Boost to Starmer as executives call for change after a decade of economic ‘stagnation’
exclusiveLabour has won the endorsement of a coalition of business leaders who have said that a “new outlook” is needed so the UK can “break free” from a decade of economic stagnation. In a letter to The Times, 120 executives say that the economy has been “beset by instability, stagnation and a lack of...Labour has won the endorsement of a coalition of business leaders who have said that a “new outlook” is needed so the UK can “break free” from a decade of economic stagnation. In a letter to The Times, 120 executives say that the economy has been “beset by instability, stagnation and a lack of...Labour has won the endorsement of a coalition of business leaders who have said that a “new outlook” is needed so the UK can...
Sir Keir Starmer has rejected Tory claims that he lacks the energy for the general election, insisting that he has been smiling since the start of the year in anticipation of the battle for No 10. The Labour leader said that he “couldn’t care less” about the Conservatives trying to nickname him “Sir Sleepy” and saying that he lacks the...Sir Keir Starmer has rejected Tory claims that he lacks the energy for the general election, insisting that he has been smiling since the start of the year in anticipation of the battle for No 10. The Labour leader said that he “couldn’t care less” about the Conservatives trying to nickname him “Sir Sleepy” and saying that he lacks the...Sir Keir Starmer has rejected Tory claims that he lacks the energy for the general election, insisting that he has been smiling...
political sketch
The Labour Party has a new image consultant, a clergyman academic from Oxford with a talent for wordplay. “Change” may be the simple slogan on the lectern and on the placards waved at their rallies, but a more subtle message had been crafted by Dr Spooner for the first big speech of the campaign. With the Tories...The Labour Party has a new image consultant, a clergyman academic from Oxford with a talent for...The Labour Party has a new image consultant, a clergyman academic from Oxford with a talent for...
video
What have the Victorians ever done for us? Well, along with those familiar things like inventing the telephone...What have the Victorians ever done for us? Well, along with those familiar things like inventing...What have the Victorians ever done for us? Well, along with those familiar things like inventing...
William Hague
I can’t complain. Four months ago, I set out on this page the arguments for a Nordic model of national service in...I can’t complain. Four months ago, I set out on this page the arguments for a Nordic model of...I can’t complain. Four months ago, I set out on this page the arguments for a Nordic model of...
Party pledges ‘sprint’ review to identify threats
exclusiveIn the wooded grounds of a former hunting lodge in a Hampshire forest, scientists are racing to protect Britain from the next ash dieback or Dutch elm disease. Ensconced in a highly secure containment lab, which staff say is “designed to let...In the wooded grounds of a former hunting lodge in a Hampshire forest, scientists are racing to...In the wooded grounds of a former hunting lodge in a Hampshire forest, scientists are racing to...
Photography
A new exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery charts the evolution of fashion photography from a commercial device into an art form. Curated by Nathalie Herschdorfer, director of Photo Elysée in Lausanne, Switzerland, and produced by the Foundation for...A new exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery charts the evolution of fashion photography from a...A new exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery charts the evolution of fashion photography from a...
Children who are feeling lonely are set to be prescribed activities ranging from museum trips to fishing and needlework, in a pilot scheme designed to tackle worrying levels of social isolation. The four-year project, run in...Children who are feeling lonely are set to be prescribed activities ranging from museum trips to fishing and needlework, in a pilot scheme designed to tackle worrying levels of social isolation. The four-year project, run in...Children who are feeling lonely are set to be prescribed activities ranging from museum trips to fishing and...
Labour and the Tories have launched TikTok campaigns as they target younger voters on the social media platform. Political advertising is banned on the platform but the parties will be hoping to create content that performs...Labour and the Tories have launched TikTok campaigns as they target younger voters on the social media platform. Political advertising is banned on the platform but the parties will be hoping to create content that performs...Labour and the Tories have launched TikTok campaigns as they target younger voters on the social media platform.
video
Israeli prime minister admits ‘tragic error’ after strike on displaced Palestinians in Gaza
newAn Israeli airstrike that killed dozens of Palestinians “went tragically wrong”, Binyamin Netanyahu said last night as he promised to investigate. At least 45 people died in the Israeli strike on an area sheltering displaced Palestinians near the southern Gazan city of Rafah, while 65 more were...An Israeli airstrike that killed dozens of Palestinians “went tragically wrong”, Binyamin Netanyahu said last night as he promised to investigate. At least 45 people died in the Israeli strike on an area sheltering displaced Palestinians near the southern Gazan city of Rafah, while 65 more were...An Israeli airstrike that killed dozens of Palestinians “went tragically wrong”, Binyamin Netanyahu said last night as he...
Dispatch from ukraine
The Russian armoured column roaring towards his lines would be his men’s greatest challenge yet, the Ukrainian commander thought. Major Ruslan Habinet’s 5th Separate Assault Brigade had already seen off President Putin’s last big push to seize the town of Chasiv Yar, denying him a symbolic win before Russia’s May 9 Victory Day celebrations.The Russian armoured column roaring towards his lines would be his men’s greatest challenge yet, the Ukrainian commander thought. Major Ruslan Habinet’s 5th Separate Assault Brigade had already seen off President Putin’s last big push to seize the town of Chasiv Yar, denying him a symbolic win before Russia’s May 9 Victory Day celebrations.The Russian armoured column roaring towards his lines would be his men’s greatest challenge yet, the Ukrainian commander thought.
Russia is backing both sides in Sudan’s civil war to achieve its ambition of a military base on the Red Sea. Moscow has agreed to supply weapons to Sudan’s state army in exchange for a base on one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, while continuing to supply its enemy via pro-Kremlin mercenaries. A delegation...Russia is backing both sides in Sudan’s civil war to achieve its ambition of a military base on...Russia is backing both sides in Sudan’s civil war to achieve its ambition of a military base on...
“Caravaggio, the star that shines brightest in Madrid (with Taylor Swift’s permission)”, ran a Spanish newspaper headline. It referred to the fact that the presence of the American singer in the capital was (almost) eclipsed on Monday by news that...“Caravaggio, the star that shines brightest in Madrid (with Taylor Swift’s permission)”, ran a...“Caravaggio, the star that shines brightest in Madrid (with Taylor Swift’s permission)”, ran a...
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter is said to have dropped her father’s name as the former Hollywood golden...Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter is said to have dropped her father’s name as the former...Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter is said to have dropped her father’s name as the former...
The assassin was already in position when he was informed of his target. It was May 4, five days before Russia was...The assassin was already in position when he was informed of his target. It was May 4, five days...The assassin was already in position when he was informed of his target. It was May 4, five days...
video
A landslide in a remote part of Papua New Guinea has buried 2,000 people alive, according to local officials co-ordinating the rescue and recovery effort at the scene. The revised figure is three times higher than an earlier estimate of 670 deaths...A landslide in a remote part of Papua New Guinea has buried 2,000 people alive, according to...A landslide in a remote part of Papua New Guinea has buried 2,000 people alive, according to...
From our correspondent
The daily descent of Lorenzo Rodríguez from the Madrid sunshine to the darkness of its labyrinthine sewerage system...The daily descent of Lorenzo Rodríguez from the Madrid sunshine to the darkness of its...The daily descent of Lorenzo Rodríguez from the Madrid sunshine to the darkness of its...
The actor Johnny Wactor, best known for his work on the soap opera General Hospital, was fatally shot in the...The actor Johnny Wactor, best known for his work on the soap opera General Hospital, was...The actor Johnny Wactor, best known for his work on the soap opera General Hospital, was...
IN maps and CHARTS
Robert F Kennedy Jr is confident he can meet the criteria to join the two main parties’ US presidential contenders at...Robert F Kennedy Jr is confident he can meet the criteria to join the two main parties’ US...Robert F Kennedy Jr is confident he can meet the criteria to join the two main parties’ US...
Hillary Clinton has accused women of abandoning her in the 2016 presidential election and claimed that female voters...Hillary Clinton has accused women of abandoning her in the 2016 presidential election and claimed...Hillary Clinton has accused women of abandoning her in the 2016 presidential election and claimed...
Elon Musk’s xAI artificial intelligence start-up has raised $6 billion from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, giving it an estimated valuation of $24 billion. It said the funds would be used to bring its first products to market, to build infrastructure and to...Elon Musk’s xAI artificial intelligence start-up has raised $6 billion from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, giving it an estimated valuation of $24 billion. It said the funds would be used to bring its first products to market, to build infrastructure and to...Elon Musk’s xAI artificial intelligence start-up has raised $6 billion from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia...
The Serious Fraud Office has been in contact with administrators investigating the Philips Trust Corporation scandal. Philips Trust collapsed into administration two years ago holding an estimated £138 million of more than 2,000 building society customers’ assets, including properties in trust and £44 million of invested savings. The...The Serious Fraud Office has been in contact with administrators investigating the Philips Trust Corporation scandal. Philips Trust collapsed into administration two years ago holding an estimated £138 million of more than 2,000 building society customers’ assets, including properties in trust and £44 million of invested savings. The...The Serious Fraud Office has been in contact with administrators investigating the Philips Trust Corporation scandal. Philips...
Private equity executives have received a tax break worth as much as £4 billion under the “carried interest” rules that Labour plans to abolish if it wins the general election, data obtained by The Times has revealed. The figures demonstrate that a lenient tax treatment of private equity executives’ profits has...Private equity executives have received a tax break worth as much as £4 billion under the...Private equity executives have received a tax break worth as much as £4 billion under the...
comment
In what isn’t a terribly crowded field, the creation of the Office for Budget Responsibility is widely viewed as one...In what isn’t a terribly crowded field, the creation of the Office for Budget Responsibility is...In what isn’t a terribly crowded field, the creation of the Office for Budget Responsibility is...
need to know
1 Labour faces a fresh union backlash after insisting that it would allow companies to fire and rehire staff in...1 Labour faces a fresh union backlash after insisting that it would allow companies to fire and...1 Labour faces a fresh union backlash after insisting that it would allow companies to fire and...
State subsidies for new offshore wind projects may not be generous enough to drive the projects needed to achieve targets for boosting clean energy, a leading climate adviser to the government has warned. Baroness Brown of Cambridge, chairwoman of...State subsidies for new offshore wind projects may not be generous enough to drive the projects...State subsidies for new offshore wind projects may not be generous enough to drive the projects...
how i made it
Anthony Eskinazi, founder of JustPark, on his 16-year journey to sell the business
Food
The meal kit delivery firm has cut costs and laid off staff as it battles rising inflation and the return to the office
recruitment
For a profession that prides itself on selling, estate agency all too often has failed to sell itself. Despite agents handling more than a million home sales each year worth over £151 billion, agents rank a lowly fifth from bottom on the Ipsos Veracity Index, languishing below both bankers and private landlords. A lack of trust and regulation mean that few young people...For a profession that prides itself on selling, estate agency all too often has failed to sell...For a profession that prides itself on selling, estate agency all too often has failed to sell...
six from the best
Ann Francke is chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, Britain’s professional body for management and...Ann Francke is chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, Britain’s professional body for management and leadership. After more than two decades in senior executive roles at Mars, Boots and Yell, here is what she has learnt to become a better manager. 1. Ask for feedback, don’t just give it. It’s rare to...Ann Francke is chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, Britain’s professional body for management and leadership.
Manager claims to have received ‘several’ inquiries from other clubs
newErik ten Hag wants Manchester United to make a swift decision on his future, but the club’s FA Cup triumph may have complicated matters — as it means they must pay him a higher compensation fee should they sack him. Under the terms of Ten Hag’s contract, it would have been cheaper for United to...Erik ten Hag wants Manchester United to make a swift decision on his future, but the club’s FA Cup triumph may have complicated matters — as it means they must pay him a higher compensation fee should they sack him. Under the terms of Ten Hag’s contract, it would have been cheaper for United to...Erik ten Hag wants Manchester United to make a swift decision on his future, but the club’s FA Cup triumph may have complicated...
Chelsea are expected to appoint Enzo Maresca as their head coach in the next few days after Kieran McKenna, who had been on their shortlist, moved closer to agreeing a new deal with Ipswich Town. The west London club have been given formal permission to talk to Maresca, 44, about replacing Mauricio Pochettino after being impressed with his...Chelsea are expected to appoint Enzo Maresca as their head coach in the next few days after Kieran McKenna, who had been on their shortlist, moved closer to agreeing a new deal with Ipswich Town. The west London club have been given formal permission to talk to Maresca, 44, about replacing Mauricio Pochettino after being impressed with his...Chelsea are expected to appoint Enzo Maresca as their head coach in the next few days after Kieran McKenna, who had been on...
Molly Hudson
Monaco is the barely believable place I watched through the television screen growing up, with yachts as far as the eye could see. It is a who’s who of the rich and famous. Last week, I was there. First lesson. Take your shoes off when stepping on to a yacht; hardly something I had encountered in the Fens. Monaco is...Monaco is the barely believable place I watched through the television screen growing up, with...Monaco is the barely believable place I watched through the television screen growing up, with...
Steve james
It seems increasingly likely that James Anderson will take some sort of coaching/mentorship role with the England...It seems increasingly likely that James Anderson will take some sort of coaching/mentorship role...It seems increasingly likely that James Anderson will take some sort of coaching/mentorship role...
FA Cup final | Paul Hirst
About 90 minutes after the final whistle of Saturday’s FA Cup final, Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill left the...About 90 minutes after the final whistle of Saturday’s FA Cup final, Sir Alex Ferguson and David...About 90 minutes after the final whistle of Saturday’s FA Cup final, Sir Alex Ferguson and David...
Steph Houghton interview
It is a mark of Steph Houghton’s character that she expresses no regrets over her football career. It would be perfectly understandable if, having retired this month, she leaves the game feeling somewhat bitter. Houghton, 36, was the face of the...It is a mark of Steph Houghton’s character that she expresses no regrets over her football career.It is a mark of Steph Houghton’s character that she expresses no regrets over her football career.
Champions cup | alex lowe
At the end of last season Jack Willis was in a bubble bath with the Bouclier de Brennus, the shield awarded to the winners of the French league. On Saturday night he was topless while breakdancing in the changing room as his Toulouse team-mates...At the end of last season Jack Willis was in a bubble bath with the Bouclier de Brennus, the...At the end of last season Jack Willis was in a bubble bath with the Bouclier de Brennus, the...
mike atherton
It was only a month ago, in an interview given to Steve James in these pages, that England’s white-ball coach Matthew...It was only a month ago, in an interview given to Steve James in these pages, that England’s...It was only a month ago, in an interview given to Steve James in these pages, that England’s...
Champions cup | stuart barnes
“Epic,” said my old commentary partner, Miles Harrison, in the bowels of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when we bumped...“Epic,” said my old commentary partner, Miles Harrison, in the bowels of Tottenham Hotspur...“Epic,” said my old commentary partner, Miles Harrison, in the bowels of Tottenham Hotspur...
Championship play-off final
Leeds 0 Southampton 1
Does anything come close to the detonation of joy — and gut-wrenching despair — that greets the final whistle of a Championship play-off final? Moments before John Brooks brought the curtain down on the nerve-shredding 1-0 win that sent Southampton back to the Premier League, their goalscoring hero, Adam Armstrong, had mistaken the referee’s whistle — for a foul — for...Does anything come close to the detonation of joy — and gut-wrenching despair — that greets the...Does anything come close to the detonation of joy — and gut-wrenching despair — that greets the...
The American golfer Grayson Murray, a two-times winner on the PGA Tour, has died at the age of 30. Murray’s death was...The American golfer Grayson Murray, a two-times winner on the PGA Tour, has died at the age of 30. Murray’s death was announced the day after he withdrew during the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas on Friday, having told playing partners that he felt unwell. On Sunday a statement...The American golfer Grayson Murray, a two-times winner on the PGA Tour, has died at the age of 30. Murray’s death was announced...
Interview
He wrote such masterpieces as MacArthur Park and Wichita Lineman, and hung out with John Lennon and Brian Wilson. What does he make of today’s lyricists?
EXTRACT
Chris Stein on Debbie Harry, drug addiction and the rare disease that changed his life
exclusiveExtract
The actress introduced Shekhar Bhatia, her first husband, to Shakespeare; he took her to see West Ham United. As he recalls in his new book, it was a disaster
Dr Mark Porter
Poorly applied sunscreen gives a false sense of reassurance
interview
Scrolling through Anna Lapwood’s videos on her TikTok, where the organist has become a social media star with nearly...Scrolling through Anna Lapwood’s videos on her TikTok, where the organist has become a social...Scrolling through Anna Lapwood’s videos on her TikTok, where the organist has become a social...
ASK PROFESSOR TANYA BYRON
Q. My nine-year-old son, the youngest of four, has sucked his thumb since he was born. In fact I’m pretty sure I saw...Q. My nine-year-old son, the youngest of four, has sucked his thumb since he was born. In fact...Q. My nine-year-old son, the youngest of four, has sucked his thumb since he was born. In fact...
FIRST PERSON
In 2017 my parents lived in a farmhouse in a little village in Carmarthenshire in Wales, where they had been for 20 years [says Gail Carter, 47]. Because they were so far away, we always wondered what would happen when they got older and if...In 2017 my parents lived in a farmhouse in a little village in Carmarthenshire in Wales, where...In 2017 my parents lived in a farmhouse in a little village in Carmarthenshire in Wales, where...
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW
Safe to say it was a rollercoaster weekend for Nicki Minaj, the 12-time Grammy-nominated rapper. After a sell-out show in Amsterdam, on Friday she announced she was extending her Pink Friday 2 album tour due to popular demand. Things then took a...Safe to say it was a rollercoaster weekend for Nicki Minaj, the 12-time Grammy-nominated rapper.Safe to say it was a rollercoaster weekend for Nicki Minaj, the 12-time Grammy-nominated rapper.
Viewing GUide
MindGames
1 The subject of the 2008 documentary Not Quite Hollywood, Ozploitation films are made in which country? 2...1 The subject of the 2008 documentary Not Quite Hollywood, Ozploitation films are made in...1 The subject of the 2008 documentary Not Quite Hollywood, Ozploitation films are made in...
television
TELEVISION
TELEVISION
Television
TELEVISION
Television
This summer’s shades are all about collaborations, with big names from Lenny Kravitz to Keith Haring
Lymphatic drainage is a wonder treatment loved by Hollywood celebrities who need a quick fix. We round up the best UK practitioners
Simon de Burton visits the Italian workshop that lovingly restores old Cinquecentos to even greater glory
Lisa Johnson selects seven of the smartest holiday seaside homes — and the specialists for booking them
video
Since 1888 Lalique has produced some of the world’s most covetable crystals from its headquarters in France. The company was founded by René Lalique, a French jewellery designer who was part of the art nouveau design movement. Lalique began his...
Since 1888 Lalique has produced some of the world’s most covetable crystals from its headquarters...
Since 1888 Lalique has produced some of the world’s most covetable crystals from its headquarters...
A small-ship cruise around the underrated eastern isles of the Aegean visits places most people haven’t even heard of — let alone visited
video
Just a short drive from Caen, belle époque villas and glorious wellbeing treatments await in the back-in-vogue forested expanses of Bagnoles de l’Orne
video
When he was 19, our writer loved the country of squat loos, rip-off taxis and seedy auberges. Would a return visit give his children playground bragging rights?
video
When the TV presenter, her sister Wendy and their 91-year-old father discovered who their ancestor was, their next holiday destination was a natural selection
kathy lette | travel troubleshooter
Our travel troubleshooter advises on when to put friends before children and how to navigate a couple’s disparate holiday tastes
My usual preflight routine goes something like this: check passport and boarding pass, ensure I’ve downloaded a...My usual preflight routine goes something like this: check passport and boarding pass, ensure...My usual preflight routine goes something like this: check passport and boarding pass, ensure...
WHERE WAS I? COMPETITION
My friend is counting holes. “Fab. Four more!” he exclaims as we emerge from a golf club that dates from 1891.My friend is counting holes. “Fab. Four more!” he exclaims as we emerge from a golf club that...My friend is counting holes. “Fab. Four more!” he exclaims as we emerge from a golf club that...
video
The Amalfi coast is one of the prettiest parts of Italy — and therefore one of the most popular. In high season, the towns and villages strung along the winding coast are heaving. There are ways to find the uncrowded Amalfi, though: our expert...The Amalfi coast is one of the prettiest parts of Italy — and therefore one of the most popular.The Amalfi coast is one of the prettiest parts of Italy — and therefore one of the most popular.
Obituary
Composer who with his brother, Robert, wrote songs for family favourite Disney films such as Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book
Weather eye
From the archive
Kensington Palace
25th May, 2024 The Prince of Wales, President, the Football Association, this afternoon attended...Kensington Palace
25th May, 2024 The Prince of Wales, President, the Football Association...Kensington Palace
25th May, 2024 The Prince of Wales, President, the Football Association...
“ ‘NOW if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.“ ‘NOW if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my...“ ‘NOW if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my...
MindGames and Brain Boost puzzles to print and solve at your leisure
The SNP leader John Swinney has conceded his party “has a lot of ground to cover” to catch up with Labour in the polls before the general election. Swinney, who took over as SNP leader from Humza Yousaf three weeks ago, said the party was already united behind him and “very focused on the...The SNP leader John Swinney has conceded his party “has a lot of ground to cover” to catch up with Labour in the polls before the general election. Swinney, who took over as SNP leader from Humza Yousaf three weeks ago, said the party was already united behind him and “very focused on the...The SNP leader John Swinney has conceded his party “has a lot of ground to cover” to catch up with Labour in the polls before...
The Liberal Democrats can replace the SNP as the third largest party in the House of Commons after the general election, the party’s leader has said. Starting the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ election campaign, Sir Ed Davey said he thought there could be “more liberals than nationalists” in the next parliament. This would boost the profile...The Liberal Democrats can replace the SNP as the third largest party in the House of Commons after the general election, the party’s leader has said. Starting the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ election campaign, Sir Ed Davey said he thought there could be “more liberals than nationalists” in the next parliament. This would boost the profile...The Liberal Democrats can replace the SNP as the third largest party in the House of Commons after the general election, the...
Iain Macwhirter | comment
First impressions are important. Psychologists tell us that we make lasting judgments about someone’s character and truthfulness in the first seven seconds of meeting them. In politics, as in life, how a party leader begins an election campaign can define how the voters view them right up to polling day. Hence, that...First impressions are important. Psychologists tell us that we make lasting judgments about...First impressions are important. Psychologists tell us that we make lasting judgments about...
Holidaymakers and day trippers in Scotland have been warned they face the prospect of flooding, lightning and thunderstorms during the late spring bank holiday. Millions are expected on the roads to enjoy the last official break before summer but...Holidaymakers and day trippers in Scotland have been warned they face the prospect of flooding...Holidaymakers and day trippers in Scotland have been warned they face the prospect of flooding...
The death of native-spoken Gaelic in its traditional heartland is being forecast following figures which show a substantial fall people using the ancient language. For the first time Gaelic speakers are in the minority in the Western Isles, with...The death of native-spoken Gaelic in its traditional heartland is being forecast following...The death of native-spoken Gaelic in its traditional heartland is being forecast following...
Comment
Labour’s foolish to rule out national service
William Hague
During an election it’s easy to trash the opponent, but creating a reserve army and forging a common identity will be vital
melanie phillips
Altruism not activism can help beat loneliness
newSarah ditum
Eddie Izzard shows why celebs and politics don’t mix
newjames marriott | notebook
At a wedding it hits me — we’re grown-ups now
newAnthony Seldon
Starmer should rethink harmful private schools plan
newMAX HASTINGS
Defence should be at centre of this election
libby purves
The best sitcoms can both shock and console
Tomiwa Owolade
Our oversharing culture debases privacy
sathnam sanghera | notebook
Love is … not having to pick up the phone
Leading Articles
First Among Equals
Michael Gove has announced he will not seek re-election in July. A gifted and consequential political reformer, he sets a formidable example to his successors
Age Concern
Rishi Sunak’s proposal for mandatory National Service has real merits
Heritage Heights
Building new audiences for Britain’s country houses is a noble endeavour
letters to the editor
Starmer’s plan for VAT on private school fees
Sir, The decision to impose tax on such a valuable and precious asset as education will be prone to unintended consequences (“Speedy action on school VAT”, news, May 25). The only children who will suffer will be those whose parents are...Sir, The decision to impose tax on such a valuable and precious asset as education will be prone...Sir, The decision to impose tax on such a valuable and precious asset as education will be prone...
Daily Universal Register
Briefing
UK: Spring bank holiday.
World: Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly opens, the director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to speak.
Nature notes
The bubbling, mechanical churr of a nightjar is one of the sounds most evocative of a warm summer’s night. In late April and May fewer than 10,000 of these extraordinary birds arrive from the Democratic Republic of Congo at lowland heaths in southern England to breed, departing again in August. A drastic collapse in their numbers in the second half of the last century has been partially reversed, perhaps due to climate change but certainly connected to the felling of forestry plantations which creates more of the habitat they like. By day, nightjars rest on a branch or on the ground, disappearing entirely due to their cryptic plumage. By night they hunt moths, aided by their huge eyes and wide gapes. Melissa Harrison
On this day
In 1937 200,000 people celebrated the grand opening of the Golden Gate Bridge, in San Francisco, by strolling across it. The US navy had wanted the bridge to be painted black and yellow for high visibility; in 1963 Jomo Kenyatta’s Kenya African National Union party won the country’s general election. The country was granted full independence from British rule on December 12, 1963, and became a republic on December 12, 1964. Kenyatta was president until his death on August 22, 1978, succeeded by Daniel arap Moi until the party’s defeat on December 30, 2002; in 1964 Jawaharlal Nehru, the prime minister of India, died aged 74 after suffering a stroke. He had been in power since independence was granted on August 15, 1947; in 2022 it was revealed that more than a million foreigners had been offered visas to live in the UK over the previous year, the highest figure on record, according to the Home Office. The UK granted 994,951 visas in the 12 months to March 2022. The UK also granted asylum to 15,451 people over the same period, taking the number given long-term residency to the highest since records began in 2005.
The Times
Birthdays today
Rebekah Brooks, chief executive officer, News UK, 56; Admiral of the Fleet Sir Benjamin Bathurst, first sea lord and chief of naval staff (1993-95), 88; Paul Bettany, actor, The Da Vinci Code (2006), WandaVision (2021), 53; Heston Blumenthal, chef, 58; Dee Dee Bridgewater, jazz singer, Good Morning Heartache (2010), 74; Pat Cash, tennis player, Wimbledon men’s singles winner (1987), 59; Alina Cojocaru, principal dancer, English National Ballet (2013-21), 43; John Conteh, boxer, world light-heavyweight boxing champion (1974-77), 73; Sarah Dines, Conservative MP for Derbyshire Dales, 59; Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland & Lonsdale, leader of the Liberal Democrats (2015-17), 54; Joseph Fiennes, actor, Shakespeare in Love (1998), 54; Lord (Roger) Freeman, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1995-97), vice-chairman, Conservative Party (1997-2001), 82; Paul Gascoigne, footballer, England (1988-98), 57; Duncan Goodhew, swimmer, Olympic gold medallist (1980), 67; Isata Kanneh-Mason, pianist, 28; Jamie Oliver, chef and restaurateur, 49; Denise van Outen, presenter, The Big Breakfast (1997-98), and actress, Chicago (2001-02), 50; Miah Persson, soprano, 55; Edwin Poots, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, MLA for South Belfast, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (2021), 59; Sir Gerald Ronson, property tycoon, 85; Lily-Rose Depp, actress, The Idol (2023), 25; Ravi Shastri, cricketer, India (1981-92), head coach of India’s national cricket team (2017-21), 62; Siouxsie Sioux, singer-songwriter, Siouxsie and the Banshees, 67; Dame Rosemary Squire, co-founder, Ambassador Theatre Group and Trafalgar Entertainment, 68; Donna Strickland, optical physicist, Nobel prize in physics for inventions in laser physics (2018), 65; Sophie Walker, founding leader, Women’s Equality Party (2015-19), 53.