Sir Keir Starmer has suggested that he will expel Labour MPs who do not voice “unshakeable support for Nato”.
He said he was “very clear” that support for the military alliance was “the root of the Labour Party”. The Times reported on Tuesday that Starmer’s allies wanted him to force hard-left MPs out of his party before the next general election.
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Asked about the report on Times Radio, the Labour leader said: “We’ve been very clear about the expectations of our members of parliament when it comes to issues like antisemitism, when it comes to the false equivalence that some argue between Russian aggression and the acts of Nato. I’ve been very, very clear about that. And I’ll be very clear and firm on those
In a fundraising appeal to raise £10,000 for Ms Kenyon's "send off", her family said they were in a "heartbreaking nightmare" and she was "taken away from her children and family far too soon".
It added that the page will also be used for Ms Kenyon's son and daughter "and their future to fulfil Katie's dreams she had planned with her children".
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Ms Kenyon was described as "a mum, daughter, granddaughter, sister, auntie, niece, cousin, friend and animal lover".
It added: "Thank you for all your kind words and support. We know you're all behind us".
Image:A court sketch of Andrew Burfield, 50, appearing via video-link from HMP Preston
Burfield, from Burnley, spoke only to confirm his identity during the seven-minute hearing.
He was remanded in custody and a trial date was set for 14 November.
Ms Kenyon was last seen at about 9.30am on 22 April and vanished after being seen getting into a van in Burnley, Lancashire.
Image:Map showing the key locations around Katie Kenyon's disappearance
A woman matching her description left an address in Burnley that morning, travelling about 17 miles in a silver Ford Transit van to the Bolton-by-Bowland area of north Lancashire.
The man suspected of abducting Madeleine McCann insists he was many miles from the scene having sex in his camper van with a young woman who will back his alibi.
Christian B says he drove the woman to the airport at Faro, Portugal, for a flight home the next day and they were stopped and photographed at a police roadblock.
The suspect, a German drifter, claims she was arrested at airport security for carrying an illegal pepper spray and later appeared in court.
Christian B, as he is known under German privacy laws, believes Portuguese police must have a record of those events that will establish his relationship with the young German woman who was on holiday with her parents.
Apparently, German police found a photograph of the woman lying in his camper van during their investigation into a rape for which Christian B, 44, is now serving a seven-year jail sentence in Germany.
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When he first spoke of his alibi he couldn't recall the woman's full name, but it's understood he has since been able to identify her.
If it's true the alibi would contradict vital, but circumstantial, evidence from mobile data masts that police say puts him close to the apartment from where Madeleine vanished from her bed 15 years ago on 3 May, 2007.
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German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters, who is leading the Madeleine investigation with Portuguese and British detectives, told Sky News: "I assume if he has anything that exonerates him that sooner or later he will share it with us and we would then check it out. What happens then, let's see.
"So far he has told us nothing, he's given us no alibi. So, we can only work on the evidence we have found so far in our investigation. And there was nothing to exonerate him."
Image:Madeleine McCann vanished in 2007
But German prosecutors had never, until two weeks ago, formally interviewed Christian B, a convicted sex offender, even though he has been their chief suspect for more than four years.
They questioned him on 21 April on behalf of the Portuguese authorities who had just made him an arguido, a formal suspect, for their own purposes to avoid a statute of limitations on serious crimes under Portuguese law.
But as an arguido Christian B had the right to silence and refused to answer questions about his whereabouts on the night Madeleine vanished.
Madeleine was nearly four when she disappeared from the family's rented holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on the Algarve coast.
Her parents Kate and Gerry McCann were dining with friends nearby on the holiday complex and had left her sleeping with her younger twin siblings. They and their friends were taking turns to check on the sleeping children every half-an-hour.
Image:Madeleine's parents cling on to the hope she will be found alive
Portuguese police and UK detectives have investigated, but the German authorities took the lead in 2017 when a friend of the suspect told them Christian B had allegedly claimed to know what had happened to Madeleine.
Mr Wolters said: "We actually haven't found a single piece of the puzzle in the two years that would have somehow helped to exonerate Christian B. So it's really nothing that would somehow maybe be an alibi or something. Nothing of that has come to light, really at any point.
"What we found out, it all went in the other direction, so was rather incriminating, without me being able to elaborate on that now.
He added: "However, it is not foreseeable when we will come to an end. So I can't say that we will definitely conclude the investigations this year. That really also depends on how this develops."
Mr Wolters has said in the past he believed Madeleine was dead, but would not reveal what evidence he had.
He is also investigating Christian B over three other sex assault allegations, including the rape of a young Irish woman, Hazel Behan, who was working as a holiday rep on the Algarve in 2004.
She has spoken publicly about being raped in her apartment at Praia da Rocha and waived her right to anonymity.
Mother-of two Katie Kenyon died of head injuries, police have said, as they confirmed a body discovered in a forest is hers.
The 33-year-old from Padiham, Burnley, was found on Friday following "extensive searches" of the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire Constabulary said, and has now been formally identified.
She was last seen at about 9.30am on Friday 22 April.
"A Home Office post-mortem examination was conducted yesterday and the cause of death was given as head injuries," the force added in a statement on Sunday.
"Our thoughts remain with Katie's family and loved ones at this difficult time. The family continues to be supported by our specially trained officers."
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Image:Police made 'extensive searches' in the Forest of Bowland
Andrew Burfield, 50, appeared at Preston Crown Court by video link from HMP Preston on Friday, charged with Ms Kenyon's murder.
Burfield, from Burnley, spoke only to confirm his identity during the seven-minute hearing.
He was remanded in custody and a trial date was set for 14 November.
Mother-of two Katie Kenyon died of head injuries, police have said, as they confirmed a body discovered in the Forest of Bowland is hers.
The 33-year-old from Padiham, Burnley, was found on Friday following "extensive searches", Lancashire Constabulary said, and has now been formally identified.
She was last seen at about 9.30am on Friday 22 April.
"A Home Office post-mortem examination was conducted yesterday and the cause of death was given as head injuries," the force added in a statement on Sunday.
"Our thoughts remain with Katie's family and loved ones at this difficult time. The family continues to be supported by our specially trained officers."
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Image:Police made 'extensive searches' in the Forest of Bowland
Andrew Burfield, 50, appeared at Preston Crown Court by video-link from HMP Preston on Friday, charged with Ms Kenyon's murder.
Burfield, from Burnley, spoke only to confirm his identity during the seven-minute hearing.
He was remanded in custody and a trial date was set for 14 November.
Many voters in England, Wales and Scotland will head to the polls on 5 May to elect their new local representatives.
More than 4,350 seats will be contested in England on over 140 councils, with all of Scotland's 32 councils and all 22 councils in Wales also holding elections.
While these elections will directly decide who is responsible in an individual's area for planning issues, housing and rubbish collections - they will also allow voters to have their say on national issues including the cost of living crisis, the ongoing row over parties held in Downing Streetand across Whitehall and the government's response to the war in Ukraine.
With a vast number of seats being contested, the results are likely to paint a vivid picture of the national mood for the first time since the 2019 snap general election.
But how do they work, what are the key areas to look out for and what will be constituted as a good or bad result for the main parties?
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How can I vote?
To vote in the upcoming local elections, you need to have registered to do so and be aged over 18 in England, or over 16 in Scotland and Wales.
EU or Commonwealth citizens who live in the UK can vote in England, while any foreign citizen lawfully living in Scotland and Wales has the chance to take part in the polls.
Polling stations will be open between 07:00 and 22:00 on 5 May - but as long as you are in the queue at 22:00 you are within your right to cast your vote.
Voting usually takes places in local schools, churches and leisure centres and you will be given a ballot paper on your arrival.
In some circumstances, for example if you have COVID, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote - where someone votes on your behalf - until 17:00 on polling day.
Image:Local councils are responsible for issues such as rubbish collection, planning reform and mental health services
What am I voting for?
Local councillors are elected for four-year terms by the local community to represent its views.
They are responsible for a wide range of issues from transport, rubbish collection, planning applications, and managing mental health services.
Taking part in the polls allows residents a say over what is happening in their locality.
Local residents can cast votes for as many council seats as there are being contested in their ward - which will be made clear at the top of the ballot paper.
What are the key results to look out for?
London, which accounts for more than four in 10 of all the English seats in play, could witness some upsets for either of the two main parties.
Wandsworth and Westminster - both currently controlled by the Conservatives - are two London councils which are particularly in the spotlight.
Labour won more votes but fewer seats in the local Wandsworth elections last time around - but hold all the constituency MPs - and will be wanting a different outcome next month.
An early adopter of Thatcherite policies including council house sales and privatisation, the Conservatives will be keen to hold on to the prized south London council.
Westminster has never been under the control of another party, but some commentators believe the Conservatives could come under pressure here as the partygate row rages.
Other southern councils where the Conservatives are also expected to face a challenge include Westminster, Barnet, Harlow, Southampton and Thurrock.
Meanwhile in Croydon, currently Labour-held authority dogged by financial woes as of late, could see Labour face a battle amid rising voter dissatisfaction.
Hartlepool, which the Conservatives gained in a by-election in 2021 - winning more than half of all votes from Labour for the first time since its creation in 1971 - will likely be in Labour's sights.
Labour lost control of the authority in 2019 and It is currently run by a coalition of Conservatives and Hartlepool Independent Union councillors.
Peterborough was won by Labour in a by-election in 2019, only for the party to lose it to the Conservatives in the general election months later.
The result there could therefore be seen as a good indicator of public opinion on the current government.
In Wales, with the majority of councils are currently run by coalitions, it will be interesting to see if this changes and if Labour can hold Cardiff while the Conservatives can maintain a strong standing in the north-east of the country.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, all eyes will be on whether the Conservatives can at least maintain or even improve on the gains they made from Labour in 2017.
When will we know the results?
The results are expected in the early hours and throughout the day on Friday, with some councils also likely to declare on Saturday.
In England, around half of the councils are expected to begin their vote counts overnight on Thursday, with the remaining councils starting on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, in Scotland and Wales, the counts will not begin until Friday, with the earliest results not expected until that afternoon.
A fuller picture should be more clear from Friday evening.
Image:Labour will be wanting to capitalise on their increased popularity in recent opinion polls
What will the main parties consider as a good or bad result?
Leading pollsters Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher have given their interpretation of how we should view the possible outcomes of the polls.
They suggest that more then 350 losses would be the figure that the Conservative Party won't want to reach.
This could lead to many Conservative MPs - in both former Red-Wall marginal seats and seats across the south - to be particularly worried.
The party will attempt to write off losses of between 100 to 150 as "mid-term blues", the pollsters suggest, but this level of decline will still indicate that the Tories trail Labour in terms of popular support.
Meanwhile, gains of over 100 would show the Conservatives are continuing to make inroads in former-Labour heartlands and would be seen as a great success for Mr Johnson's government.
Labour, on the other hand, will be wanting to capitalise on their growing popularity, according to recent polls.
Mr Rallings and Mr Thrasher suggest that 200 or more gains - which would be the party's best local election performance for a decade, would be seen as a triumph for Sir Keir Starmer.
Gains of between 50 and 100 would also be seen as a positive step forward, illustrating the party has made progress since 2018 and possibly even targeted some key council seats in London.
However, minimal or no gains would be seen as disappointing given Mr Johnson's current declining popularity ratings.
Over 100 losses would be portrayed as a particularly poor result, shadowing the woes of 2021.
Image:Boris Johnson's premiership may be under even more pressure if the Conservatives perform badly
What happens now?
As Boris Johnson faces increasing pressure over the partygate scandal, the local elections will be seen as an indication of what voters have made of the matter.
If the Conservatives perform poorly in these elections, his premiership could be under even more strain - with a potential leadership challenge nearing closer to being triggered.
Tory MPs will likely be concerned that, if repeated at the next general election, similar results could see Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer become prime minister.
At the end of November, reports were swirling that letters of no confidence were being sent to the influential 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers as the partygate issue reared its head.
The Conservative Party's rules state that at least 15% of Tory MPs must write a no-confidence letter to make a leadership challenge possible.
There are currently 359 Conservative MPs, meaning 54 letters are needed to trigger a contest.
Before the elections, more than a dozen Tory MPs were calling for Mr Johnson to go.
This number could now increase. But as the letters are handed in confidentially, no accurate total of how many have been submitted to 1922 Committee Chairman Sir Graham is available.
But Mr Johnson has been adamant that he will still be PM in six months despite the rumblings of backbench discontent over partygate.
On the other hand, if Labour perform badly - at a time when the Conservative's popularity ratings have been plummeting - Sir Keir's leadership is also likely to be questioned.
This will particularly be the case if the Labour Party fail to retrieve ground in any of the former Red-Wall areas where the Conservatives made general election gains in 2019.
Women will only have access to three months' supply of certain hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products in an effort to tackle shortages across the UK.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid has issued Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) to limit the dispensing of the products.
It means that Oestrogel, Ovestin cream and Premique Low Dose will be given out in limited supply to each person to "even out" the distribution.
The move is in response to concerns regarding longer prescribing cycles putting pressure on the availability of some HRT products.
However, those who already have a prescription for more than three months' supply will not be required to pay the additional charges for treatment they cannot access, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed.
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Mr Javid said: "I want to reassure women I have listened to their concerns and will not hesitate to take decisive action to ensure they can access the HRT they need.
"We will leave no stone unturned in our national mission to boost supply of HRT - and this next step will ensure women across the UK will be able to reliably access this vital medication and maintain this lifeline for millions who need it."
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Hormone therapy helps to combat menopausal symptoms, which include anxiety, joint pain, disturbed sleep and hot flushes.
The health department said the SSPs will expire on 29 July, with pharmacists expected to "use their professional judgement" in deciding how to apply them.
NHS data suggests that prescriptions for HRT have more than doubled in England over the past five years.
Some 538,000 HRT prescriptions were issued in December, compared with 238,000 in January 2017, figures from OpenPrescribing suggest.
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Shortage of HRT medication
Amidst the ongoing shortages, the firm behind popular HRT treatment Oestrogel recently said it is on track to meet growing demand.
Besins Healthcare UK, which makes the gel, said that from June women will be able to get longer-term prescriptions and more people can start HRT as they plan to increase supplies.
Mr Javid announced on Thursday that he had appointed Madelaine McTernan, director-general of the COVID Vaccine Taskforce, to lead a new HRT taskforce, which the government said "will apply lessons it has learned from rolling out the coronavirus vaccine".
Ms McTernan said: "This is a step in the right direction of tackling the supply issues women are facing when it comes to accessing HRT and ensuring ongoing, reliable supply."
