for the missing gun, a solution suddenly appears when a desperate Jodie (Faye McKeever) approaches him for a favour. But nothing’s ever that easy, is it?

Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour
BBC Two, 9pm
Rob Rinder and Rylan Clark – both licking their wounds after recent divorces – teaming up for a 21st-century tilt at the Grand Tour might not sound like a great travelogue. But there’s a kind of crazed genius to their chemistry in this opening episode, as they retrace the steps of poet Lord Byron, on the 200th anniversary of his death, in Venice. Their enthusiasm brings the city – full to bursting with tourists – alive on camera. 

The Lost Scrolls of Pompeii: New Revelation
Channel 5, 9pm
Professor Alice Roberts presents this engaging documentary about a new project that is using archaeology and AI to unlock the secrets of papyrus scrolls carbonised during the eruption of Vesuvius. 

The Remains of the Day: The Read with Steve Pemberton
BBC Four, 9pm
Kazuo Ishiguro’s 1989 novel gets a brisk but effective filleting, with Steve Pemberton’s narration making for a pleasing portrayal of butler Stevens, ruminating upon his past as he drives across 1950s England. It’s followed by Alan Yentob’s Imagine… profile, released after Ishiguro won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2017, and a Mark Lawson interview from 2015. 

School for Scoundrels (1960, b/w) ★★★★★
BBC Two, 12.30pm  
Terry-Thomas is at his sublime best in this timeless British comedy, class-obsessed and all. Down-and-out Henry Palfrey (Ian Carmichael) comes across a special college course that promises to teach him how to woo women and get the upper hand against bounders such as Terry-Thomas’s Raymond Delauney. There’s more terrific Ealing comedy with The Lavender Hill Mob on Saturday, BBC Two, 1pm.

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) ★★★
ITV1, 3.25pm  
Jack Black returns to voice the high-kicking panda Po, still prone to the odd gaffe despite being the most fearsome martial artist in the animal kingdom. He is tasked with training up a group of clumsy pandas to face the chi-stealing yak Kai. The first two films laid down a visual template which this pushes further into trippy, sliced-and-diced abstraction, nodding to the techniques of the wuxia genre; the newest, fourth instalment is in cinemas.

Calamity Jane (1953) ★★★★
BBC Two, 4pm  
Doris Day stars in this musical twist on a Western, loosely based on the life of the hip-shooting frontierswoman. Following a dramatic clash with Native Americans, Jane sees both a business opportunity – to bring Chicago ladies to the women-starved townsmen – and a chance for romance. But when a rescued cavalry officer proves fickle, can her friend “Wild” Bill Hickock (Howard Keel) win her heart? The Deadwood Stage is a timeless song.

Film of the Week: Minority Report (2002) ★★★★
ITV2, 7.30pm
The brilliance of director Steven Spielberg and the hard-edged sci-fi of renowned author Philip K Dick prove to be a perfect match in this futuristic thriller set in the year 2054 – which, depressingly, no longer seems all that far away. Tom Cruise plays Chief John Anderton, whose cutting-edge special police department (called “Precrime”) arrests people for crimes that a team of “precogs” foresee that they intend to commit; meaning law enforcement are always one step ahead of criminals. Well, they try to be. Anderton’s loyalty to the system is tested when he is identified as the potential killer of a man that he’s never met, threatening his security, safety and sanity. Cruise brings all of his usual swagger and style in the lead, but it’s the supporting players who really make the film sing, including Colin Farrell as an agent for the Department of Justice and Samantha Morton (in a brilliantly raw performance) as a gifted “precog”. It’s head-bending, thought-provoking and anchored by ultimately humane performances – as all the best sci-fi should be. David Haig’s ambitious theatrical adaptation is showing now at the Lyric Hammersmith theatre in London.

The Mountain Between Us (2017) ★★★
Channel 4, 11pm  
There ain’t no mountain high enough, no valley low enough, nor a script absurd enough to keep Kate Winslet and Idris Elba from this far-fetched disaster movie. When a plane crash leaves complete strangers Alex (Winslet) and Ben (Elba) stranded together in the Rocky Mountains in midwinter, with nothing but a bagful of almonds to survive on, they must hobble together on an icy trek to civilisation.

Monday 13 May



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