The Times & The Sunday Times Homepage
video
We’ll fight until you believe again, new PM tells nation
liveSir Keir Starmer has begun putting his cabinet together after storming to victory in the biggest majority since 1997. The Labour leader, who was appointed prime minister by the King this morning, promised a government “unburdened by doctrine” in his first Downing Street address. Meanwhile, the Conservatives are reeling after the party suffered their worst electoral...Sir Keir Starmer has begun putting his cabinet together after storming to victory in the biggest...Sir Keir Starmer has begun putting his cabinet together after storming to victory in the biggest...
Sir Keir Starmer was being driven across central London to Labour’s victory party when Rishi Sunak phoned to concede...Sir Keir Starmer was being driven across central London to Labour’s victory party when Rishi Sunak phoned to concede defeat. It was just before 4am, and Starmer was accompanied only by his wife, Victoria, in the back seat of his chauffeur-driven Range Rover. The conversation with Sunak was short and to the point but...Sir Keir Starmer was being driven across central London to Labour’s victory party when Rishi Sunak phoned to concede defeat. It...
SKETCH
Were you up for Liz Truss? Jacob Rees-Mogg? Jonathan Ashworth? Thangam Debbonaire? Were you up for Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps, Gillian Keegan, Simon Hart, Lucy Frazer and Johnny Mercer? Were you up for Praful Nargund...Were you up for Liz Truss? Jacob Rees-Mogg? Jonathan Ashworth? Thangam Debbonaire? Were you up for Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps, Gillian Keegan, Simon Hart, Lucy Frazer and Johnny Mercer? Were you up for Praful Nargund...Were you up for Liz Truss? Jacob Rees-Mogg? Jonathan Ashworth? Thangam Debbonaire? Were you up for Penny Mordaunt...
With the battle against Labour lost, surviving Conservative MPs can concentrate on the fight for which many of them have long been preparing — the contest to be the next Tory leader. While Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps have...With the battle against Labour lost, surviving Conservative MPs can concentrate on the fight for which many of them have long been preparing — the contest to be the next Tory leader. While Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps have...With the battle against Labour lost, surviving Conservative MPs can concentrate on the fight for which many of them...
European and world newspapers gave prominent coverage to Labour’s landslide election victory on Friday morning, noting that Britain was bucking the trend of surging support for right-wing parties in other countries. Many commentators claimed that voters had wreaked revenge on the Conservative Party. Some also claimed that Brexit was a factor in the party’s demise. Die...European and world newspapers gave prominent coverage to Labour’s landslide election victory on...European and world newspapers gave prominent coverage to Labour’s landslide election victory on...
In the end, the polls were broadly right: Labour has won a landslide victory, and Sir Keir Starmer will be the prime...In the end, the polls were broadly right: Labour has won a landslide victory, and Sir Keir Starmer will be the prime minister after 14 years of Conservative-led government. Yet dig a little deeper, and the data paints a complex picture. Labour’s national vote share is only around 2 per cent higher than it was in...In the end, the polls were broadly right: Labour has won a landslide victory, and Sir Keir Starmer will be the prime minister...
Wimbledon | Stuart Fraser
The Church of England fears that worshippers are donating less to the collection plate in protest over its creation of a £100 million slavery reparations fund. Bishops have moved to reassure congregations that none of the money they give to their...The Church of England fears that worshippers are donating less to the collection plate in protest...The Church of England fears that worshippers are donating less to the collection plate in protest...
An executive at a FTSE 250 company has been awarded more than £3 million after his boss called him an “old fossil who...An executive at a FTSE 250 company has been awarded more than £3 million after his boss called...An executive at a FTSE 250 company has been awarded more than £3 million after his boss called...
The Times Diary
For the first time since 1892, a general election has fallen during Henley Royal Regatta. The town voted Tory that...For the first time since 1892, a general election has fallen during Henley Royal Regatta. The...For the first time since 1892, a general election has fallen during Henley Royal Regatta. The...
European leaders round on Hungarian nationalist’s ‘peace mission’
updatedHungary’s prime minister has arrived in Moscow for talks with President Putin on an unannounced trip that has angered Budapest’s partners in the European Union. Viktor Orban, often described as the Kremlin’s closest European ally, made the trip four days after meeting President Zelensky in Kyiv.Hungary’s prime minister has arrived in Moscow for talks with President Putin on an unannounced trip that has angered Budapest’s partners in the European Union. Viktor Orban, often described as the Kremlin’s closest European ally, made the trip four days after meeting President Zelensky in Kyiv.Hungary’s prime minister has arrived in Moscow for talks with President Putin on an unannounced trip that has angered...
President Biden has insisted he is “not going anywhere” as Democrat officials and donors question whether he can carry on and continue as the party’s presidential candidate. Speaking at the White House on Thursday night as he and his family celebrated Independence Day with members of the armed forces, the president responded as a guest...President Biden has insisted he is “not going anywhere” as Democrat officials and donors question whether he can carry on and continue as the party’s presidential candidate. Speaking at the White House on Thursday night as he and his family celebrated Independence Day with members of the armed forces, the president responded as a guest...President Biden has insisted he is “not going anywhere” as Democrat officials and donors question whether he can carry on and...
adam sage | dispatch
It is a dynasty that has dominated the French hard right for decades, amid infighting, intrigue, betrayals and reconciliations. Yet unlike the Kennedys, Gandhis or Trudeaus this political family has never been close to wielding real power — until now. Marie-Caroline Le Pen arrived smiling, in jeans, white trainers...It is a dynasty that has dominated the French hard right for decades, amid infighting, intrigue...It is a dynasty that has dominated the French hard right for decades, amid infighting, intrigue...
spain confidential
A summer film aimed at teenagers that explores the fate of “left behind children”, one of China’s current social concerns, has been cancelled at the last minute, prompting fears it has been censored. No reason has been given for the removal of...A summer film aimed at teenagers that explores the fate of “left behind children”, one of China’s...A summer film aimed at teenagers that explores the fate of “left behind children”, one of China’s...
INTERVIEW BY WILLIAM HAGUE
Robert Markel, who followed his friend into politics, says ‘there’s no way to spin that performance’ regarding president’s head-to-head with Trump
Sir Keir Starmer has swept into Downing Street in a landslide Labour election victory, but the party’s honeymoon with business might be short-lived. Labour not only has inherited deep-seated economic problems after 14 years of Conservative rule, ranging from planning to skills to productivity, but it is also more immediately confronted with a series of industrial crises...Sir Keir Starmer has swept into Downing Street in a landslide Labour election victory, but the...Sir Keir Starmer has swept into Downing Street in a landslide Labour election victory, but the...
As Labour delegates celebrate a historic ascent to power, attention in the new cabinet will turn quickly to the...As Labour delegates celebrate a historic ascent to power, attention in the new cabinet will turn quickly to the party’s biggest promise: getting the economy roaring again. Here are the trickiest challenges facing Rachel Reeves, Britain’s first female chancellor, in the months and years ahead. Reeves’ first big task...As Labour delegates celebrate a historic ascent to power, attention in the new cabinet will turn quickly to the party’s biggest...
business commentary
Some companies don’t have a leg to stand on when an activist comes knocking. Not Smith & Nephew. It has the kit to...Some companies don’t have a leg to stand on when an activist comes knocking. Not Smith & Nephew.Some companies don’t have a leg to stand on when an activist comes knocking. Not Smith & Nephew.
Comment
Ikea is one of those businesses that generates eye-catching statistics. In a single year, it distributes 2.5 billion...Ikea is one of those businesses that generates eye-catching statistics. In a single year, it...Ikea is one of those businesses that generates eye-catching statistics. In a single year, it...
lunch with the times
“It’s the one thing that made me not want to become a chief executive,” David Sleath says as he sits back down at our table after spending the past 20 minutes having his photo taken. The picture-shy Sleath is chief executive of Segro, which is, by...“It’s the one thing that made me not want to become a chief executive,” David Sleath says as he...“It’s the one thing that made me not want to become a chief executive,” David Sleath says as he...
No matter that the Indian stock market is as expensive as New York’s and about twice as expensive as London, British retail investors are ploughing their money into the country. The £1.6 billion Jupiter India fund ranks among the most popular...No matter that the Indian stock market is as expensive as New York’s and about twice as expensive...No matter that the Indian stock market is as expensive as New York’s and about twice as expensive...
tempus
Will a new government spawn a new era for Britain’s stock market? Only time will tell but, for London Stock Exchange...Will a new government spawn a new era for Britain’s stock market? Only time will tell but, for...Will a new government spawn a new era for Britain’s stock market? Only time will tell but, for...
A private equity-backed savings and life insurance business is aiming for a £2 billion flotation in London within two...A private equity-backed savings and life insurance business is aiming for a £2 billion flotation...A private equity-backed savings and life insurance business is aiming for a £2 billion flotation...
Expert Tips
Private equity
Expert Tips
Misleading environmental statements can now fall foul of regulators. Here’s how to avoid an adverse ruling
recruitment
For whoever collects the keys to No 10 on Friday, overhauling the UK’s sclerotic industrial strategy will be top of the in-tray. All the major parties’ manifestos covered new uses for AI, but there was scant mention of the technology most likely to boost our vital manufacturing sector — robotics. While basic robots have been used on manufacturing lines since the early...For whoever collects the keys to No 10 on Friday, overhauling the UK’s sclerotic industrial...For whoever collects the keys to No 10 on Friday, overhauling the UK’s sclerotic industrial...
recruitment | SIX FROM THE BEST
While many politicians are divisive, Baroness Verma brings communities together. After a successful business career...While many politicians are divisive, Baroness Verma brings communities together. After a successful business career, she was appointed as an international development minister, then as Ministerial Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Overseas. Now chairing Empower, the gender equality campaign, and...While many politicians are divisive, Baroness Verma brings communities together. After a successful business career, she was...
EURO 2024 | DAVID MOYES
Surviving is a form of success in football management. These days, to do eight years in any job is like running three or four marathons back to back, because we live in a world where people are so quick to want change. Unless your team is continually on an upward curve, there is clamour for...Surviving is a form of success in football management. These days, to do eight years in any job is like running three or four marathons back to back, because we live in a world where people are so quick to want change. Unless your team is continually on an upward curve, there is clamour for...Surviving is a form of success in football management. These days, to do eight years in any job is like running three or four...
euro 2024
Jude Bellingham will have to be on his best behaviour for the rest of Euro 2024 after Uefa gave him a one-match suspended ban for making a lewd gesture when celebrating his goal against Slovakia. Bellingham was pictured appearing to cup his genitals in the direction of the Slovakia bench in the wake of his dramatic 95th-minute equaliser on...Jude Bellingham will have to be on his best behaviour for the rest of Euro 2024 after Uefa gave him a one-match suspended ban for making a lewd gesture when celebrating his goal against Slovakia. Bellingham was pictured appearing to cup his genitals in the direction of the Slovakia bench in the wake of his dramatic 95th-minute equaliser on...Jude Bellingham will have to be on his best behaviour for the rest of Euro 2024 after Uefa gave him a one-match suspended ban...
Will Kelleher
There are many clichés about New Zealand and its love for rugby that are simply untrue. The grandmothers who are supposedly ready to heckle Marcus Smith about his Test goal-kicking percentage are yet to appear in Dunedin. Yet where else would you earwig a lunchtime conversation between four sixtysomethings bemoaning...There are many clichés about New Zealand and its love for rugby that are simply untrue. The...There are many clichés about New Zealand and its love for rugby that are simply untrue. The...
wimbledon | Tom kershaw
ALEX LOWE
After six weeks in camp, with stops in Tokyo and Auckland, England appear to have finally arrived in Dunedin, the...After six weeks in camp, with stops in Tokyo and Auckland, England appear to have finally arrived...After six weeks in camp, with stops in Tokyo and Auckland, England appear to have finally arrived...
TOUR DE FRANCE | DAVID WALSH
Time is one of the challenges for the man wearing the Yellow Jersey and Tadej Pogacar, bless him, is learning that...Time is one of the challenges for the man wearing the Yellow Jersey and Tadej Pogacar, bless him...Time is one of the challenges for the man wearing the Yellow Jersey and Tadej Pogacar, bless him...
WIMBLEDON | stuart fraser
Wimbledon | Stuart Fraser
euro 2024 | Tom allnutt
EURO 2024 | Ian Hawkey
Spain versus Germany will forever be a watermark fixture for La Roja. It was against Germany in a European Championship final 16 years ago that Spain broke a fortified glass ceiling, claiming in Vienna the sort of major trophy that seems routine...Spain versus Germany will forever be a watermark fixture for La Roja. It was against Germany in a...Spain versus Germany will forever be a watermark fixture for La Roja. It was against Germany in a...
STUART BARNES
How do you fill the void left by the retirement of one of the greatest scrum halves of the 21st century? Aaron Smith...How do you fill the void left by the retirement of one of the greatest scrum halves of the 21st...How do you fill the void left by the retirement of one of the greatest scrum halves of the 21st...
steve james
I once described the County Championship as a sporting cockroach that is continually stamped upon but just refuses to...I once described the County Championship as a sporting cockroach that is continually stamped upon...I once described the County Championship as a sporting cockroach that is continually stamped upon...
EURO 2024 | PAUL HIRST
video
interview
Shortly before she is due to take a look back through 20 years’ worth of newspaper cuttings from The Times and Sunday Times, Judy Murray receives a phone call in the Queen’s Club player lounge. It is the morning after her youngest son Andy retired...Shortly before she is due to take a look back through 20 years’ worth of newspaper cuttings from...Shortly before she is due to take a look back through 20 years’ worth of newspaper cuttings from...
sam warburton
I always think that observers expect too much from England when assessing their attacking game. When we watch South...I always think that observers expect too much from England when assessing their attacking game.I always think that observers expect too much from England when assessing their attacking game.
Manchester United have triggered a one-year extension to Erik ten Hag’s contract that will keep the Dutchman at Old...Manchester United have triggered a one-year extension to Erik ten Hag’s contract that will keep...Manchester United have triggered a one-year extension to Erik ten Hag’s contract that will keep...
exclusive book extract
Having been granted unprecedented access, Tom Baldwin’s new biography explores what the Labour leader is really like away from the limelight
hilary rose
The new prime minister’s wife and two children are reluctant to leave their home in Kentish Town, north London
From Hello, Dolly! to stargazing at the Royal Opera House, the Times culture desk picks the best art, dance, film, comedy and family events to see this summer
interview
In her first interview, Kanneh-Mason shares the secret to raising her very musical family — and her mission to keep classical music alive in state schools
Review
Did anyone spot who was sponsoring Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain (ITV1)? It was tricky. You had to concentrate. The name was only mentioned, oooh, about every five minutes.
It kicked off with the standard puff. Except that it had Kerridge standing...Did anyone spot who was sponsoring Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain (ITV1)? It was tricky. You had...Did anyone spot who was sponsoring Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain (ITV1)? It was tricky. You had...
Interview
Phil Elwood was at work one day in 2008 when an email landed in his inbox: it was a comment piece by Muammar Gaddafi...Phil Elwood was at work one day in 2008 when an email landed in his inbox: it was a comment piece...Phil Elwood was at work one day in 2008 when an email landed in his inbox: it was a comment piece...
Susie Goldsbrough
Queuing in a trickle of sunshine outside a polling station in Peckham, southeast London, slightly lamely hyped to...Queuing in a trickle of sunshine outside a polling station in Peckham, southeast London, slightly...Queuing in a trickle of sunshine outside a polling station in Peckham, southeast London, slightly...
first person
In an article for Forbes magazine Virgie Tovar, a “leading expert on weight bias”, takes aim at critics of the romance in the Netflix blockbuster Bridgerton between the Nicola Coughlan character (very curvy, 5ft 1in) and the Luke Newton character...In an article for Forbes magazine Virgie Tovar, a “leading expert on weight bias”, takes aim at...In an article for Forbes magazine Virgie Tovar, a “leading expert on weight bias”, takes aim at...
video
review
Even Eddie Murphy can’t save this inept Hollywood ‘requel’
video
review
In this sequel to the original X, the writer-director Ti West has simply thrown everything at the screen, and none of it holds together particularly well
video
Film review
This is a steamy dramedy with smart performances
video
review
This gritty British drama about an angry closeted Londoner who falls for a non-white drag artist has compelling performances but is too one-note
review
This garish smack-and-splatterfest is conspicuously pro-Indian military and, ultimately, boring
review | books
first night review
As, mid-set, Morgan Wallen climbed on to a small B-stage out by the barriers with an acoustic guitar, posses of glamorous cowgirls stampeded across the Hyde Park prairies to hear him tell his sawdust-to-superstar story. “We started out playing...As, mid-set, Morgan Wallen climbed on to a small B-stage out by the barriers with an acoustic...As, mid-set, Morgan Wallen climbed on to a small B-stage out by the barriers with an acoustic...
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
first night review
This new play about sexual assault and an alleged rape culture at an Oxbridge-style college was already a knotty...This new play about sexual assault and an alleged rape culture at an Oxbridge-style college was...This new play about sexual assault and an alleged rape culture at an Oxbridge-style college was...
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
High-vis vest and hard hat, judge’s wig and gown, hoodie and skateboard aren’t the usual uniform for a choir. But the...High-vis vest and hard hat, judge’s wig and gown, hoodie and skateboard aren’t the usual uniform...High-vis vest and hard hat, judge’s wig and gown, hoodie and skateboard aren’t the usual uniform...
Viewing GUide
For full TV listings for the week, see our comprehensive TV guide Brats
Disney+
Those Generation Xers of a certain age will remember the 1980s Brat Pack as fondly as they will their Sony Walkmans and backcombed hairdos. For a while the names...For full TV listings for the week, see our comprehensive TV guide Brats
Disney+
Those...For full TV listings for the week, see our comprehensive TV guide Brats
Disney+
Those...
tELEVISION | STREAMING GUIDE
MindGames
MINDGAMES
Lisa Grainger steps inside a 420-year-old nunnery resurrected as Nice’s most heavenly hotel
Creative directors and chief executives select their highlights
beauty
A round-up of the most skilful and subtle aestheticians — they can’t reverse time, but they could help to stall it
The best ones come from Japan and can be costly. Tony Turnbull spends an hour in Soho with a knife concierge in search of a slice of perfection
Chic beach clubs, easy coastal train rides and restaurants in unexpected places — the Côte d’Azur is having a moment. Here’s what to see and do this summer
London
There’s a new wave of good-value hotels in the capital – in handy locations with slick design and excellent food
Cruise for less by opting for an inside stateroom on one of these ships. You’ll have access to all the same facilities, and more cash to splash on extras
Holidays to this cool corner of northern Europe are booming. Striking fjords, photogenic fishing villages and enchanting forested islands await — here are the trips to book now
video
A new, direct flight is your ticket to tiny Torshavn and its enchanting landscapes of heart-stopping fjords, cinematic waterfalls and fortress-like islands
A beloved feature of 1930s Britain, the lido is fashionable all over again, with pretty open-air pools delighting...A beloved feature of 1930s Britain, the lido is fashionable all over again, with pretty open-air...A beloved feature of 1930s Britain, the lido is fashionable all over again, with pretty open-air...
How do you get dinner and a night at Raymond Blanc’s place without blowing four figures in the process? Le Manoir aux...How do you get dinner and a night at Raymond Blanc’s place without blowing four figures in the...How do you get dinner and a night at Raymond Blanc’s place without blowing four figures in the...
video
The Cotswolds is a lot bigger than most think. It’s spread over five counties — Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire — and provides visitors with countless golden villages and sprawling estates to explore. The...The Cotswolds is a lot bigger than most think. It’s spread over five counties — Oxfordshire...The Cotswolds is a lot bigger than most think. It’s spread over five counties — Oxfordshire...
obituary
video
The Times has been publishing life stories of the great and the good (and the not so good) for more than 170 years. Now the obituary is also becoming a podcast, explains Anna Temkin
weather eye
LET every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that...LET every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from...LET every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from...
Palace of Holyroodhouse
4th July, 2024
The King, Colonel-in-Chief, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers...Palace of Holyroodhouse
4th July, 2024
The King, Colonel-in-Chief, The Royal Scots Dragoon...Palace of Holyroodhouse
4th July, 2024
The King, Colonel-in-Chief, The Royal Scots Dragoon...
analysis
If you want to get on the ladder, you’ll have to compete with the beneficiaries of the Bank of Mum and Dad
From furniture to wallpaper, how the new generation of creatives are transforming our domestic spaces
Pretty baskets and detergent dispensers would make laundry day a lot easier, says Victoria Maw
Holiday lets provide an income and the rustic, rugged feel of north Devon is preserved inside and out
It’s 5.30pm on a Monday and Swifty’s alfresco bar at the Colony Hotel, Palm Beach, is already heaving. A colourful cross-section of generations is sipping margaritas under the palms, long-legged stilettoed teenagers side-by-side with ancient grand...It’s 5.30pm on a Monday and Swifty’s alfresco bar at the Colony Hotel, Palm Beach, is already...It’s 5.30pm on a Monday and Swifty’s alfresco bar at the Colony Hotel, Palm Beach, is already...
John Swinney has suggested he accepts that the scale of the SNP defeat at the general election means the party no longer has a mandate for a Scottish independence referendum. After the Nationalists’ worst electoral performance since 2010, the first minister said he had failed to convince the...John Swinney has suggested he accepts that the scale of the SNP defeat at the general election means the party no longer has a mandate for a Scottish independence referendum. After the Nationalists’ worst electoral performance since 2010, the first minister said he had failed to convince the...John Swinney has suggested he accepts that the scale of the SNP defeat at the general election means the party no longer has a...
analysis
The electorate has sent SNP MPs homewards to think again and think again they must, or the dream that never dies will remain a dream. It is obvious by now that the SNP’s approach over the past decade has led the party up a cul-de-sac. The SNP’s changing pronouncements on what would constitute a mandate (50 per cent of the vote, a majority...The electorate has sent SNP MPs homewards to think again and think again they must, or the dream that never dies will remain a dream. It is obvious by now that the SNP’s approach over the past decade has led the party up a cul-de-sac. The SNP’s changing pronouncements on what would constitute a mandate (50 per cent of the vote, a majority...The electorate has sent SNP MPs homewards to think again and think again they must, or the dream that never dies will remain a...
Joanna Cherry, the outgoing SNP MP, has criticised Nicola Sturgeon for failing to take responsibility for the party’s collapse and “squandering” chances to achieve Scottish independence. The high-profile rebel, who was defeated by the Labour candidate Scott Arthur despite defending a 12,000 majority, said the party...Joanna Cherry, the outgoing SNP MP, has criticised Nicola Sturgeon for failing to take...Joanna Cherry, the outgoing SNP MP, has criticised Nicola Sturgeon for failing to take...
POLITICAL SKETCH
CalMac directors have been accused of “brazen contempt” towards the islands the company serves as it emerged that some have never visited a single port in almost three years. Four out of six Caledonian MacBrayne board members appointed by SNP...CalMac directors have been accused of “brazen contempt” towards the islands the company serves as...CalMac directors have been accused of “brazen contempt” towards the islands the company serves as...
Tennis fans have complained to the BBC after the broadcaster scheduled the same match from Wimbledon on two channels...Tennis fans have complained to the BBC after the broadcaster scheduled the same match from...Tennis fans have complained to the BBC after the broadcaster scheduled the same match from...
The Scottish NHS is in a state of “permanent crisis”, a leading doctor has warned as health boards were asked to...The Scottish NHS is in a state of “permanent crisis”, a leading doctor has warned as health...The Scottish NHS is in a state of “permanent crisis”, a leading doctor has warned as health...
Wimbledon | Stuart Fraser
Andy Murray has at least one more Wimbledon match to come in the mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu, but this was the send-off. After playing with his brother Jamie at the All England Club for the first and last time, he deservedly took the acclaim...Andy Murray has at least one more Wimbledon match to come in the mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu...Andy Murray has at least one more Wimbledon match to come in the mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu...
SCOTTISH BUSINESS DIGEST
gabriella Bennett
Cassillis in South Ayrshire has been a much-loved home to the Scottish-American TV star Craig Ferguson and his family since 2021. But the 13-bedroom castle and estate of 310 acres was a celebrity in its own right well before the former presenter...Cassillis in South Ayrshire has been a much-loved home to the Scottish-American TV star Craig...Cassillis in South Ayrshire has been a much-loved home to the Scottish-American TV star Craig...
Comment
How Starmer will govern: with tips from Blair
Patrick Maguire
Prosaic leader may lack his predecessor’s gifts of political poetry but will keep his eye on the centre ground — and 2029
Gerard baker
Democrat revolt against Biden takes shape
emma duncan
Suddenly Britain seems like the sensible one
Martin Samuel | notebook
Looking for footie fever in Berlin? Go Turkish
Ed Bussey
Science innovation must be at heart of government action
Leading Articles
Home Front
Sir Keir Starmer’s government faces an unenviable inheritance of broken public services and issues needing immediate attention
Foreign Challenges
A Labour government will have little time to master a forbidding international agenda
Hugger Mugger
Australian sanctuaries are encouraging visitors to move away from cuddling koalas
letters to the editor
Leaders’ joyless toil and the death of creativity
Sir, I heartily applaud James Marriott for his thoughts on the sub-inspirational efforts of Messrs Sunak and Starmer to win us over during the election campaign. (“Hard work made Rishi and Keir very dull boys”, comment, Jul 4). These no...Sir, I heartily applaud James Marriott for his thoughts on the sub-inspirational efforts of...Sir, I heartily applaud James Marriott for his thoughts on the sub-inspirational efforts of...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Results of the general election are declared; annual meeting of Church of England General Synod begins in York, until Sunday, with the Archbishop of York delivering the opening presidential address; Halifax publishes its monthly house price index.
Switzerland: Montreux Jazz Festival begins, until July 20.
On this day
In 1937 the first can of Spam meat rolled off the Hormel Foods’ production line in the US. The founder Jay Hormel offered a $100 prize at a new year party for a winning name; in 1946 the exotic dancer Micheline Bernardini became the first person to wear a navel-revealing bikini in public, at the Piscine Molitor swimming pool in Paris. The designer Louis Réard named his garment after Bikini Atoll, where the US was performing nuclear testing. A newspaper headline pattern was used, and media coverage led 50,000 admirers to write to Bernardini; in 1948 the National Health Service Act came into effect, creating the NHS. The first minister of health was Aneurin Bevan MP; in 1965 Maria Callas gave her final operatic performance, singing Puccini’s opera Tosca at the Royal Opera House, London; in 1954 the first commercial recording session by Elvis Presley took place at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, of That’s All Right (Mama) by the blues singer Arthur Crudup.
Nature notes
Red-necked phalaropes have ripped up the rule book. In most bird species, males are the brightly coloured ones, but among red-necked phalaropes, it is the female who stands out. During the breeding season, her neck is a wonderful scarlet, complemented by a bright white throat and slate grey head. The male is duller. This role reversal is repeated in the childcare. Males incubate the eggs and then feed the chicks. Even when the young have left the nest, the male will continue to care for them for about a fortnight. The female leaves the male to it, sometimes getting another mate. These tiny, rule-breaking waders breed mainly in the Arctic, but a couple of dozen pairs nest in the Shetland Islands. Jonathan Tulloch
Jonathan Tulloch
Birthdays today
Sir Paul Smith, pictured, fashion designer, 78; Charlie Appleby, racehorse trainer, British flat racing champion trainer (2021), 49; Sebastian Barry, playwright, novelist and poet, The Secret Scripture (2008), Days Without End (2016), two-time Costa book of the year winner, 69; Mark Cox, former British No 1 tennis player, the first amateur tennis player to beat a professional (1968), 81; Paul Daniel, principal conductor and artistic director, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Galicia (2012-21), 66; Marcus Davey, artistic director and chief executive, the Roundhouse (arts venue) Camden, 57; Susannah Doyle, actress, About a Boy (2002), 58; Ian Durant, chair, Britvic (soft drinks), 66; Elizabeth Emanuel, co-designer of Princess Diana’s wedding dress, 71; Edie Falco, actress, The Sopranos (1999-2007), 61; Shane Filan, singer-songwriter, Westlife, 45; Billy Jenkins, blues guitarist, Sounds Like Bromley (1982), 68; Huey Lewis, singer-songwriter, The Power of Love (1985), 74; Anne Longfield, chair, Commission on Young Lives, children’s commissioner for England (2015-21), 64; Amélie Mauresmo, tennis player, Wimbledon singles champion (2006), 45; Róisín Murphy, singer-songwriter, Mi Senti (2014), Take her up to Monto (2016), 51; Peter Thompson, chief executive, National Physical Laboratory, 57; Prof Christofer Toumazou, founder and chief scientist, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, 63; Gary Warren, actor, The Railway Children (1970), 70; Ian Watmore, chair, England and Wales Cricket Board (2020-21), First Civil Service Commissioner (2016-21), chief executive, Football Association (2009-10), 66; Susan Wojcicki, chief executive, YouTube (2014-23), 56; Whitney Wolfe, entrepreneur, founder and executive chair of Bumble (dating app), 35; John Wright, the first New Zealander to score 5,000 runs in Test cricket, 70; Gianfranco Zola, footballer, Italy (1991-97), Chelsea (1996-2003), and manager, 58.