Tories Heading For Electoral Wipeout As New Poll Predicts 250-Seat Labour Majority

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Labour is on course for a 250-seat Commons majority, according to yet another poll predicting wipeout for the Tories.

The Focaldata survey forecast that the Conservatives are set to lose a staggering 262 seats on July 4, leaving the party with just 110 MPs.

Labour, meanwhile, will gain 250 to leave them on 450 seats.

The Lib Dems will also see their number of MPs almost treble to 50, according to the poll, while the SNP would slump to just 16 MPs, down from the 48 they won in 2019.

The poll was conducted using the so-called “MRP” method, which uses a bigger than normal sample.

It also uses demographic data to calculate what the result would be on a seat-by-seat basis.

The Focaldata poll echoes a number of such surveys carried out by other pollsters since the campaign started, all of which pointed to huge Labour victories.

However, Focaldata’s chief research officer, James Kanagasooriam, said the final result could be even worse for the Tories as many of the seats they are forecast to win could end up falling another way.

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Man Had ‘Real Intention’ To Kidnap, Rape And Murder Holly Willoughby, Court Hears

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This article contains discussions of violence and sexual assault.

A man plotted to kidnap, rape and murder TV personality Holly Willoughby, a court has heard.

In October 2023, it was first reported by The Sun that the former This Morning host was “under police guard” after “sinister” messages were found on a man’s phone reportedly threatening to “seriously harm” the daytime TV presenter.

He was later charged with soliciting to commit murder and incitement to commit kidnap, with the trial getting underway on Monday at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Prosecution Alison Morgan KC said that Gavin Plumb, a security guard from Harlow in Essex, had a serious and “real intention” to kidnap the daytime star from her home and take her to “a location where she would be raped repeatedly”, before murdering her.

Plumb has denied accusations of soliciting murder, inciting kidnap and inciting rape made against him.

“It was not just the ramblings of a fantasist; the defendant had carefully planned what he would do,” Morgan said.

The prosecution added that Plumb’s alleged plans only came to light after he shared them with an undercover police officer based in the US, with whom he’d been speaking online.

Morgan told the court: “The defendant explained his plans to kidnap, rape and murder the celebrity Holly Willoughby. The defendant set out his plans and sought to encourage the other person to commit those offences with him.

“The defendant’s plans as to what he would do to Holly Willoughby were graphic and were obviously sexually motivated. They were real to him, members of the jury, and were based on an obsession with Holly Willoughby that had developed over a number of years.”

Holly Willoughby at the National Television Awards in September 2023
Holly Willoughby at the National Television Awards in September 2023

Joe Maher via Getty Images

“What the defendant did not know then, was that the person that he was communicating with online was an undercover police officer based in the USA and not, in fact, a like-minded abductor,” she added.

“The defendant’s planning of the offences was then interrupted and he was arrested by the police.”

Plumb apparently described his plan as his “ultimate fantasy”, claiming: “I’m now at the point that fantasy isn’t enough anymore. I want the real thing.”

BBC News has reported that the trial is expected to continue for the next two weeks.

When details of the kidnap plot were first made public, it was reported that Holly was “under police guard at her home”.

She subsequently made the decision to step down from This Morning after 14 years at the helm, and took an extended break from the media spotlight.

Willoughby made her return to TV in January when she and new co-host Stephen Mulhern presented the latest series of Dancing On Ice.

Help and support:

  • Rape Crisis services for women and girls who have been raped or have experienced sexual violence – 0808 802 9999
  • Survivors UK offers support for men and boys – 0203 598 3898
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There’s Been An Intriguing Update From Liam Gallagher Amid Fresh Oasis Reunion Claims

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Liam Gallagher has spoken out amid rumours that he and his brother Noel had recently been planning an Oasis reunion.

The Gallagher brothers were part of Oasis for 18 years before they ultimately went their separate ways in 2009 , and have been embroiled in a very public feud ever since.

In the years that followed, there’ve been repeated calls for Oasis to reform in some capacity, with The Mirror reporting over the weekend that Liam and Noel had even quietly set dates aside this year to perform at Wembley Stadium, which would have taken place in July.

However, the tabloid cited an undisclosed “source” who claimed these plans “collapsed” when Noel decided not to be involved and the booked dates were then cancelled.

Noel and Liam Gallagher pictured in 2005
Noel and Liam Gallagher pictured in 2005

Brian Rasic via Getty Images

On Sunday morning, one fan asked Liam on X if an Oasis reunion was “actually happening”, to which he responded: “Nobody’s told me, maybe [they’re] getting a new singer like the dude out of Queen.”

The following day, another fan asked Liam more directly about the rumours of three nights at Wembley.

“What you asking me for? I know nothing,” Liam wrote back.

Back in February, Liam told Mojo magazine that an offer had been put “on the table” for Oasis to get back together, but Noel wasn’t interested.

“Noel? He ain’t fucking doing it,” he said. “We put an offer on the table for an Oasis thing, because we got offered it – he said no. It was a big tour, a lot of money.”

Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher

Alex Livesey – Danehouse via Getty Images

When Liam claimed around this time that his “greedy” brother had turned down £100 million to reunite, Noel made a rare comment on X, insisting: “I am not aware of any offer from anybody for any amount of money to reform the legendary Mancunian Rock’n’Roll group Oasis.”

“I am fully aware though that someone has a single to promote so that’s maybe where the confusion lies,” he also quipped.

Liam is currently in the middle of an arena tour, performing Oasis’ seminal Definitely Maybe album in full to commemorate its 30th anniversary.

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How to stay well this Glastonbury Festival

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From dehydration to tinnitus, a five-day party on Worthy Farm doesn’t come without its risks.

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How Dame Deborah James helped save a mum’s life

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A mother-of-three shared her story with Dame Deborah’s mother Heather on BBC Breakfast.

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How Hollywood star Sheen helped uncover a dark secret

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A chance scroll on the internet led the actor Michael Sheen on a journey to uncover a dark secret.

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World first epilepsy device fitted in UK boy’s skull

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Oran, who is 13, was sometimes having hundreds of seizures a day due to his severe epilepsy.

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The Tory Betting Scandal Presented Rishi Sunak With An Opportunity To Look Strong – He Blew It

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They say that bad things come in threes. If only Rishi Sunak was that lucky.

Ever since he called the election on May 22, the prime minister has been hit by a litany of misfortune – some self-inflicted – which has completely derailed the Tories’ election campaign.

The latest – and possibly most damaging – one is the revelation that senior Tories close to the prime minister are accused of placing bets on the date of the election.

Two of them are Conservative candidates, one of whom – former Sunak parliamentary aide Craig Williams – has admitted he did it.

The Tories’ chief data officer, Nick Mason, and campaign director Tony Lee have each taken a “leave of absence” after also being accused.

The other alleged punter we currently know about is one of the PM’s close protection officers, or at least he was until he was suspended from duty by the Metropolitan Police.

It is the force’s different approach to disciplinary matters which have led to Sunak facing fresh accusations that he is weak, a label already attached to the prime minister by 61% of the public.

Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth said: “Sunak promised integrity, professionalism and accountability, instead his weakness means he has overseen the same levels of sleaze and scandal that have come to epitomise the last 14 years of Tory government.

“Rishi Sunak needs to take immediate action against all implicated.”

Home secretary James Cleverly endured a tough grilling from Trevor Phillips on Sky News this morning over the PM’s apparent inaction.

“Why doesn’t he, like any other employer might do in this situation, call in the alleged offenders, ask them ‘did you place a bet or did you not place a bet’ and if the answer is yes, sack them?” Phillips asked.

After Cleverly claimed No.10′s hands are tied while the Gambling Commission investigates, Phillips told him: “No, no, no – he’s the prime minister. These people work for him. He can do whatever he wants.

“If it were you, he’d say ‘James, tell me the truth. Did you or did you not?’. And you, being an honest man, would say yes or no.”

The minister said: “I don’t necessarily know the process in detail, but the Gambling Commission is the appropriate body for this. They have said they’re investigating and they’ve also said it is inappropriate for us to comment on what is a live investigation.”

But Phillips hit back: “He’s the prime minister – he doesn’t get told what to do by the Gambling Commission.”

For his part, Sunak has said the affair has left him “very angry” and has pledged that any Tories found guilty will be booted out of the party.

However, regardless of the reason for Sunak’s unwillingness to take action now, the impression it has given is of a prime minister at the mercy of events rather than taking charge of them.

With less than two weeks to go until election day, the Tory betting scandal has merely confirmed their impression of a PM who can’t take the big decisions, which is one of many reasons why time is fast running out on his period in office.

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Trump Entertains Bizarre UFC-Like Concept For Migrants: ‘Not The Worst Idea I’ve Ever Had’

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Former President Donald Trump backed an idea for a “migrant league” similar to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in remarks to Christian conservatives at a Faith & Freedom Coalition conference on Saturday.

“Why don’t you set up a migrant league of fighters and have your regular league of fighters and then you have the champion of your league, these are the greatest fighters in the world, fight the champion of the migrants,” said Trump, who claimed he pitched the idea to UFC President and CEO Dana White.

He continued, “I think the migrant guy might win, that’s how tough they are.”

The presumptive Republican presidential candidate, who once compared asylum-seekers to UFC fighters in 2019, added that White didn’t like the concept “too much.”

“But actually, it’s not the worst idea I’ve ever had,” said Trump. “These are tough people, these people are tough and they’re nasty, mean.”

White, in remarks to reporters at a UFC event, confirmed Trump shared the idea.

“It was a joke, it was a joke,” said White, a friend of the former president. “I saw everybody going crazy online. But yeah, he did say it.”

Trump would later bring up his “new migrant fight league” idea again at a rally in Philadelphia.

“You know, these are tough cookies coming into our country, coming with prisons and mental institutions,” he said.

He added that the idea could make White — who has appeared alongside him at multiple UFC events — “a lot of money.”

Sarafina Chitika, a spokesperson for Biden’s re-election campaign, took aim at the former president over his “incoherent, unhinged tirade” on Saturday.

“Fitting that convicted felon Donald Trump spent his time at a religious conference threatening to round up Latinos, bragging about ripping away Americans’ freedoms, and promising to be even more extreme if he regains power,” said Chitika in a statement.

The remarks from Trump arrive amid a campaign where he’s used dehumanizing rhetoric to refer to migrants, who he called “animals” and “not people” at an Ohio rally in March.

He’s pledged to conduct mass deportations of undocumented immigrants should he win in November’s presidential election and remarked that migrants are “poisoning the blood of our country,” too.

Biden has talked of “Biden migrant crime” on the campaign trail, as well, despite studies that show immigrants don’t commit crime at a higher-rate than native-born citizens.

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‘A Sign Of Moral Decay’: Trevor Phillips Clashes With James Cleverly Over Top Tories Betting On Election Date

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Trevor Phillips clashed with James Cleverly over the betting scandal which has sent the Tories’ election campaign into meltdown.

The Sky News presenter said it was a sign of the party’s “moral decay” and demanded to know why Rishi Sunak had not sacked those alleged to be involved.

It came as the Conservatives’ chief data officer, Nick Mason, became the latest senior official to be dragged into the affair.

According to The Sunday Times, he has taken a leave of absence amid allegations he placed dozens of bets on the date of the election.

Two Tory candidates, the party’s director of campaigns and one of the PM’s close protection officers are also under investigation.

On Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips this morning, the presenter told the home secretary: “The prime minister talked two weeks ago about the moral mission of your government to reform welfare.

“Let’s talk about morality. Is it a sign of the Conservative Party’s moral decay that some of your colleagues were more interested in stuffing their own pockets by gambling on the date of the election than on helping hard-pressed families hit by the cost of living?”

Cleverly replied: “I’m not in any way going to defend people who placed bets on that There is an investigation by the Gambling Commission and we have been told very, very clearly that we are not to discuss the investigations.”

Phillips went on to ask the minister why Sunak had not taken firm action against those involved.

He said: “The prime minister claims to be furious, but he says it’s all got to go through this process. Why doesn’t he, like any other employer might do in this situation, call in the alleged offenders, ask them ‘did you place a bet or did you not place a bet’ … and if the answer is yes, sack them?”

After Cleverly said that was the Gambling Commission’s job, Phillips told him: “No, no, no – he’s the prime minister. These people work for him. He can do whatever he wants.

“If it were you, he’d say ‘James, tell me the truth. Did you or did you not?’. And you, being an honest man, would say yes or no.”

But the home secretary replied: “I don’t necessarily know the process in detail, but the Gambling Commission is the appropriate body for this. They have said they’re investigating and they’ve also said it is inappropriate for us to comment on what is a live investigation.”

Phillips hit back: “He’s the prime minister – he doesn’t get told what to do by the Gambling Commission.”

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