Half of voters want Starmer replaced before the next election

Half of voters think Sir Keir Starmer should be ousted as Prime Minister before the next election.

A new poll for The i Paper by BMG Research shows that even a large number of those who voted Labour at the last election have turned against the party’s current leader.

The findings suggest it will be an uphill struggle for the Prime Minister to regain the authority that he once held – and to dismiss questions about his future as nothing more than Westminster gossip.

Shorts – Quick stories

SCIENCE

Could the bluebuck return from extinction?

Researchers are using genetic technology to bring back from extinction a blue species of antelope that died out around 200 years ago, Texas company Colossal Biosciences announced this week.

Here is everything we know.

Hunted to extinction

The bluebuck, an antelope once native to southern Africa, was known for its unique silvery-blue coat and curved horns, which could reach two feet in length.

It became the first large African mammal to go extinct in modern history, due to hunting around 1800 – during European colonial settlement of the Cape – just decades after it was first recorded by scientists.

‘Pivotal’ step in ‘de-extinction’ programme

Efforts to bring the bluebuck back form part of Colossal’s broader “de-extinction” programme, aiming to revive species like the dire wolf, the woolly mammoth and the dodo.

The bluebuck is the sixth species added to that list and the first focused on antelopes, marking what the company called a “pivotal step” to help “protect entire ecosystems”.

WORLD

3 min read

NEWS

3 min read

The de-extinction process

• Researchers first took cells from the roan antelope, a close relative.
• These are genetically modified to introduce preserved bluebuck DNA.
• The aim is to create embryos that surrogate animals could carry.
• Breeding technology may also support wider conservation efforts.

NEWS

5 min read

The long-term goal

• The goal is to rewild bluebucks in South Africa’s renosterveld habitat.
• But there is no timeline yet for when a living bluebuck may be produced.
• Of the world’s 90 antelope species, 29 are at risk of extinction.
• Colossal says its project’s findings could also protect those animals.

Big Read

6 min read

MONEY

The new plan for state pension reform

The current state pension is “outdated, increasingly unaffordable and too rigid for the way people live and work” and should therefore be replaced by a new fund which could pay out early, it has been suggested.

Triple lock equals big spending

The triple lock means funding of the state pension is one of the biggest areas of government expenditure, at about £146bn a year – equivalent to 5 per cent of GDP.

However, scrapping the triple lock is seen as a vote-loser and it has been backed through at least the end of this Parliament by all main UK political parties except the Greens.

Exclusive

3 min read

PENSIONS AND RETIREMENT

4 min read

‘Outdated’ state pension is ‘too rigid’

Pensions reform is unavoidable due to the UK’s ageing population, argues a new report by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), which says the triple lock should be scrapped by 2030.

The former Labour prime minister’s think-tank proposes that state pension increases should instead be linked only to rises in earnings, with the current system eventually replaced by a new “Lifespan Fund”.

Why the TBI says reform is needed

Without reform, the TBI says the outlay will rise to…

7.8%

of GDP spent on the state pension by 2070, an extra £85bn a year in today’s terms.

This is due to a projected increase in the number of pensioners from 12.6m to 19m.

5.5%

of GDP is around the level the TBI’s proposed reforms would keep state pension spending.

This would save the Government some £66bn in additional costs by 2070.

The ‘Lifespan Fund’ proposal

• This fund could be accessed early, not just for retirement
• Reasons could include ill health, career changes or caring roles.
• Entitlement would be built through activities like work, caring or study.
• Safeguards for early access include minimum balances rising with age.

POLITICS

5 min read

OPINION

What our experts think of the new state pension plan

While the Tony Blair Institute’s plan is independent of the Government, it does raise an important question about the sustainability of our current pension system and if it is still fit for purpose.

So, should the state pension be replaced? Our experts have shared their perspectives.

Missing Oscar found after winner blocked from taking it on flight

Pavel Talankin claims he was forced to check in his golden Oscar statuette at a New York airport. It later went missing.

Here’s what we know about the incident – and the mission to
find it.

Multi-award-winning documentary

In March, Talankin won Best Feature Documentary at the Oscars with Mr Nobody Against Putin, showcasing war propaganda at a Russian school where he worked after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The BBC-backed piece also won its 35-year-old protagonist and co-director a Bafta earlier this year. He has reportedly traveled often since then, showcasing both awards at events and screenings.

Dispute at the airport

Frequent flyer

Talankin had faced no prior issues bringing his Oscar aboard US or international flights.

Trouble in NY

But he was stopped when trying to board a flight from New York to Germany on Wednesday.

A makeshift ‘weapon’

Airport security at JFK International allegedly said his award could be used as a weapon.

Lost in transit?

Talankin only had carry-on luggage with him, so Lufthansa airlines provided a “flimsy” cardboard box in place of checked bag to put the award in, packaging it with tape and bubble wrap.

But when Talankin arrived in Germany, he discovered that his statuette, which reportedly costs up to $1,000 (£733) to make, had vanished.

Oscar located!

Luckily, Lufthansa said on Friday that it had located the statue and was keeping it “in our care” in Frankfurt while working to arrange its swift return to Talankin.

The airline said it had “apologised to the owner” and that an internal review was ongoing. The US Transportation Security Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FILM

3 min read

FILM

6 min read

Superdry co-founder James Holder found guilty of rape

The co-founder of clothing
firm Superdry is facing jail
after being found guilty of
raping a woman after a night
out drinking.

Everything we know

James Holder, 54, had gone back to the woman’s home, went to the toilet and then promptly fell asleep on her bed snoring. The multimillionaire fashion boss then woke up and beckoned the woman, who was trying to sleep in the lounge, into her bedroom and raped her.

Holder had denied charges of assault by penetration and rape and said what sexual activity took place between them was consensual.

A closer look at the detail

• A jury at Gloucester Crown Court acquitted Holder of assault by penetration but found him guilty of rape.
• The woman was attacked in the early hours of 7 May, 2022, after a night out at a bar in Cheltenham.
• Holder and a friend had gone back to her home uninvited, and he attacked her after waking from a short nap on her bed.
• The woman said she was crying and asking the married father-of-two to stop but he carried on.

Explained

4 min read

WORLD NEWS

Britney Spears charged with DUI – everything we know

Pop star Britney Spears has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs less than two months after her arrest in California.

What were the charges?

The 44-year-old singer was charged with driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs on Thursday, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said.

It comes just weeks after the chart-topper voluntarily checked herself into rehab, following her arrest in California in March after she was seen driving “erratically”.

NEWS

2 min read

MUSIC

5 min read

Timeline of events

After Spears’s arrest, a representative for the singer confirmed she had voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility.

• 5 March: After her arrest, Spears was released from Ventura County Main Jail, north-west of Los Angeles.
• 13 April: Spears was confirmed to have checked into a treatment facility.
• 30 April: Spears was charged with driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs.
• 4 May: Spears’s case is due on court.

What happens next?

If Spears pleads guilty to reckless driving, she will receive a 12-month probation, during which she is required to complete a driving under the influence (DUI) class and pay state-mandated fines and fees.

This is because she has no prior DUI
history, there was no crash or injury in
her arrest, she was alone in her car, and
she had a low blood alcohol level,
according to the Attorney’s Office.

Chippies selling
catfish as ‘traditional fish supper’

Fish and chip shops are having
to sell catfish in order to cut
costs amid the US-Israeli war
with Iran, at a time when many have been forced to close or
raise prices.

Catfished?

An investigation by the BBC found fish and chip shops are selling catfish, which is significantly cheaper than cod or haddock. Catfish, which is safe to eat, costs £3.40 per kg, while cod or haddock typically go for around £15.

POLITICS

3 min read

MONEY

5 min read

Iran war coming for a national favourite

This comes amid fears rising costs could push further fish and chip shops will be forced to close.

Scott Walker, the chief executive of GB Potatoes, told Sky News this will be “inevitable” next year.

Rising costs for energy, cooking oil and fish have already forced many shops to close or raise prices.

Price rises ahead

Cost of living bites

The Government has already warned of months of price rises while the Bank of England predicted a worst-case scenario in which inflation could hit 6.2 per cent.

NEWS

4 min read

WEATHER

UK could be 27°C and hotter than Hawaii

Parts of the UK could be hotter than Hawaii on Friday, but forecasters have warned of possible heavy rain and thunder, with more changeable weather to come over the bank holiday weekend.

Parts of the UK could hit new high

Temperatures could reach a balmy 27°C in London and East Anglia at the end of the working week, the Met Office said, 10°C higher than averages for the time of year.

That would make Friday the warmest day of the year so far and surpass the forecast of 26°C in Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii. Cardiff, meanwhile, could hit 19°C on Friday, which would make it warmer than Athens.

Plenty of sun

“We’ve got some very warm, humid air coming up from the south,” Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said.

“That means we will see some very warm weather, particularly in the east and the south-east, because there we’ll see the best of the sunshine.”

LIFESTYLE

6 min read

LIFESTYLE

6 min read

Not the case for everyone

Variable weather

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean everybody’s going to get a warm, dry, beautiful day,” he added.

Central clouds

Clouds down the UK’s central spine from Scotland to the Pennines and the Midlands could produce heavy rain.

Thunder possible

There will be the “odd rumble of thunder” in the Midlands, the Met said, while large parts of the north will temperatures between 19-22°C.

Short of the record – and won’t last too long

• A 27°C peak still falls short of April’s all-time record high, though.
• That was recorded at 29.4°C in Camden Square, London, in 1949.
• And weather over the May Day weekend will be a different story.
• Temperatures will drop to April averages by Monday, with some weekend rain widely expected.

NEWS

2 min read

CRIME

Suspect charged with attempted murder after Golders Green 
attack

The terror suspect in Wednesday’s stabbing attack in Golders Green has been named and charged by the Metropolitan Police with multiple counts of attempted murder.

Golders Green suspect

• The suspect is Essa Suleiman, a Somali-born British national.
• Now of Camberwell, it is believed he previously lived in Southwark.
• He is reportedly a Somali translator and former school security guard.

LIVE

1 min read

Two separate attacks

Two Jewish victims, aged 76 and 34, were hurt in the knife attack in north-west London. The former, Moshe Ben Baila, is in a stable condition in hospital and the latter, Shloime Rand, has reportedly been discharged.

Suleiman, 45, was Tasered and arrested at the scene in Golders Green. Police have also charged the suspect in relation to a separate attack that left a man injured on Great Dover Street in Southwark earlier the same day.

What else has been reported?

The suspect was known to Prevent, the government’s anti-extremism programme

• Suleiman came to the UK legally as a child in the 1990s.
• He was reported to Prevent, the government’s anti-extremism programme, in 2020.
• The case against him was closed the same year.
• A group understood to be supportive of the Iranian regime has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Suspect to appear in court

In relation to the Golders Green attack, Suleiman faces two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place.

The suspect was also charged with attempted murder in relation to the incident in Southwark. He is due to appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on Friday.

UK terror threat level raised

• Counter Terrorism Policing are investigating the stabbing.
• It is the latest in a string of antisemitic attacks in the area.
• The UK’s terror threat level has been raised to “severe”.
• It is the first time this has happened since November 2021.

NEWS

3 min read

But they also provide a warning for Labour rebels by showing there is no replacement leader – other than Burnham, who is not currently an MP – who is currently backed by more than a tiny minority of voters.

Burnham leads unpopular challengers

And even Burnham, the Manchester Mayor, is only supported by 21 per cent of those who think Starmer should go. This is well ahead of leading contenders health secretary Wes Streeting and former deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who command the support of just 4 per cent of those who want Starmer to go.

The results illustrate the dilemma facing Labour MPs. While Keir Starmer is extremely unpopular there is no clear alternative who would command widespread support. When given a list of current cabinet ministers and Sadiq Khan, 22 per cent of those who responded said none of the above – more than those who back Burnham – and 32 per cent said they didn’t know.

Asked whether Starmer should be ousted before the next general election, 50 per cent of the public said yes and 23 per cent said no, with another 26 per cent unsure. Among Labour voters, 46 per cent wanted the Prime Minister to stay in post with 41 per cent keen for a change.

That is largely unchanged from a previous poll on the same topic conducted in January, which suggests that neither Starmer’s generally acclaimed handling of the Iran war nor the re-emergence of the Peter Mandelson scandal has substantially shifted public opinion.

Of those who back a change of leadership, just 15 per cent think that it would right to wait until the Middle Eastern crisis is over with 70 per cent keen to push ahead with Starmer’s ousting.

Farage out in front as preferred PM

In further bad news for Labour none of Keir Starmer’s potential replacements perform well against other party leaders – and none would beat Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski is a preferred Prime Minister compared to Burnham, Rayner and energy secretary Ed Miliband. Contradictorily, Keir Starmer is the only Labour leader who would be the preferred PM against all the other leaders except for Nige Farage.

But in a further illustration of the splintering of UK politics, the numbers are low. Nigel Farage commands the most support as preferred PM on 22 per cent when compared to Starmer, who is on 16 per cent. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch compared to the PM wins 15 per cent support and Polanski 14 per cent.

When compared to Burnham as PM, voters in The i Paper poll placed him on 12 per cent, compared to 23 per cent for Farage, 17 per cent for Badenoch and 16 per cent for Polanski.

The case for Burnham

Robert Struthers of BMG said: “The case for Burnham is clear. From his mayoral position, he has become by far the most popular alternative figure. No other Labour frontrunner comes close, whether Rayner, Streeting, Miliband or any other.

“By way of comparison, Burnham’s 21 per cent among those who want a change compares with Sadiq Khan – the other high-profile Labour mayor – at just 2 per cent. He has been able to capture the imagination of a notable share of the public in a way that no other leading Labour figure has been able to.”

Burnham would not be eligible to stand for the leadership in the event of a vacancy opening up, because he is not currently an MP. His attempt to return to the Commons in a by-election was blocked by Labour’s governing body which is dominated by Starmer allies.

Struthers said: “Our polling suggests Burnham performs slightly worse than Starmer when asked who would make the best prime minister against other party leaders. Supporters of Burnham would counter that, given time to set out a vision for the country, this could change. But backers of Starmer can make the case that no alternative candidate immediately improves Labour’s position – or at least that that idea is not a given.”

He concluded: “That said, with Labour on 19 per cent and a historically unpopular Prime Minister, it is hard to see how things could get much worse.”

BMG surveyed a representative sample of 1,521 GB adults between 29 and 30 April. BMG are members of the British Polling Council and abide by its rules.