Manchester City remain alive and kicking in the Premier League title race but if whispers in the game of a June resolution to their “115” charges case prove to be true, that will soon be overshadowed by events elsewhere.
Ditto the so-called “richest game in football”, the Championship play-off final, which has been rocked by a “Spygate”‘ row that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
It is alleged and has not yet been denied by Southampton that a spy from the South Coast club was spotted at Middlesbrough’s training ground last week, collecting details on their rivals’ final preparations for the play-off semi-finals.
The details feel like a James Bond movie – the perpetrator hurriedly changing clothes before dashing off amid incredulity in the Teessiders’ camp – but this could be one where the “bad guys” end up winning.
Middlesbrough were downed by an extra-time goal at St Mary’s (Photo: Reuters)
Boro will not let the matter go, with owner Steve Gibson ready to vigorously pursue the case. They want a chance to present their findings to the EFL, which includes CCTV footage and a dossier with other explosive claims. Nick De Marco, the “Lionel Messi” of sports lawyers, has been retained by Boro, who are pushing for expulsion.
Legal experts contacted by The i Paper this morning feel talk of a final resolution in time for next week’s Wembley date is unrealistic though.
While the EFL want the process expedited, shortening Southampton’s usual 14 days to respond to Friday’s charges in order to get the matter dealt with, it is now in the hands of an independent commission. And they do not move quickly: just ask the Premier League and City.
Can a hearing be convened, Southampton and the EFL’s counsel heard, and a verdict delivered that is legally watertight in 10 days? “No chance,” said one source who has worked on these matters before.
He points out that even with three members of the panel working day and night, there are procedures to go through to ensure everyone is fairly treated. If it is rushed it leaves them open to losing an appeal and then what? Southampton reinstated to a play-off final that they were thrown out of sometime in July? It’s a mess.
In reality the timeline is tighter: it’s understood Boro want to know by the end of the weekend where they stand. This Thursday is a long-scheduled end of season debrief for their players which will take place as planned. But beyond that?
Boro owner Steve Gibson (right) is furious and will not let ‘Spygate’ go (Photo: Getty)
The club have players with a World Cup to prepare for, the logistics of selling and distributing Wembley tickets to take on and training plans to sort out. The timeline feels far too tight to get all of this ticked off.
There is also the small matter of Hull City, who are currently planning to play Southampton. Is it fair on them if they are suddenly faced with a very different challenge just a few days out from Wembley? Tigers sources are keeping their counsel at the moment but expect them to have something to say if it is left too late.
The most likely scenario at this stage is that Southampton play Hull on 23 May with the cloud of suspicion still hanging over the South Coast club and a possible punishment lingering into next season. That would leave Boro licking their wounds and surely contemplating further legal action.
Read more
None of it is good enough. If time was on their side, Southampton might be in a lot more trouble. Discovering top secret information in the days before a game is clearly a huge advantage, and they should be thrown out if it is proved.
But with the clock ticking, the only thing certain is that the Championship play-offs will have a massive asterisk next to them.
Two Russian naval ships are operating 30 miles off the British coast, escorting sanctioned tankers through the Channel and risking both environmental disaster and armed conflict with Moscow.
A Kremlin supply ship is helping keep a Russian warship, armed with cruise and surface-to-air missiles, at sea – allowing it to escort dozens of sanctioned tankers accused of facilitating Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
The vessels have worked in tandem and have been regular visitors to British shores, finding refuge near critical UK infrastructure under the full view of the British Royal Navy.
A hulking 122-metre floating workshop that serves Putin’s Baltic fleet, has been supplying a Russian frigate, the RFN Admiral Grigorovich, with supplies and fuel while it loiters around the Galloper wind farm, located off the Suffolk coastline, which powers 400,000 UK homes.
The manoeuvres, which sometimes enter UK waters, have allowed the Admiral Grigorovich, an armed warship, to accompany over a dozen so-called shadow fleet tankers through the English Channel, according to data provided by Starboard Maritime Intelligence.
The movements mark a major development, bringing Russia’s shadow fleet operations further into the open and highlighting Putin’s brazen attempt to call Starmer’s bluff – with the risk of armed conflict in full view. The refuelling manoeuvers also increase the risk of a catastrophic oil spill should anything go wrong.
Elizabeth Braw, a naval expert at the Atlantic Council, said the “risky” movements show Russia is probing Downing Street’s resolve, creating a “double headache” for the UK.
“Ship to ship transfers are risky and you have to be incredibly careful as accidents can happen,” she told The i Paper. “They may well need to transfer oil, but its clearly also a signal to the UK authorities they can do it, even with inherent risk of oil spills and there’s not much the UK can do about it.”
By conducting these operations so close to the UK, Braw said, the Russian state is “deliberately telling Europe” that detaining a vessel is not just a law enforcement or environmental issue. In her view, an armed warship escorting these vessels means any such action “may also lead to an armed conflict”.
A regular appearance
Last week, both ships were revealed by this paper to have loitered off the British coast before the Admiral Grigorovich sailed through the Channel. A photograph posted online by a known boat spotting account showed the Kremlin’s Amur-class repair ship PM-82 loitering near to the Galloper windfarm, while the Russian warship sailed nearby.
The vessel’s presence so close to critical UK infrastructure sparked a Nato monitoring mission. Dutch Royal Navy vessel the DSS Galatea shadowed the ship’s voyage through the North Sea before circling its location as part of European allies’ efforts to track Putin’s fleet through British and European waters, The i Paper understands.
Commander Arlo Abrahamson, spokesperson for Nato’s Allied Maritime Command said there was “no area around the Euro-Atlantic region where the Russian navy operates that Allies are not closely monitoring their activities.”
He added: “We see a trend of Russian navy ships escorting merchant vessels through the Baltic Sea and other areas around the Euro-Atlantic region, including the North and Mediterranean Seas.
“These escorting activities take up valuable days at sea for the Russian navy and it places strain on their ability to generate naval forces for other missions.”
It is the second month in a row that the ships have been observed at the same location before escorting vessels through the Channel. On April 7, the Admiral Grigorovich escorted a sanctioned Russian tanker, Universal, as it transported suspected military supplies for Russian assets overseas.
UK watching, but not acting
The manoeuvers represent an uptick in Putin’s response to forced boardings and strong rhetoric from European leaders who have vowed to crack down on the Kremlin’s shadow fleet.
In January, the Prime Minister said he was going after Putin’s shadow fleet “even harder”, and that Vladimir Putin “should be in no doubt” that the UK will fight against Moscow’s illicit network of tankers.
But, while the UK has not performed any seizures of suspect ships, British Royal Navy vessels and helicopters have continuously monitored the Kremlin’s vessels as they sail around the UK.
Throughout April, three RN patrol ships and Wildcat helicopters tracked the AdmiralGrigorovich. The vessel was shadowed as it sailed from the Atlantic to the North Sea, before passing through the English Channel unchallenged, along with seven sanctioned vessels suspected of fuelling Russia’s war with Ukraine. This is despite the UK threatening to target ships within Russia’s so-called shadow fleet.
Last month, the head of the Royal Navy, First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, warned that Britain and its allies needed the “collective combat power necessary” to deter Moscow at sea or risk a direct military confrontation.
In January, the UK strengthened its legal position to detain sanctioned Russian ships near its waters and on 25 March, Starmer authorised military personnel to carry out forced boardings.
Keir Starmer said he was going after Putin’s shadow fleet “even harder”, and that Moscow “should be in no doubt” the UK will fight against its illicit network of tankers.
Since then, no ships have been seized, while hundreds of sanctioned tankers – an average of at least four a day – have sailed through the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone, according to data provided by Starboard Maritime Intelligence.
Importance of the shadow fleet
At least 14 sanctioned Russian tankers have sailed through the Channel while accompanied by the Russian naval vessels in the past two months. All ships are suspected of fuelling Russia’s war in Ukraine while some are thought to be carrying essential supplies for Putin’s military overseas.
The Universal, which was escorted past British shores last month is believed to have been carrying oil, supplies and spare parts for Moscow’s armed forces.
The blacklisted tanker passed through the Channel in early April before sailing into the Atlantic, reportedly heading towards Cuba. However, on 21 April her voyage halted and the vessel has been drifting in the middle of the Atlantic ever since, periodically motoring to stay in position.
Minister for the Armed Forces, Al Carns MP, said: “As Russian warships continue to operate near our shores, our Armed Forces are there every day: watching, tracking and ready.
“This round-the-clock operation sends a clear message: UK waters are protected, our sailors and aircrew are alert, and we will always defend our nation and its vital infrastructure.”
As Britain’s allies perform forced boarding’s against Russia’s illicit fleet, the UK continues to watch. Hampered by its own understanding of the legal frameworks around launching such seizures, Downing Street’s once strong rhetoric is beginning to wear thin, and Putin is taking advantage.
As the Admiral Grigorovich sailed out of UK waters over the weekend, UK forces will be braced for its next visit, and the Kremlin’s important cargo it escorts.
Emma Salisbury, a maritime security analyst, said the ship movements “underscore the continuing need to monitor Russian naval presence around British waters.”
She told The i Paper: “The government should make sure that our military are fully supported to perform their invaluable monitoring role, and take the lesson that the threat from Russia is not going to go away – increased defence investment is imperative.”
Nigel Farage will be investigated by Parliament’s ethics watchdog for accepting a £5m donation from a crypto billionaire.
Last month, it emerged that the Reform UK leader had received the undeclared gift from the Thailand-based crypto businessman Christopher Harborne.
Parliamentary rules require MPs to declare any “personal benefit” they have received in the 12 months before taking office, with Harborne giving Farage the money in early 2024 ahead of the general election.
The Reform leader has claimed the money was for his security and said he had no obligation to declare it because it was “purely private” and “wasn’t political in any sense at all”.
The Conservatives referred Farage to the standards commissioner at the end of April, with Tory Party chair Kevin Hollinrake saying at the time: “This stinks and Reform should come clean now.”
The commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, is now understood to have opened an investigation.
A Reform UK spokesman said: “Mr Farage’s office is in communications with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
“He has always been clear that this was a personal, unconditional gift and no rules were broken.
“We look forward to this being put to bed once and for all.”
Sir Keir Starmer’s Government has set out dozens of new bills in its second King’s Speech since winning the general election in July 2024, covering everything from energy to national security.
The King’s Speech formally opens a new session of parliament and sets out the Government’s legislative agenda for the year ahead.
It is written by ministers and delivered by the monarch at the State Opening of Parliament.
Shorts – Quick stories
HEALTH
How children’s taste for vegetables ‘begins before birth’
Increasing numbers of parents are bringing up their children as vegetarian or vegan, the new guidance suggests
Young children react more favourably to the smell of vegetables if they were regularly exposed to them while developing in the womb, researchers have found.
A study at Durham University found evidence that three-year-olds develop a memory of the flavour and odour of foods they were exposed to in late pregnancy.
Everything you need to know
(Photo: Getty).
Remembering tastes
The reactions of toddlers to the smell of carrots or kale was examined to see whether taste can be established in utero.
Powder capsules
Children were tested for their response to the smell of the vegetables after their mothers took capsules of carrot or kale while pregnant.
Midsection of pregnant Black woman holding belly – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Changing the way vegetables and salad were labelled increased sales, the researchers found. (Photo: Getty)
Flavour memory
Researchers found children reacted less negatively if their mothers were exposed to the vegetables while pregnant.
Mothers advised to eat varied diet
The scientists found an enduring favourable response in toddlers to the vegetable flavours they were exposed to in the later weeks of pregnancy.
The study recorded the facial expressions of 12 children when they were given wet cotton swabs dipped in the carrot or kale powder their mothers had taken.
PROPERTY AND MORTGAGES
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
What the researchers said
High angle shot of Asian pregnant woman holding an ultrasound scan photo in front of her baby bump, sitting on bed at home. Mother-to-be. Precious moment in life. Preparation for a new family member. Expecting a new life. Baby and new life concept – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The researchers said the study suggested mothers-to-be should eat a varied diet rich in vegetables and fruits of different colours, with the added possibility it could influence the eating habits of their unborn child.
Analysis
3 min read
HEALTH
Why weight-loss pill after jabs may help keep pounds off
People using anti-obesity jabs can maintain weight loss by moving to a daily pill at the end of their treatment, a study suggests.
Researchers found that using orforglipron – an anti-obesity pill developed by US pharmaceuticals giant Eli Lilly – could be an “effective approach” for avoiding regaining pounds after injections have stopped.
What you need to know
While anti-obesity jabs are effective at promoting weight loss, patients have been found to regain the pounds after treatment stops.
Researchers in the US found that switching to orforglipron allowed patients using jabs to retain about 75 to 80 per cent of their weight loss.
Orforglipron is also a GLP-1 agonist, the same type of compound used in anti-obesity injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.
OPINION
3 min read
Weight-loss pill ‘cheaper’ than jabs
The US findings add to evidence that anti-obesity pills hold promise as a new method of promoting or maintaining weight loss, not least because they are significantly cheaper to manufacture than injections and easier to use.
Orforglipron, which is Eli Lilly’s hope for its next blockbuster drug, is taken as a once-a-day pill and was tested with 376 patients who had previously used jabs. The pill has been licensed in America but is still awaiting approval in the UK.
politics
Which members of Government have gone so far?
Against the backdrop of calls to quit, Starmer took refuge in the Labour Party rule book (Photo: Richard Pohle/AFP)
Sir Keir Starmer has briefly met with presumed leadership rival Wes Streeting in No 10 as the Prime Minister continues to resist calls from within Labour for him to stand down.
The crisis at the top of Government has so far seen the resignations of 10 MPs from their frontline roles, including four junior ministers. Among the most prominent has been the departure of Home Office minister Jess Phillips.
What you need to know
Six parliamentary private secretaries (PPS) – the eyes and ears of a minister in the House of Commons – have stepped down.
They include Joe Morris, PPS to Streeting, and Melanie Ward, PPS to Justice Secretary David Lammy, a key ally of Starmer.
The three ministers who have quit alongside Jess Phillips are Miatta Fahnbulleh, Alex Davies-Jones and Zubir Ahmed.
In her resignation letter, Phillips criticised Starmer for his record on online protections.
OPINION
4 min read
Crisis in Downing Street
While the Prime Minister has suffered the loss of 10 members of his Government, to date the departures have been restricted to its junior ranks. Starmer is widely seen as having laid down the gauntlet to his Cabinet colleagues to either formally challenge him, or allow him to stay in office.
Caption: Health Secretary Wes Streeting arriving at number 10 Downing Street, London, for his meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Picture date: Wednesday May 13, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire Photographer: James Manning Provider: James Manning/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA Wire Sources have said Government whips were picking up a mood described as ‘dire’ among backbenchers (Photo: James Manning/PA)
Some 11 Labour-supporting unions are expected to state publicly that Starmer will not lead the party into the next election. Ministers are being watched minute-by-minute for signs of a formal split.
The unusually high temperatures for early June come after the UK recorded an annual average temperature of more than 10°C for the first time this year (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty)
NEWS
Bodies of three women pulled from sea at Brighton beach
The bodies of three women were recovered from the sea in Brighton early today, Sussex Police said.
Here is everything we know about this incident so far.
What do we know so far?
Caption: People on the beach at New Brighton. Picture date: Monday September 4, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story WEATHER Hot. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire Photographer: Peter Byrne Provider: PA Source: PA Copyright: PA
Emergency services were called at around 5.45am on Wednesday, to reports of a “person” in the water.
The bodies of three women were pulled from the water near Madeira Drive.
Explained
4 min read
The latest
Police are conducting enquiries to confirm the identities of the women.
Chief Superintendent, Adam Hays, said police are “working hard” to understand exactly what happened.
The coastguard is not searching for anyone else.
The beach will remain closed for the rest of the afternoon.
PENSIONS AND RETIREMENT
4 min read
This is a tragic incident and fast-moving enquiries are ongoing to confirm the identities of these three women and understand exactly what has happened. I know this is concerning for the community, but I would ask the public to stay away from the scene at this time while emergency services continue their work.
Chief Superintendent, Adam Hays
Male and female Asian metropolitan police officers patrol the crowds of tourists outside the Hoses of Parliament in Westminster, London, UK – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Why do the British insist on exporting their culture when they travel? (Photo: Ceri Breeze/Getty)
FOOD AND DRINK
Greggs to open international shop at Tenerife South airport
The British chain will bring its beloved range of baked goods to the Canary Islands.
Greggs last operated shops abroad in Belgium in 2008, but said Tenerife was “the ideal location to test spreading our wings in an overseas setting”.
What you need to know
Greggs will open a branch in Tenerife South airport later this month.
The usual range of sausage rolls, pasties and sweet treats will be on offer.
A ‘Spanish omelette roll’ will also be on the menu.
Around half of Tenerife’s 13 million visitors go to and from the UK each year.
OPINION
2 min read
What Greggs is saying
It’s an exciting milestone for Greggs as we bring a slice of home to the Canaries, and we’re confident our great-value offering will resonate just as well under the Spanish sun as it does on the UK high street.
Greggs chief executive Roisin Currie
Caption: Greggs sausage rolls, UK. (Photo by: Alex Segre/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Photographer: UCG Provider: UCG/Universal Images Group via G Source: Universal Images Group Editorial Copyright: Alex Segre
GO DEEPER ON THIS TOPIC
Greggs has made me ashamed to be British
Caption: Bay of turquoise coloured water in Los Cristianos, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Photographer: BriBar Provider: Getty Images Source: E+ Copyright: BW PHOTOGRAPHY
Emily Watkins
Freelance writer
Spain – a land of excellent food, rich cultural identity and a beautiful language. Of course, if you’re a British tourist there, odds are you won’t have noticed.
Why do the British insist on exporting their culture when they travel?
Read more here.
How would Andy Burnham become prime minister?
Andy Burnham is one of the frontrunners to replace Sir Keir Starmer if he resigns as Prime Minister. The Manchester Mayor has previously indicated he would be willing to overthrow the current Labour leader.
Caption: File photo dated 13/4/26 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party MP and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meet pupils during a visit to a school breakfast club at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Ashton, Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, Angela Rayner has said today. Issue date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Photographer: Paul Ellis Provider: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Source: PA Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham cannot run for the leadership unless he wins a seat in Parliament (Photo: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty)
First step – find a vacant seat
Caption: File photo dated 13/4/26 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party MP and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meet pupils during a visit to a school breakfast club at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Ashton, Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, Angela Rayner has said today. Issue date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Photographer: Paul Ellis Provider: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Source: PA
A vacant parliamentary seat would need to be available and finding one may not be easy.
There are two by-elections coming up in Scotland, but Burnham is unlikely to stand in these.
Caption: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham arrives for a meeting in 10 Downing Street, London, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Photographer: Alastair Grant Provider: AP Source: AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – OCTOBER 31: Labour Party MP Clive Lewis addresses hundreds of activists and campaigners in London’s Parliament Square during ‘Extinction Rebellion’ protest against the inaction of the British government in the face of climate change and ecological collapse. Protesters declared a non-violent rebellion and demanded urgent action on the ecological crisis to avoid the possibility of human extinction in the near future. October 31, 2018 in London, England. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Photographer: Wiktor Szymanowicz Provider: Future Publishing via Getty Imag Source: Future Publishing Copyright: ? 2018 Wiktor Szymanowicz
MPs have indicated in the past they would step aside for Burnham, including Clive Lewis, but these suggestions have since been quashed.
Step two – Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee
If a seat were to become vacant, Burnham would need to win over the National Executive Committee (NEC), who is responsible for choosing Labour’s candidates. In January, the NEC blocked Burnham from running in Gorton and Denton. A 10-strong group, including the PM, voted to deny Burnham permission.
Caption: FILE – Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer poses for a photo outside Parliament Buildings, following a meeting with party leaders, during his tour of the UK following Labour’s victory in the 2024 general election, in Stormont, Belfast, Monday July 8, 2024. (Liam McBurney/Pool Photo via AP, File) Photographer: Liam McBurney Provider: AP Source: Pool PA
Exclusive
3 min read
Step three – a leadership ballot
If Burnham were to be elected to Parliament, only then could he make a Labour leadership bid. According to the Labour Party rule book, candidates seeking to enter the ballot must be an MP.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham speaking at a Resolution Foundation event on working-age families, at the Methodist Central Hall in central London (Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)Caption: Angela Rayner And Andy Burnham At The Daily Mirror Party At The Labour Party Conference In Brighton, 2021 28-September-2021 (Photo by Jeremy Selwyn/Evening Standard via Getty Images) Photographer: Jeremy Selwyn Provider: Evening Standard via Getty Image Source: Evening Standard
This is because the Labour leader is the Prime Minister, therefore they would need to be a Member of Parliament. The current rules state a candidate must receive nominations from 20 per cent of their Labour colleagues in Parliament to be in the running.
A summary of necessary steps
What is standing in Burnham’s way?
Vacant seat
NEC permission
Win election, become an MP
Meet nominations threshold
Win leadership competition, become Labour leader and prime minister
Why driving test booking is set to change for learners
Changes begin on 12 May to reduce wait times and prevent bots and touts from exploiting the system.
(Photo: Steve Parsons/PA).
Driving test reforms
What you need to know
Under new laws, it’ll be illegal for driving instructors or anyone else to book tests for pupils.
They will not be able to change, swap or cancel a test for someone else either.
Learners will still need a reference from their instructor.
Only two changes to a booked slot are allowed; previously, it was up to six.
From 9 June, tests can only be moved to three locations nearest to where the original test was booked.
Why are there changes?
A backlog of driving tests built up as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Instructors were being offered kickbacks of up to £250 to sell their login credentials to touts.
Slots were being bought up in bulk and offered via social media for up to £500.
The standard cost is £62 on weekdays and £75 on evenings and weekends.
Caption: File photo dated 13/10/10 of a learner driver L plate. Driving test candidates should be asked if they would like their examiner to be “chatty” or “formal” to boost female pass rates, a report commissioned by a Government agency has suggested. Transport research group TRL, which proposed the measure, said it would avoid examiners creating “potential anxiety”. AA Driving School told the PA news agency that learners do not want to be examined by “a sergeant major nor a comedian”. Issue date: Sunday August 10, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: David Jones/PA Wire Photographer: David Jones Provider: David Jones/PA Wire Source: PA
OPINION
2 min read
The bills listed are not guaranteed to pass – they must still make their way through both the Commons and the Lords – but they represent the Government’s stated priorities for the session.
What is in the King’s Speech?
The speech began with the King saying that the Government will “respond to this world with strength and aim to create a country that is fair for all”.
Here are the key bills announced:
European Partnership Bill: Creates new legal frameworks for increased trade with the EU and new opportunities for young people, as part of the Government’s ongoing reset of UK-EU relations. The speech describes improved trading relations as “vital for the United Kingdom’s economic security, for significantly raising economic growth, and for lowering prices for working people”.
Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill: Forces larger businesses to pay their smaller suppliers on time.
Clean Water Bill: Reforms the water industry to tackle sewage dumping and clean up rivers and waterways.
Competition Reform Bill: Reforms competition law to tackle market dominance and create fairer conditions for businesses.
Regulating for Growth Bill: Strips back red tape on businesses, using new technology and innovation to replace outdated rules.
Enhancing Financial Services Bill: Reforms financial services regulation to attract investment and improve the operating environment for business.
Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill: Formally takes British Steel into public ownership. The Government has said it will “continue to take all action necessary to safeguard the domestic production of steel”.
Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill: Gives legal backing to the long-delayed Northern Powerhouse Rail project, which aims to improve east-west rail connections across the North of England.
Highways (Financing) Bill: Allows roads to be built more quickly, including the Lower Thames Crossing – a long-planned tunnel under the Thames east of London.
The King and Queen Camilla arriving for the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords (Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth/Getty)
Overnight Visitor Levy Bill: Allows local authorities in England to charge a small levy on overnight visitors, similar to tourist taxes already in place in Wales, Scotland, and many European cities.
Social Housing Renewal Bill: Invests in social housing stock and strengthens protections for tenants, including domestic abuse survivors. The speech describes housing as something that “can be a source of insecurity for many people.”
Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill: Caps ground rents and overhauls the leasehold system. Reports suggest the most significant changes would not come into force until after the next general election.
Education for All Bill: Raises standards in schools and overhauls the system for children with special educational needs, aiming to deliver more support within mainstream schools. The speech says every child deserves “the chance to succeed to the best of his or her ability and not be held back due to poverty, special educational needs, or a lack of respect for vocational education”.
Remediation Bill: Speeds up the process of fixing unsafe cladding on residential buildings, affecting thousands of leaseholders still living in homes deemed a fire risk.
Sporting Events Bill: Establishes a new legislative framework to make it easier to deliver big sporting events.
Police Reform Bill: Overhauls how the police are run, with a focus on standards and accountability.
NHS Modernisation Bill: Strips out layers of NHS management, shifts the focus toward preventing illness rather than treating it, and supports the Government’s 10-year health plan.
Digital Access to Services Bill: Introduces a digital ID system, allowing people to prove their identity online when dealing with public services.
MPs gather in the House of Commons ahead of the King’s Speech (Photo: Sky News)
Removal of Peerages Bill: Allows parliament to remove peerages from individuals in defined circumstances.
Civil Aviation Bill: Provides the legal framework for airport expansion, clearing the way for new runway capacity.
Sovereign Grant Bill: Sets the amount the King will get in funding for the 2027/28 financial year.
Immigration and Asylum Bill: Reforms the immigration and asylum system, which the Government says will increase “confidence in the security of the immigration and asylum systems”.
Energy Independence Bill: Scales up homegrown renewable energy and expands the national grid. The speech frames it as a security issue, saying increased clean energy production will help ensure “enemies of the United Kingdom cannot attack the economic security of the British people”.
Nuclear Regulation Bill: Takes forward recommendations of the Nuclear Regulatory Review to support a new phase of civil nuclear power generation in the UK.
Electricity Generator Levy Bill: Introduces a levy on electricity generators as part of the Government’s wider energy market reforms.
Tackling State Threats Bill: Gives security services new powers to counter hostile foreign states and their proxies operating in the UK.
National Security Bill: Brought forward in response to the Southport attack. The speech says the Government will “respond to the horrific attack in Southport with measures to protect the British people from extreme violence, and honour the victims, the injured and their families”.
Sir Keir Starmer and Lady Victoria Starmer leaving 10 Downing Street for the State Opening of Parliament (Photo: James Manning/PA)
What are the draft bills?
Some measures have been published in draft form, meaning they are available for parliamentary scrutiny but have not yet been formally introduced to the Commons.
Draft bills must complete pre-legislative scrutiny before the Government can bring forward a final version for full parliamentary debate.
Draft Conversion Practices Bill: This will ban abusive conversion practices – attempts to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill has been subject to prolonged delays across successive governments.
Draft Ticket Tout Ban Bill: This will crack down on the bulk-buying of tickets by touts for resale at inflated prices.
Draft Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Bill: This will look at updating taxi and private hire vehicle laws to “make every day journeys safer, fairer and easier”.
What isn’t new?
Seven of the bills in this session’s programme were carried over from the last parliamentary session, meaning the Commons agreed a motion to continue their passage rather than starting them afresh.
Armed Forces Bill: Improves the military justice system and writes the Armed Forces Covenant – the Government’s commitments to service personnel and their families – into law.
Courts and Tribunals Bill: Reforms the criminal justice system and court processes. Also referred to as the Courts Modernisation Bill.
Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: Strengthens the UK’s defences against cyberattacks and hostile activity online.
Northern Ireland Troubles Bill: Addresses legacy issues arising from the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Public Office (Accountability) Bill: Introduces a legal duty of candour for public servants – meaning they would be required by law to tell the truth in public inquiries and investigations. Widely known as the Hillsborough Law.
Railways and Passenger Benefits Bill: Establishes Great British Railways, bringing train operators and infrastructure under a single public body.
Representation of the People Bill: Reforms electoral law, covering voter registration and related matters.
What is missing from the speech?
The most significant omission is a full welfare reform bill.
The Government announced earlier this year that it intended to overhaul the benefits system, with proposed changes to personal independence payment and the work capability assessment drawing sustained political attention.
The speech references ongoing welfare reform, saying ministers will “respond to the Milburn Review and the Timms Review and continue to reform the welfare system to support both young and disabled people to flourish in work”.
However, no standalone welfare bill has been included in the programme.
Ministers have said primary legislation will follow once the reviews have reported, with findings expected later this summer and autumn.
Wes Streeting’s allies have been urging loyalist MPs not to sign a letter supporting the Prime Minister, The i Paper has been told – as the Health Secretary stands on the brink of resigning.
More than 100 backbenchers and ministerial aides have signed a statement, saying this is “no time for a leadership contest”.
But some MPs claimed that the Health Secretary’s backers have been calling around trying to stop the number of Sir Keir Starmer’s supporters from growing. One told The i Paper that Streeting’s allies had been “begging them not to sign the loyalist letter.”
Shorts – Quick stories
HEALTH
How children’s taste for vegetables ‘begins before birth’
Increasing numbers of parents are bringing up their children as vegetarian or vegan, the new guidance suggests
Young children react more favourably to the smell of vegetables if they were regularly exposed to them while developing in the womb, researchers have found.
A study at Durham University found evidence that three-year-olds develop a memory of the flavour and odour of foods they were exposed to in late pregnancy.
Everything you need to know
(Photo: Getty).
Remembering tastes
The reactions of toddlers to the smell of carrots or kale was examined to see whether taste can be established in utero.
Powder capsules
Children were tested for their response to the smell of the vegetables after their mothers took capsules of carrot or kale while pregnant.
Midsection of pregnant Black woman holding belly – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Changing the way vegetables and salad were labelled increased sales, the researchers found. (Photo: Getty)
Flavour memory
Researchers found children reacted less negatively if their mothers were exposed to the vegetables while pregnant.
Mothers advised to eat varied diet
The scientists found an enduring favourable response in toddlers to the vegetable flavours they were exposed to in the later weeks of pregnancy.
The study recorded the facial expressions of 12 children when they were given wet cotton swabs dipped in the carrot or kale powder their mothers had taken.
PROPERTY AND MORTGAGES
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
What the researchers said
High angle shot of Asian pregnant woman holding an ultrasound scan photo in front of her baby bump, sitting on bed at home. Mother-to-be. Precious moment in life. Preparation for a new family member. Expecting a new life. Baby and new life concept – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The researchers said the study suggested mothers-to-be should eat a varied diet rich in vegetables and fruits of different colours, with the added possibility it could influence the eating habits of their unborn child.
Analysis
3 min read
HEALTH
Why weight-loss pill after jabs may help keep pounds off
People using anti-obesity jabs can maintain weight loss by moving to a daily pill at the end of their treatment, a study suggests.
Researchers found that using orforglipron – an anti-obesity pill developed by US pharmaceuticals giant Eli Lilly – could be an “effective approach” for avoiding regaining pounds after injections have stopped.
What you need to know
While anti-obesity jabs are effective at promoting weight loss, patients have been found to regain the pounds after treatment stops.
Researchers in the US found that switching to orforglipron allowed patients using jabs to retain about 75 to 80 per cent of their weight loss.
Orforglipron is also a GLP-1 agonist, the same type of compound used in anti-obesity injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.
OPINION
3 min read
Weight-loss pill ‘cheaper’ than jabs
The US findings add to evidence that anti-obesity pills hold promise as a new method of promoting or maintaining weight loss, not least because they are significantly cheaper to manufacture than injections and easier to use.
Orforglipron, which is Eli Lilly’s hope for its next blockbuster drug, is taken as a once-a-day pill and was tested with 376 patients who had previously used jabs. The pill has been licensed in America but is still awaiting approval in the UK.
politics
Which members of Government have gone so far?
Against the backdrop of calls to quit, Starmer took refuge in the Labour Party rule book (Photo: Richard Pohle/AFP)
Sir Keir Starmer has briefly met with presumed leadership rival Wes Streeting in No 10 as the Prime Minister continues to resist calls from within Labour for him to stand down.
The crisis at the top of Government has so far seen the resignations of 10 MPs from their frontline roles, including four junior ministers. Among the most prominent has been the departure of Home Office minister Jess Phillips.
What you need to know
Six parliamentary private secretaries (PPS) – the eyes and ears of a minister in the House of Commons – have stepped down.
They include Joe Morris, PPS to Streeting, and Melanie Ward, PPS to Justice Secretary David Lammy, a key ally of Starmer.
The three ministers who have quit alongside Jess Phillips are Miatta Fahnbulleh, Alex Davies-Jones and Zubir Ahmed.
In her resignation letter, Phillips criticised Starmer for his record on online protections.
OPINION
4 min read
Crisis in Downing Street
While the Prime Minister has suffered the loss of 10 members of his Government, to date the departures have been restricted to its junior ranks. Starmer is widely seen as having laid down the gauntlet to his Cabinet colleagues to either formally challenge him, or allow him to stay in office.
Caption: Health Secretary Wes Streeting arriving at number 10 Downing Street, London, for his meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Picture date: Wednesday May 13, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire Photographer: James Manning Provider: James Manning/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA Wire Sources have said Government whips were picking up a mood described as ‘dire’ among backbenchers (Photo: James Manning/PA)
Some 11 Labour-supporting unions are expected to state publicly that Starmer will not lead the party into the next election. Ministers are being watched minute-by-minute for signs of a formal split.
The unusually high temperatures for early June come after the UK recorded an annual average temperature of more than 10°C for the first time this year (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty)
NEWS
Bodies of three women pulled from sea at Brighton beach
The bodies of three women were recovered from the sea in Brighton early today, Sussex Police said.
Here is everything we know about this incident so far.
What do we know so far?
Caption: People on the beach at New Brighton. Picture date: Monday September 4, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story WEATHER Hot. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire Photographer: Peter Byrne Provider: PA Source: PA Copyright: PA
Emergency services were called at around 5.45am on Wednesday, to reports of a “person” in the water.
The bodies of three women were pulled from the water near Madeira Drive.
Explained
4 min read
The latest
Police are conducting enquiries to confirm the identities of the women.
Chief Superintendent, Adam Hays, said police are “working hard” to understand exactly what happened.
The coastguard is not searching for anyone else.
The beach will remain closed for the rest of the afternoon.
PENSIONS AND RETIREMENT
4 min read
This is a tragic incident and fast-moving enquiries are ongoing to confirm the identities of these three women and understand exactly what has happened. I know this is concerning for the community, but I would ask the public to stay away from the scene at this time while emergency services continue their work.
Chief Superintendent, Adam Hays
Male and female Asian metropolitan police officers patrol the crowds of tourists outside the Hoses of Parliament in Westminster, London, UK – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Why do the British insist on exporting their culture when they travel? (Photo: Ceri Breeze/Getty)
FOOD AND DRINK
Greggs to open international shop at Tenerife South airport
The British chain will bring its beloved range of baked goods to the Canary Islands.
Greggs last operated shops abroad in Belgium in 2008, but said Tenerife was “the ideal location to test spreading our wings in an overseas setting”.
What you need to know
Greggs will open a branch in Tenerife South airport later this month.
The usual range of sausage rolls, pasties and sweet treats will be on offer.
A ‘Spanish omelette roll’ will also be on the menu.
Around half of Tenerife’s 13 million visitors go to and from the UK each year.
OPINION
2 min read
What Greggs is saying
It’s an exciting milestone for Greggs as we bring a slice of home to the Canaries, and we’re confident our great-value offering will resonate just as well under the Spanish sun as it does on the UK high street.
Greggs chief executive Roisin Currie
Caption: Greggs sausage rolls, UK. (Photo by: Alex Segre/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Photographer: UCG Provider: UCG/Universal Images Group via G Source: Universal Images Group Editorial Copyright: Alex Segre
GO DEEPER ON THIS TOPIC
Greggs has made me ashamed to be British
Caption: Bay of turquoise coloured water in Los Cristianos, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Photographer: BriBar Provider: Getty Images Source: E+ Copyright: BW PHOTOGRAPHY
Emily Watkins
Freelance writer
Spain – a land of excellent food, rich cultural identity and a beautiful language. Of course, if you’re a British tourist there, odds are you won’t have noticed.
Why do the British insist on exporting their culture when they travel?
Read more here.
How would Andy Burnham become prime minister?
Andy Burnham is one of the frontrunners to replace Sir Keir Starmer if he resigns as Prime Minister. The Manchester Mayor has previously indicated he would be willing to overthrow the current Labour leader.
Caption: File photo dated 13/4/26 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party MP and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meet pupils during a visit to a school breakfast club at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Ashton, Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, Angela Rayner has said today. Issue date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Photographer: Paul Ellis Provider: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Source: PA Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham cannot run for the leadership unless he wins a seat in Parliament (Photo: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty)
First step – find a vacant seat
Caption: File photo dated 13/4/26 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party MP and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meet pupils during a visit to a school breakfast club at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Ashton, Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, Angela Rayner has said today. Issue date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Photographer: Paul Ellis Provider: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Source: PA
A vacant parliamentary seat would need to be available and finding one may not be easy.
There are two by-elections coming up in Scotland, but Burnham is unlikely to stand in these.
Caption: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham arrives for a meeting in 10 Downing Street, London, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Photographer: Alastair Grant Provider: AP Source: AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – OCTOBER 31: Labour Party MP Clive Lewis addresses hundreds of activists and campaigners in London’s Parliament Square during ‘Extinction Rebellion’ protest against the inaction of the British government in the face of climate change and ecological collapse. Protesters declared a non-violent rebellion and demanded urgent action on the ecological crisis to avoid the possibility of human extinction in the near future. October 31, 2018 in London, England. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Photographer: Wiktor Szymanowicz Provider: Future Publishing via Getty Imag Source: Future Publishing Copyright: ? 2018 Wiktor Szymanowicz
MPs have indicated in the past they would step aside for Burnham, including Clive Lewis, but these suggestions have since been quashed.
Step two – Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee
If a seat were to become vacant, Burnham would need to win over the National Executive Committee (NEC), who is responsible for choosing Labour’s candidates. In January, the NEC blocked Burnham from running in Gorton and Denton. A 10-strong group, including the PM, voted to deny Burnham permission.
Caption: FILE – Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer poses for a photo outside Parliament Buildings, following a meeting with party leaders, during his tour of the UK following Labour’s victory in the 2024 general election, in Stormont, Belfast, Monday July 8, 2024. (Liam McBurney/Pool Photo via AP, File) Photographer: Liam McBurney Provider: AP Source: Pool PA
Exclusive
3 min read
Step three – a leadership ballot
If Burnham were to be elected to Parliament, only then could he make a Labour leadership bid. According to the Labour Party rule book, candidates seeking to enter the ballot must be an MP.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham speaking at a Resolution Foundation event on working-age families, at the Methodist Central Hall in central London (Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)Caption: Angela Rayner And Andy Burnham At The Daily Mirror Party At The Labour Party Conference In Brighton, 2021 28-September-2021 (Photo by Jeremy Selwyn/Evening Standard via Getty Images) Photographer: Jeremy Selwyn Provider: Evening Standard via Getty Image Source: Evening Standard
This is because the Labour leader is the Prime Minister, therefore they would need to be a Member of Parliament. The current rules state a candidate must receive nominations from 20 per cent of their Labour colleagues in Parliament to be in the running.
A summary of necessary steps
What is standing in Burnham’s way?
Vacant seat
NEC permission
Win election, become an MP
Meet nominations threshold
Win leadership competition, become Labour leader and prime minister
Why driving test booking is set to change for learners
Changes begin on 12 May to reduce wait times and prevent bots and touts from exploiting the system.
(Photo: Steve Parsons/PA).
Driving test reforms
What you need to know
Under new laws, it’ll be illegal for driving instructors or anyone else to book tests for pupils.
They will not be able to change, swap or cancel a test for someone else either.
Learners will still need a reference from their instructor.
Only two changes to a booked slot are allowed; previously, it was up to six.
From 9 June, tests can only be moved to three locations nearest to where the original test was booked.
Why are there changes?
A backlog of driving tests built up as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Instructors were being offered kickbacks of up to £250 to sell their login credentials to touts.
Slots were being bought up in bulk and offered via social media for up to £500.
The standard cost is £62 on weekdays and £75 on evenings and weekends.
Caption: File photo dated 13/10/10 of a learner driver L plate. Driving test candidates should be asked if they would like their examiner to be “chatty” or “formal” to boost female pass rates, a report commissioned by a Government agency has suggested. Transport research group TRL, which proposed the measure, said it would avoid examiners creating “potential anxiety”. AA Driving School told the PA news agency that learners do not want to be examined by “a sergeant major nor a comedian”. Issue date: Sunday August 10, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: David Jones/PA Wire Photographer: David Jones Provider: David Jones/PA Wire Source: PA
OPINION
2 min read
Starmer’s allies have been briefing that Streeting has “bottled it” and does not have enough support to challenge the Prime Minister. Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Cabinet Office Minister, also suggested Streeting does not have the required number of MPs to challenge the PM. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The evidence of the last two days is there isn’t an alternative candidate with those 81 MPs.”
However, this was described by Streeting’s allies as being “wide of the mark”.
The Times revealed earlier that the Ilford North MP has told allies he is preparing to resign to trigger a leadership contest as soon as Thursday.
The i Paper has also been told that he is preparing to launch a leadership bid, with one ally saying: “I think he will resign tomorrow. I don’t think there is any other choice, but he’s not said it to me directly.”
Another source added: “No one has the numbers until the numbers start being collected. Do I think he’ll get the numbers?… absolutely.”
It comes just hours after Streeting met with the Prime Minister in Downing Street. Streeting had been expected to confront Starmer over the turmoil engulfing the Labour Party after the PM said he was not going anywhere and that the process for triggering a contest had not happened. Streeting left the meeting after just 16 minutes looking crestfallen.
Allies of Streeting who claim to have spoken to him directly told The Times that the Health Secretary was “going to go for it.” Another source told the newspaper: “If they [Starmer’s supporters] think this is over, they’re going to be disappointed. I’m expecting a move before the end of the week.” They said that he is likely to resign on Thursday and mount a formal challenge for the leadership. It has also been reported that discussions have also been held to prepare for MPs to sign Streeting’s nomination papers, according to those familiar with the plans.
When asked whether the reports were accurate, Streeting’s spokesman said: “Wes is the Health Secretary, he is proud of his record of falling waiting lists and a recovering NHS. He is not planning to say anything following his meeting with the Prime Minister that might distract from the King’s Speech.”
The 43 year-old has made no secret of his desire become prime minister one day, although he had previously denied he would challenge Starmer directly. He has been reluctant to be the first one to move against the PM – although many of his allies, including is ministerial aide, have called for Starmer to go.
During one fevered bout of leadership speculation last autumn, Streeting was forced to deny suggestions that he was planning to move against him the wake of November’s Budget. The briefings, he insisted, were the “worst attack on a faithful” since rugby player Joe Marler had been banished in the finale of hit TV show Celebrity Traitors.
Formerly regarded as close to Lord Mandelson, Streeting has distanced himself from the former Labour minister since his sacking as US ambassador over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, saying earlier this year he would never speak to him again.
In what was seen as an attempt to minimise doubts among potential supporters, he took the unusual move of releasing the private messages he had exchanged with the peer, insisting they had never been close friends.
Streeting’s main rival is likely to be Angela Rayner, the former Deputy Prime Minister, who has previously told supporters she will stand against him if he triggers a contest. There have also been reports that Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, is canvassing support to run as the soft-left candidate.
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, is also hoping to return to Westminster to enter any potential leadership race. His allies are billing to tomorrow as “resignation day” when an MP will step aside to make way for him to stand as an MP. However, his route back to Westminster is not straight forward and would still require him to get the backing of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) and win a by-election.
Manchester City remain alive and kicking in the Premier League title race but if whispers in the game of a June resolution to their “115” charges case prove to be true, that will soon be overshadowed by events elsewhere.
Ditto the so-called “richest game in football”, the Championship play-off final, which has been rocked by a “Spygate”‘ row that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
It is alleged and has not yet been denied by Southampton that a spy from the South Coast club was spotted at Middlesbrough’s training ground last week, collecting details on their rivals’ final preparations for the play-off semi-finals.
The details feel like a James Bond movie – the perpetrator hurriedly changing clothes before dashing off amid incredulity in the Teessiders’ camp – but this could be one where the “bad guys” end up winning.
Middlesbrough were downed by an extra-time goal at St Mary’s (Photo: Reuters)
Boro will not let the matter go, with owner Steve Gibson ready to vigorously pursue the case. They want a chance to present their findings to the EFL, which includes CCTV footage and a dossier with other explosive claims. Nick De Marco, the “Lionel Messi” of sports lawyers, has been retained by Boro, who are pushing for expulsion.
Legal experts contacted by The i Paper this morning feel talk of a final resolution in time for next week’s Wembley date is unrealistic though.
While the EFL want the process expedited, shortening Southampton’s usual 14 days to respond to Friday’s charges in order to get the matter dealt with, it is now in the hands of an independent commission. And they do not move quickly: just ask the Premier League and City.
Can a hearing be convened, Southampton and the EFL’s counsel heard, and a verdict delivered that is legally watertight in 10 days? “No chance,” said one source who has worked on these matters before.
He points out that even with three members of the panel working day and night, there are procedures to go through to ensure everyone is fairly treated. If it is rushed it leaves them open to losing an appeal and then what? Southampton reinstated to a play-off final that they were thrown out of sometime in July? It’s a mess.
In reality the timeline is tighter: it’s understood Boro want to know by the end of the weekend where they stand. This Thursday is a long-scheduled end of season debrief for their players which will take place as planned. But beyond that?
Boro owner Steve Gibson (right) is furious and will not let ‘Spygate’ go (Photo: Getty)
The club have players with a World Cup to prepare for, the logistics of selling and distributing Wembley tickets to take on and training plans to sort out. The timeline feels far too tight to get all of this ticked off.
There is also the small matter of Hull City, who are currently planning to play Southampton. Is it fair on them if they are suddenly faced with a very different challenge just a few days out from Wembley? Tigers sources are keeping their counsel at the moment but expect them to have something to say if it is left too late.
The most likely scenario at this stage is that Southampton play Hull on 23 May with the cloud of suspicion still hanging over the South Coast club and a possible punishment lingering into next season. That would leave Boro licking their wounds and surely contemplating further legal action.
Read more
None of it is good enough. If time was on their side, Southampton might be in a lot more trouble. Discovering top secret information in the days before a game is clearly a huge advantage, and they should be thrown out if it is proved.
But with the clock ticking, the only thing certain is that the Championship play-offs will have a massive asterisk next to them.
England have dropped Zak Crawley for next month’s first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s following the embarrassing Ashes winter in Australia.
The misfiring Kent opener, who has had a torrid start to the County Championship season, is one of four players who have paid the price for the 4-1 defeat Down Under, with fellow batter Ollie Pope, spinning all-rounder Will Jacks and seamer Matthew Potts also overlooked.
They are among seven players from the Ashes campaign missing for the opening Test against the Black Caps that starts on 4 June, with Brydon Carse and Mark Wood injured and fast bowler Jofra Archer, currently playing in the Indian Premier League, being rested in preparation for the second Test that starts at The Oval on 17 June.
Struggling opener Zak Crawley has been left out of England’s squad to face New Zealand (Photo: Getty)
There are maiden Test call-ups for Emilio Gay, the Durham opener who looks set to replace Crawley at the top of the order, and Hampshire fast bowler Sonny Baker, while Somerset’s James Rew is also included as batting cover.
But perhaps the biggest call made by England’s hierarchy are the recalls for seamer Ollie Robinson, whose last Test appearance came more than two years ago, and young leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed.
Shoaib Bashir, who went unused throughout the Ashes, is also included, although the off-spinner is thought to be behind Ahmed in the running to play at Lord’s.
Robinson’s inclusion caps a remarkable return to the international fold after a period when his personal issues and injury problems seemingly had ended his England career.
The 32-year-old, whose last Test came against India at Ranchi in February 2024, told The i Paper in March: “I’ve not had contact [with England] for 18 months to two years now.”
Read more
But having spoken to head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key, Robinson has started the season well for Sussex, captaining the team and taking 17 wickets at 26 across five Championship games.
Baker’s call-up is not surprising but the timing is given he has only played 11 first-class matches. The 23-year-old has taken 14 wickets at 26 this season and last week told The i Paper: “I’m not going to shy away from the fact that a Test debut is an absolute dream and I think Test cricket is the absolute pinnacle.”
With Gus Atkinson having suffered a concussion last week, Baker could be set for that debut at Lord’s, although Atkinson and Matthew Fisher will rival him for a place in a seam attack that looks almost certain to include Robinson and Josh Tongue.
Gay, meanwhile, is a pick that backs up the claim from England’s hierarchy that they would reward county performances this summer. The left-hander is averaging 92 in the Championship this season for Durham and has already scored three centuries. He has seen off competition from county team-mate Ben McKinney and Glamorgan’s Asa Tribe.
Despite the lack of changes at the top following the calamitous Ashes tour, with McCullum and Key both lucky to keep their jobs, this squad does at least show some appetite for freshening things up, even if Crawley, who averaged 27 in Australia, may feel hard done by that he has ultimately ended up being the scapegoat.
England’s squad for the first Test against New Zealand:
Reform UK’s strong performance in the recent local elections has intensified scrutiny of what a Nigel Farage-led government could mean for people’s finances.
They made major gains across England and has continued to climb in national polling, putting pressure on Labour ahead of the next general election.
So far, Reform has offered only a limited set of detailed pension policies, but the proposals it has floated point to potentially significant changes for retirees, savers and public sector workers.
Below, we run through what these could mean.
Triple lock survives
One of the clearest commitments from Reform is support for the state pension triple lock, which guarantees the pension rises each year by whichever is highest out of inflation, wage growth or 2.5 per cent.
Farage initially appeared lukewarm about the policy before he later confirmed it would remain in place.
Speaking at a press conference in London last month, Farage said: “We have discussed it, and we have debated it, and we’ve decided it’s going to stay.”
There are often concerns about how the continuation of the lock will be funded, and Farage has said this will be through cuts to welfare spending and disability benefits, although it has not set out full details.
Tom Selby, director of public policy at AJ Bell, said backing the triple lock was politically understandable but raised longer-term questions.
“While [Reform’s commitment to the triple lock] might make sense politically, it is not a policy that can simply be retained forever and Reform, along with other major parties, would likely need to set out a plan to shift away from the triple-lock if it is elected to power.”
The triple lock has become increasingly expensive for governments as the population ages, but it remains highly popular – particularly with older voters – and is now backed by all the major parties.
According to the Office for Budget Responsibility, the annual cost of the policy is estimated to reach £15.5bn by 2030.
Public sector pensions
Reform has also suggested it would make major changes to public sector pensions. The party argues that the defined benefit (DB) pension schemes offered to many council workers, teachers and NHS staff are too generous and too costly.
These schemes provide a guaranteed income for life in retirement in return for contributions from workers. They differ from the defined contribution (DC) schemes in the private sector, where workers save into their own pots that are then invested, and for which they hold responsibility individually.
Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform, claimed in November that the liability for these schemes was “growing at somewhere between £30bn and £50bn a year”. He insisted it was “not unreasonable” to “sit down with unions” and discuss a different system for new employees.
On one of these individual schemes, the local government pension scheme (LGPS), Reform has been even more direct.
This scheme is one of the few public sector DB schemes that invests employee contributions, but Tice has said the schemes are “underperforming hugely”, had “no co-ordination” and were invested in “woke nonsense”.
Tice said Reform would stop new employees from enrolling in the pensions and instead enroll them into DC schemes.
A Reform spokesman said: “We’re committed to the triple lock and closing LGPS to new entrants, consolidating LGPS schemes assets as a sovereign wealth fund, and are conducting a review of whether to close other public sector defined benefit pension schemes to new entrants.”
Selby said there were some risks with this. He said: “Reform has said it wants to shift public sector workers onto DC pensions, a move which would cause an immediate bunfight with trade unions and would also raise substantial cashflow challenges for the Exchequer.
“Because public sector pensions are ‘pay as you go’, the contributions of today’s workers are used to pay the pensions of today’s retirees. A switch to DC would mean today’s workers’ contributions would go into their own pot, but there would still be an obligation to pay the pensions of retirees.
“While such a move could reduce long-term costs, this transition would be extremely painful and costly, and Reform will need to set out how it plans to address that challenge.”
Some think-tanks have done work on how this could be achieved – and concluded that it would save money in future – but have admitted there is an upfront cost.
This year, a paper by the think-tank Policy Exchange suggested closing DB schemes to new entrants. It said costs would peak at £3.4bn after six years, but would save £37.4bn 50 years after adoption.
Are there economic risks?
Experts said the biggest impact of any future Reform government may be less about specific policies and more about the economic impact it could have, which could have an effect on the performance of people’s pension investments.
Reform has said its aim is to make Britain one of the best places to start a business. Reform “will cut red tape, cut business taxes, simplify planning, and create a stable, pro-enterprise environment,” it says on its website.
If it were to boost economic growth successfully, that could mean people’s pensions and investments in Britain performing more strongly.
But experts point out there are also risks.
Stephen Barber, a professor of global affairs at the University of East London, said there were risks to economic stability from Reform’s agenda.
“The first is that while Reform is characterised as a party of the right, fundamentally it is not so much ideologically coherent as populist. It offers simple solutions to complex problems. This means it runs with counterproductive and sometimes contradictory policies.”
He warned secondly that Reform’s policies could prove difficult to deliver in government, risking economic instability, while its reluctance to reform the pensions triple lock could add to inflation and borrowing costs.
Barber also said that Britain’s increasingly fragmented political landscape could add to instability, arguing that even if Reform performed strongly at an election it would be unlikely to secure a majority, raising the prospect of weak coalitions, political deadlock and greater market uncertainty.
Political uncertainty and uncosted spending hikes or tax rises can cause a rise in gilt yields – the return that investors in government debt demand. These have climbed in recent weeks, with the yield on 10-year government bonds, known as gilts, rising to around 5 per cent. That is close to the highest level since the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and reflects growing concern among investors over inflation, public finances and political instability.
Higher gilt yields matter because they feed through into the wider economy, including mortgage pricing. These higher borrowing costs can drag on the economy, which influences how people’s pension investments perform.
Sir Steve Webb, former pensions minister and current partner at pension consultants LCP, said a government viewed as fiscally disciplined could help lower borrowing costs and mortgage rates. But he warned instability or unpredictability could have the opposite effect.
“The most important impact of any new government on household finances will ultimately depend on their stewardship of the economy.”
Great moments of political change often dissolve into a circus and that’s what’s going on now.
Wes Streeting did the mad British politics walk this morning. You know the one. The minister has to walk into No 10 to the sound of journalists shouting like the town drunk on a Saturday afternoon. “Are you going to resign, Health Secretary?” one screamed. “Are you going to stand for leader?” another said.
Streeting’s face took on the classic expression of this scenario: a practised look of steely indifference, as if he were taking a perfectly ordinary walk on a Wednesday morning and was entirely unaware of the mad shrieking all around him. Paradoxically, this actually makes them look more mad than if they’d respond to the questions.
You can summarise the whole political culture of this country through this weird tradition. In a sense, there’s something faintly admirable and democratic about it. Many countries don’t allow independent journalism at all. Those that do certainly do not allow cabinet secretaries to be assailed by snarling ranks of reporters. In the US and Europe, the culture works to protect the dignity of the minister, something that is basically alien to British political life.
It is also utterly vacuous. No journalist shouting expects to have the minister answer their question. No minister acknowledges the howls of the press. It is all theatre: vivid, distracting, and really quite completely meaningless. There isn’t even a purpose to the walk itself. There are plenty of other ways into that building. Prime ministers actively choose to engage in this absurd spectacle, for reasons that only they understand.
The same giddy emptiness surrounds the speculation around Streeting’s meeting with Keir Starmer. What should be a crucial discussion about Britain’s future descended into the usual procedural soap opera.
Starmer refused to see Streeting until this morning, just ahead of the King’s Speech, when any subsequent political move would risk undermining the dignity of the king. In the end, the health secretary was in the building for less than 20 minutes. Who knows how many of them were spent waiting outside the prime minister’s door. Who knows what was said. Perhaps he threatened Starmer. Perhaps Starmer threatened him. We’ve no idea, although reports suggested he was preparing to resign and trigger a leadership contest.
We do know one thing though: This is not how these things should be done. This is simply the silliest, most childlike way we could possibly proceed when deciding the prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Even if it was less visibly preposterous, the idea of a sudden challenge and leadership switch is itself irrational. Streeting is an unknown quantity. We know his track record on health and a handful of other issues. We have no real idea what he would do as prime minister. What would be his defence policy? His immigration policy? Jumping from the current prime minister to the health secretary without a debate is basically like playing roulette – put it all on black, sit down, close your eyes and hope for the best.
We don’t need any more Westminster procedural soap opera. We don’t need a quick switch-out of leaders. We need a calm and open presentation of ideas. We need a conversation about what is happening in this country and how to resolve it.
Starmer has not provided it. He refuses to grapple with any of the core decisions dominating British political life. How are we going to boost defence spending? How are we going to fix social care? What is the right level of immigration? What is our policy towards Europe?
He will insist that he is handling these issues, but in fact he does nothing. The battle between the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury continues because he refuses to adjudicate. Social care has been kicked into the long grass. Immigration policy was reasonable, then draconian, and now seems like it might become reasonable again because Starmer has changed his mind for a second time, or at least until he changes it again. Britain is apparently going to be “in the heart of Europe”, but Starmer is unwilling to grapple with any of the trade-offs, particularly on free movement, which are required to make that a reality.
It’s not as if there’s a lack of ideas in the party. This week alone, Labour groups have been releasing thoughtful, trenchant reports exploring the moral and practical options available to the government, particularly on taxes and the fiscal rules.
The Labour Growth Group put out a manifesto on supply-side reform, in which the tax burden would be shifted from workers to asset-owners, with an increase in capital gains balancing a cut to national insurance. The Tribune group published a paper calling for a doubling of the time horizon on the fiscal rules from five to ten years, exploring ways of maintaining discipline while reducing arbitrary side-effects and boosting investment.
We need time for these ideas to be discussed – not just in economic policy but across the political landscape.
For once, the intellectual needs of the country and the self-interested needs of the Labour party are pointing in the same direction. The soft left of the party wants time for Andy Burnham to get into parliament. More sensible figures on the right of the party recognise that they need him to be involved in a leadership fight if they’re to secure a meaningful mandate under a Streeting leadership.
This process should take place in an orderly, open way, over the summer, with a decision in autumn. It should feature an urgent injection of ideas, a sense of intellectual engagement, a challenging of orthodoxy, a daring assessment of policy options which meets the historic demands of the period we’re living in.
We’re in an objectively terrible place. It is a disaster to find ourselves back in the leadership chaos of the Tory era. But given that this is where we are, we shouldn’t let a good crisis go to waste. The leadership issue should be settled in a meaningful debate over ideas, not the kind of superficial theatrical soap-opera we witnessed this morning.
George Bass has been a campus security guard at a university in Kent for nearly two decades. His book, What The Bouncer Saw, is out now.
Campus security guards are first responders, which means we’re first on the scene to everything that happens. That could be fights, fire alarms, overdoses, self-harm, intruders – anything that involves immediate response. Our job is to keep things stable until the proper help can be called in.
I’ve worked as a campus security guard at the same university for 19 years. I was 25 when I first started, not much older than the students. The shifts are 12 hours, either 6am to 6pm or 6pm to 6am. I was on the night shift then but now I do day shifts. You work four days on, four days off.
We’re based in a control room but we’re mobile as much as possible – we have to be reactive. My campus is spread all around a city, and includes about 40 buildings, which range from remote football pavilions to 300-strong accommodation blocks. You could get called anywhere on the campus during a shift.
I view my job as sort of being like an uncle to the students. Legally, they’re all adults, but a lot of them are still learning what they can and can’t do. A lot of times they come to us with a problem and need reassurance. But you have to maintain a professional barrier. Sometimes you can be called to to reassure someone, and then a week later, when they’ve got their head together, you can be called to shut down a massive party they’re at.
One of the biggest issues I see is loneliness. If you believe the films, you think uni is a 24/7 toga party. A lot of students don’t realise that a big chunk of uni life is in a room on your own, which sounds a bit scary – a bit like jail, but without the set meal times. We do our best to chat to the kids who aren’t part of the crowd. We make sure no one’s on their own too much, because then you’re looking at a potential self-harm or something down the line.
Kids don’t realise that the party won’t come to them. They have to put themselves out there. If they get missed off the group chat when they move in, they can feel isolated. We always encourage the students to try and mingle for the first few nights. We’ll tell them to bring a big pizza into the kitchen and say they’ve over-ordered, and watch everyone flock towards it.
As someone who has to watch crowds, there seems to be less of a social scene since Covid. Obviously, you still get big events, but there’s a lot more people on their own in their rooms, which can lead to mental health issues among the more introverted students.
One of the things we deal with a lot is self-harm. There was one girl I remember who was really injured. We’re trained in first aid and catastrophic bleeding, so we patched her up, made her a cup of tea, sat her down and talked to her. I’m not qualified to say what was wrong with her, but she seemed very lonely. This was about 6am, and we had a chat about things she could do in the city and places to hang out. She left us in better spirits than we found her.
We break up wild parties too. In lockdown, we got called to a flat where there were 60 people in one kitchen. They claimed it was a study bubble. We get called to parties that have gone out of control, but I think that’s an occupational hazard of being 18.
We tell students to be careful with who they bring back to their accommodation. We had a bloke who brought 11 people from the pub, they barricaded the corridor with chairs and his bed frame, fired up a bong and started blasting music. Another time, a girl rang us up in a panic: “There’s a man running around my corridor with his willy out.” He was a rough sleeper. So I asked how he got into her block and she said: “I felt sorry for him so I brought him back for tea.”
Some kids arrive very independent, especially care leavers – they already know how to wash their clothes, pay bills and look after themselves. Other kids, perhaps from a more stable middle-class background, don’t know how to do much at all. Cooking often leads to a disaster. Some students once decided to make a cheese toastie in a toaster on its side – it caught fire, and torched the whole kitchen.
Of course, I see a lot of drinking and some drugs. Mostly the standard stuff, just kids having fun. But you do also sometimes get county lines stuff [where organised criminal gangs move drugs]. You need UCAS points to get into uni, but you can also get in on a foundation year and get your UCAS points at the uni. Occasionally, gangs will install a dealer on one of those foundation years. We had one incident where a plain clothes police officer apprehended a student – when we went to his room and it was like a factory full of heroin, knives and weapons.
Drug dealing has changed in my time on the job. Students don’t go and meet a stranger under a bridge anymore. They want it to work the same way as Deliveroo, and suppliers are very aware of that. They look at a student block and think: there’s 500 potential customers living there. We monitor a lot of short but repetitive movements of people. If somebody is going up and down to the flats all the time, for under 10 minutes, that would be flagged and potentially investigated.
Female students suffer a lot more from predatory issues – they get unwanted attention from guys. The students have access to a tracking app. If they want to, it will show us their location when they’re on uni grounds. If they want help quickly they can hit an emergency button and we’ll try and get to them as quickly as we can. Sometimes men don’t understand no – we have to step in and tell them to leave it alone or we’ll phone 999.
There are guys who’ve watched too many Andrew Tate videos and have this pressure to be ultra masculine. That’s a danger you’ve got to look out for. A lot of times at university, your only company is the internet – and algorithms are smart. A couple years ago, I was doing some anti-terror training run by an ex-Met Police officer. He told us: “You don’t realise how much of a target a place like this is for far right extremists. The far right loves to get its claws in a place like this, because it’s full of lonely, lost blokes who they can try and groom.” They create this sense of injustice among single blokes. There’s also a big gym and steroid culture at university.
We’re very mindful of these things. If we see guys who look hostile and aggressive all the time, we try to talk to them and monitor it. If a guy is being very disruptive, the university administrators will reach out to them. It can end in being ejected from the university.
A security guard is not a glamorous job, and there isn’t a lot of praise. We give up our nights, bank holidays and Christmases to keep an eye on people and make sure nothing bad happens to them. I’d like people to remember that we’re as vulnerable and as human as they are. But I do really enjoy my job. I used to work in labouring and factories and I never saw the point in those jobs. Now, I feel like I’m in the right place.
My message to parents would be that they probably grew up before smartphones, so all the bad and embarrassing things they did have not been documented. Everything their kids are doing is being documented. So go easy on them.
If they feel like they’ve messed up and everyone knows about it, just remind them that no one really cares. That’s what I say to a lot of the kids: “No one’s watching. No one cares. Don’t worry about it.”
“What the Bouncer Saw: Life on the Front Line of the Security Business” by George Bass is out now
