Air India crash authorities give first major update on black box data

India’s authorities have successfully recovered the first data from the two black boxes of the Air India flight that crashed outside Ahmedabad airport earlier this month.

India‘s civil aviation ministry said on Thursday that investigators are working to piece together what led to the crash, which killed all but one of the 242 people on board the plane as well as at least 19 people on the ground.

According to the ministry, data extraction from the aircraft’s black boxes began on 24 June under the supervision of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The crash-protected memory unit from the front recorder has been successfully retrieved, accessed, and its data downloaded.

Analysis of both the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) is currently in progress, the ministry added.

The devastating crash took place around 2pm local time on 12 June, when a London‑bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner slammed into accommodation for medical students at Ahmedabad’s BJ Medical College only seconds after taking off. Such was the scale and intensity of the crash that victims could not be identified visually and relatives had to submit DNA samples. The handing over of the first remains only began some 72 hours after the crash.

Indian media had reported that the data recorder would be sent to the US for specialist analysis, but on Tuesday the Indian civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that it remained in India and was being analysed by the country’s own experts at the AAIB.

“Black box of the crashed AI 171 flight is still in India and it is being examined by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB),” Mr Naidu told the ANI news agency.

The crash on 12 June near Ahmedabad was the world’s deadliest aviation disaster in a decade.

The Indian government said on Thursday that a decision on whether to send either of the black boxes abroad for further decoding would be taken only after the AAIB had completed a full assessment of technical, safety and security considerations.

There has been a heightened atmosphere of scrutiny on Air India and the country’s aviation industry in general since the 12 June crash. Earlier this week, India’s aviation watchdog raised concerns over recurring aircraft defects at two of the country’s busiest airports – Delhi and Mumbai – citing what it described as inadequate inspections and poor maintenance practices.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which is conducting a special audit following the Air India crash, said multiple defects had resurfaced “many times”, suggesting lapses in oversight. While the regulator did not name the airlines involved or specify the nature of the defects, the airports in question serve key carriers such as market leader IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express.

The DGCA stated that the repeated issues pointed to “ineffective monitoring and inadequate rectification action.” Additional violations included aircraft maintenance engineers failing to follow safety protocols, ignoring certain faults, and not adhering to prescribed work orders during jet servicing.

The audit is part of an ongoing effort by Indian authorities to tighten aviation safety and restore public confidence in the wake of the crash, which has included extra inspection procedures across the country’s rapidly growing aviation sector.

Putin could invade more of Europe, Trump admits

US president Donald Trump has admitted that Russian president Vladimir Putin could invade more of Europe beyond Ukraine.

Trump was asked whether he considered Putin an enemy and if he believed that the Russian president has territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine.

“It’s possible,” he answered at a press conference at the Nato summit in the Netherlands. “I consider him a person who I think is misguided,” Trump said.

He said Putin “would like to get out of this thing”. “It’s a mess for him”. “He called the other day, and he said, ‘Can I help you with Iran?’ I said, ‘No, you can help me with Russia,” Trump said.

His remarks came as he met with Volodymyr Zelensky at the talks where Nato leaders backed a big increase in defence spending.

Leaders gathered in The Hague for a Nato summit tailor-made for the US president endorsed a higher defence spending goal of 5 per cent of GDP by 2035.

Trump was asked at the summit if the US would supply more Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, something Kyiv has repeatedly requested. “We’re going to see if we can make some available,” he replied.

Next James Bond director announced as Oscar-nominated fan favourite

Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond film, Amazon MGM Studios announced.

The Oscar-nominated director, known for the science fiction blockbuster Dune, will be joined by artistic partner and wife Tanya Lapointe as executive producer as well as Amy Pascal and David Heyman as producers.

“Some of my earliest moviegoing memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr No with Sean Connery. I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory,” Villeneuve said in a statement on Wednesday.

“I intend to honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honour. Amy, David, and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen. Thank you to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust.”

“Denis Villeneuve has been in love with James Bond movies since he was a little boy. It was always his dream to make this movie, and now it’s ours, too. We are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker,” said Pascal and Heyman.

This will be the first Bond film after the franchise changed hands with Amazon MGM taking full creative control after striking a deal with long-time producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

While the duo still co-own the franchise, creative control of future James Bond productions is now in the hands of the American-owned Amazon, a development that has prompted a lot of concern from fans over potential changes to the beloved British film series.

Earlier in June, a report in Puck claimed Villeneuve was in the running to direct the forthcoming film, along with Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright, Westworld co-creator Jonathan Nolan, Conclave director Edward Berger, and Paddington’s Paul King.

There has been a lot of speculation about who will take over the role of Bond from Daniel Craig, whose last turn as 007 was in 2021’s No Time to Die. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Harris Dickinson and James Norton are all rumoured to be in the running.

“We are honoured that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond’s next chapter. He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself,” Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said of Villeneuve.

“From Blade Runner 2049 to Arrival to the Dune films, he has delivered compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, complex characters, and – most importantly – the immersive storytelling that global audiences yearn to experience in theaters. James Bond is in the hands of one of today’s greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007’s next adventure.”

It was reported last week that production on the next Bond film was underway, and the film was expected to be in cinemas by the end of 2027.

Farage could become PM – and it’s not because Reform voters are stupid

There are plenty of things that my hometown – Boston, in Lincolnshire – is famous for. Sausages, for one, and the copious veg grown on its vast swathes of fertile land; those Jakemans throat sweets always by the tills in Boots. It’s famous for its landmarks – like St Botolph’s Church, or “the Stump”, as it’s known locally – and for the Puritanism running through its roots: the story of the Pilgrim Fathers, who sailed the Mayflower to the market town’s US namesake.

Twenty years ago, when I was at school, it was Boston’s teen pregnancies, its status as the town with the highest murder rate per capita, and its problem with obesity that attracted national headlines and became part of its precarious history.

More recently, it has made its name as a place brimming with racism, division, exhaustion, and frustration. It is also right at the centre of England’s radical political revolution.

That’s quite a lot for a small town with a population of 45,000 people to pack in.

Since delivering the highest leave vote in the EU referendum (75 per cent), the flatlands of Lincolnshire have become a barometer of the country’s discontent. What’s unfolding here isn’t just local grumbling or electoral churn (well, maybe a bit). It’s symptomatic of a much deeper fracture: one that speaks to lost faith in traditional parties, mounting pressure on public services, and a community caught between economic insecurity and cultural upheaval.

In this windswept corner of eastern England, there’s widespread certainty that Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, could be the next prime minister, as a much-dissected Ipsos poll suggested this week. In fact, if you have any doubt about that, you simply haven’t been listening to the inhabitants of places like Boston – and neither have those in Westminster.

The message has been loud and clear for almost a year now. In the days following the general election, I wrote about Farage’s unnerving presence and the threat posed by his newly formed party: despite winning just five seats, the infant Reform received more than 4 million votes. That’s 600,000 more than the Liberal Democrats, who took 71 seats in total. Only our first-past-the-post system prevented Reform from being the third-biggest party in the UK after it won almost 15 per cent of the vote.

On winning the Clacton by-election, Farage finally entered parliament, having secured 46.2 per cent of the vote. Since then, Reform’s visibility, along with its popularity, has surged in the polls. Back in March, a monthly tracker poll run by City AM showed Reform at 27 per cent, the party having overtaken both Labour (24 per cent) and the Conservatives (23 per cent) for the first time. By May, Reform had accrued 677 council seats, winning outright control of key county councils including Lancashire, Nottingham, Derbyshire, and, of course, Lincolnshire. The party also overturned a longstanding Labour seat in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.

“If you look at our parliament, and you see Labour with a massive majority, it looks very stable,” says journalist Fraser Nelson, who travelled the UK asking “Will Nigel Farage be our next PM?” for a special Dispatches report airing tonight (Thursday 26 June) on Channel 4. “But if you look at the country as a whole, it’s basically on the brink of a political revolution,” he says. “That’s how it feels.”

Nelson was first drawn to the subject after spending a week in Blackpool trying to understand its problems. He found a town at the tail end of societal breakdown, where education rates are terrifyingly low and poverty is high.

“You meet non-verbal kids who can’t speak, but who point at an iPad if they want to do something,” he explains. “You find out … that a third of the kids leave school without any GCSEs at all – these things were kind of mind-blowing. And then Blackpool turns out to be the place with a Reform pub opening – the only place in Britain. That’s fascinating: it is representing hope to these people.”

Fraser Nelson, the privately educated former editor of The Spectator – a magazine known for its right-wing views – might seem an unlikely candidate to be a voice for the deprived and disenfranchised. Though his programme may centre on Farage, it’s really “an examination of the forces behind support for his party”, he explains.

But why would the inhabitants of a town like Blackpool put their trust in the Reform leader, who attended Dulwich College, and his deputy Richard Tice, the “ordinary” multimillionaire property developer who won the Boston and Skegness seat last year?

Boris Johnson, too – not known for his humble beginnings – was hugely popular among voters in these constituencies. It’ll come as no surprise, then, that age and education have displaced class as the main dividing line in politics, according to data published this week by the National Centre for Social Research – a result, apparently, of trust in mainstream politicians being at an all-time low.

It’s clear that a privileged background is no obstacle to being embraced by these communities, even if, in some instances, a professed interest in the poor might appear to be less about nobly improving their lot and more about spotting an opportunity. But it’s not just about trust. The likes of Farage and Tice “speak our language”, locals in Boston say, in a way that other politicians are simply unable – or unwilling – to do.

It works. In a town like this – where more than a quarter of children grow up in poverty; where crime is rife and police funding is low; where the local rural hospital is at breaking point, and teachers in schools are having to become first responders in their communities – residents feel ignored, patronised, and consistently disregarded. They are angry.

Since Brexit, it’s been easy for those on the outside to dismiss their concerns as bigoted or plain stupid – many pointing to the fact that Leave voters are a lot worse off than they might have been had Britain stayed in the European Union.

It’s undeniable that there are factions who simply want “freedom of speech” to mean that harmful views go unchallenged; similarly, Reform’s call to arms – “common-sense politics” – is often packed with uncosted promises and intellectually lazy (yet effective) attempts to rationalise social regression. But it’s clear that it is – and always has been – dangerous to shut down those conversations and concerns altogether by labelling them as nothing more than idiocy.

We only have to look across the pond at US president Donald Trump’s strange appeal to non-white voters – a phenomenon very much present over here, too, as Nelson found – to see why. If the Labour Party wants to retain power, and if the rest of the country wants to keep Farage in his place, now is not the time for ill-thought-out assumptions about voters.

“It seems like [Labour and the Conservative Party] are psychologically incompetent in [refusing to believe] that these voters mean what they say,” says Nelson. “Farage is now some sort of Ghost of Christmas Future figure to terrify Starmer… He’s saying, if you fail these communities, this is what’s going to happen. And if you look at all the indicators – the social ladder is now more of a quagmire – they’re all set for failure.”

More accurately, these communities, including my hometown, have already been failed by successive governments, over and over and over again. In 20 years, nothing has been accomplished by voting blue or red. Farage is telling towns like Boston that there is another way – and now, the so-called “wild card” doesn’t seem so much of a risk.

It’s also not insignificant that Farage is making a narrative landgrab to the left. He recently claimed that he would implement a £250,000 “Robin Hood” fee for non-doms, exempting them from tax and giving the money directly to Britain’s poorest.

Reform’s position on the nationalisation of gas and water utilities is evolving – and increasingly pivoting away from the Thatcherite model that favours private ownership. It was Reform, not Labour, that pledged to scrap the Tories’ two-child benefit cap. On the surface, these policies appear unexpectedly liberal. Certainly, they were intended to appeal to the Labour heartlands – and crucially, such announcements have been designed to win hearts and minds, even if Farage has been hazy on the detail.

“This is a really important part of it,” explains Nelson. “Obviously, the Reform policies are very popular… But only one in five voters in our poll thought that Reform could actually do this without higher taxes or spending cuts, like they say. And, during my interview with him, Farage also pretty much admits that all of his pledges are ‘aspirations’. Right now, as far as I’m concerned, they have zero policies that would actually work. He’s not saying he will do this. He’s saying he would like to do this.”

Clearly, it’s not a shock that Farage could be being disingenuous, but it is a wake-up call. What the Reform leader’s strategy – both on the right, and in his phantom expansion to the left – is successfully doing is creating the political weather, further destabilising Labour as much as it is the Tories. And it’s time that Westminster smartened up, too.

The people of Boston – or Blackpool, or any other Reform-leaning town – don’t necessarily believe that Farage is going to transform their lives. But – and here is the important detail – they don’t believe that anyone else will, either.

Reform’s promises, and Farage’s “aspirations”, might be paper-thin when you cut through the noise. But for communities that have weathered decades of political neglect, even aspiration – and, very simply, someone appearing to listen to them and vocalise what they are feeling – represents more than what’s previously been on offer.

The danger, then, isn’t just that Farage could rise up via grievance politics. It’s that Labour and the Conservatives still don’t seem to understand how, or why, this might happen. Starmer might be delivering detailed policy reviews, but he is losing at politics and optics where they really matter. He is failing to capture the narrative in a language that people can hear, because he and Rachel Reeves are still talking more to Westminster than to the Dog and Duck. And it is a sign of the prime minister’s own lack of confidence that there has been a muting of the one person who could reach into these communities: Angela Rayner.

Meanwhile, Reform is gaining strength because the mainstream parties refuse to properly engage with voters in these towns, or to offer bold and imaginative solutions to problems that have persisted for decades. Farage barely needs to try, given the litany of own goals.

Residents in places like Boston are tired of empty promises, but they aren’t stupid – as Nelson found, they’re used to finding hope in unusual places. They know Reform is a gamble, but what Farage is selling them is the dream of taking a risk in a world that feels as if it will never change if they don’t.

Sue Barker on Draper, Raducanu and returning to Wimbledon

From her days as a player, to helming the BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon, to now attending as a fan, the first thing Sue Barker does on arrival at the All England Lawn Tennis Club is to look out over Centre Court. An experience that was always “terrifying” as a player – particularly as a home favourite – has nonetheless never lost its shine.

Barker’s love for tennis – if it was in any doubt – is apparent the moment we start talking. Before I can even ask a question, she wants to know whether Jacob Fearnley, playing earlier that day in the last 16 at Queen’s, won his match. (He did, a tricky three-set tussle with Corentin Moutet.)

The strength in depth of British tennis is a source of joy to Barker, the 1976 French Open champion and the anchor of Wimbledon coverage until 2022. She notes drily, “When I worked at the BBC it was always, two players have got in and the rest require wildcards. Now they’re getting in by right.”

There is also a host of talented junior players, many of whom are making their main-draw or qualifying debuts this year. Barker tells The Independent, “I think a lot of that is to do with Andy [Murray]. He’s just been such a role model and set the standard for them. He’s shown them how hard you’ve got to work to be the best, and I think now it’s really beginning to pay off.”

Nowhere is that more obvious than in the form of British No 1 and world No 4, Jack Draper. The 23-year-old reached a maiden semi-final at Queen’s last week and has underlined his status as a name to watch at SW19 – despite having never previously gone past the second round.

“Jack has just been a revelation,” Barker says. “I spoke to him a couple of years ago when he was having shoulder issues and wondering whether he’d ever play again, and now to see him – what the heck was wrong with his shoulder, because now these bullets are coming out, the serve, the ground shots he’s hitting! Most impressive is physically how he’s changed. He’s super-strong now, but I guess he has to be to compete with the top guys.” She doesn’t name the top guys, but they hardly need to be spelled out: world No 1 Jannik Sinner and two-time defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.

“We always wondered who was ever going to take over from Roger, Rafa, Novak, and Andy. Now we have the answer,” she says. “I thought we’d have a few lean years, but these guys are amazing. And now to have Jack right up there, being talked about in the same sentence, is fantastic.”

Achieving consistent results on the tour is one thing, but Wimbledon is a different beast. “There’s so much pressure on British players,” Barker says, “so I don’t want to put a huge amount of pressure on him – but I will! Because he’s being talked about as a grand slam champion, a multiple grand slam champion, and this is in an era of Alcaraz and Sinner. And it’s not just me saying it: John McEnroe, who I bow down to [for] his greater experience, is so excited by Jack and what he can achieve.”

Draper has wins over both Sinner and Alcaraz – but is there something missing in his game to bridge the gap to the world’s best? Barker doesn’t believe so: “He’s doing everything he can, he’s got the weapons, because it’s going to be the serve and the forehand [that make the difference], he’s got such power.

“Those guys are like little road runners, which Jack isn’t going to be; he’s strong. They’re like little Duracell batteries. Whereas Jack, physically, is going to bash them off the court.

“He certainly has the game to take to them, absolutely. The way he’s improved in the last two years, I can’t wait to see what he does now.”

She brings up Draper’s Queen’s last-16 encounter against Alexei Popyrin, when the Brit trailed 4-2 in the deciding tiebreak only to win the next five points to seal the match. “Those last few points were world-class,” Barker says. “To see a British player raise his game like that, it just shows mentally how strong he is, to do it when it matters.”

At the other end of the spectrum are the talented British youngsters. Barker says that as a player she preferred earning a place via qualifying rather than being “gifted it”, and notes that, “We’ve seen at Queen’s, going through qualifying often sharpens you up so much to go into a grand slam.” (Tatjana Maria won the women’s title this year as a qualifier.) “Emma [Raducanu] winning the US Open, coming through qualifying gave her so much confidence.”

Barker, whose best result at Wimbledon was a semi-final appearance in 1977 – the year Virginia Wade won her last title there – is enthusiastic about the future of British tennis. She has followed the likes of teenagers Hannah Klugman and Mimi Xu for some years, but strikes a cautionary note when discussing them. “Now is the time we’ll be hoping to see a bit of a breakthrough, but hopefully not too much. I think we learned from Emma that sometimes too much can be too much.”

Barker won her only major title aged 20 and never made another grand slam final, although she thought there would be plenty more in her future. Injuries hampered the latter stages of her playing career before she turned to an incredibly successful second act as a broadcaster and presenter. There is perhaps an element of kinship between her younger self and Raducanu.

“I think everyone expects too much from Emma,” she says. “It was a fairytale, whatever you want to say – a qualifier coming through to win a grand slam, it should be a Hollywood movie. And yet everyone thinks that because she’s done that, she’s now going to be top 10. It doesn’t work like that – she wasn’t a top-10 player [when she won], she’d hardly played the game.

“I’m thrilled that this year she’s playing really well, the serve’s improved, the forehand’s improved, Petch [Mark Petchey] is in the corner, I think that’s a great signing. I hope she really builds a relationship with a coach, like Jack, because to have that longevity and trust with someone is important.” But she adds, “Physically, I worry about the injuries. It doesn’t matter how well you play; if your body breaks down, you’re gone. As Jack found out – Emma has got to do the same, build up her strength.”

Barker has advised 16-year-old Klugman previously about staying grounded as hype around her begins to build. Social media is another minefield, particularly for young players, and Katie Boulter’s recent interview discussing online abuse has put it back in the spotlight. Barker, who is acquainted with the dark side of fame – a man who sent her death threats in 2004 went to prison – describes social media as “frightening”.

“For me, everything has to change. Everyone should have an identity and should be answerable to anything they write on any public platform. I don’t see why social media should be different from regular media – and these are young, impressionable girls [dealing with it]. I find it really upsetting.

“It’s so easy to say don’t read it – but they read it! It’s difficult not to. I just think everyone should be accountable for what they say, and gambling has made it a huge problem now. I don’t see how they can correct it, but I wish they would.”

Sipsmith Ambassador Sue Barker CBE spoke to The Independent at an exclusive event hosted by Sipsmith, the official Gin Partner of Wimbledon, to celebrate the launch of Top Seed Gin.

Crafted as a ‘spirit for champions,’ Top Seed Gin pays homage to the pursuit of tennis excellence and Sipsmith’s commitment to craftsmanship. This first-of-its-kind gin incorporates authentic grass seeds from Wimbledon’s meticulously maintained Centre Court as one of its botanicals, blended through the same process used in the brand’s renowned London Dry Gin. The gin has been distilled precisely to 41.03% ABV, as a nod to Centre Court turning 103 this year.

The 7 best outdoor adventures in Sydney and New South Wales

Whether you’re lacing up your hiking boots, throwing on a wetsuit to catch some waves, or hitting the wide-open roads of New South Wales (NSW) by campervan, this Australian state is home to some of the country’s most exciting outdoor adventures – all easily accessible thanks to Qantas’ extensive domestic network.

Flying into Sydney with Qantas is the ideal way to experience a slice of Australia before you’ve even landed. And with onboard wellbeing perks, plus the option to book more discounted domestic legs using Qantas Explorer, it really is the savvy traveller’s best way to explore Australia.

Here are seven next-level outdoor adventures in NSW, and the best way to get there.

Sydney might be a modern metropolis, but it’s also home to an extraordinary natural playground, the star attraction of which is Sydney Harbour National Park. This protected area weaves through the city’s coastline, offering walking trails, secluded beaches, and panoramic views that blend wild bushland with iconic urban landmarks. Away from the National Park, you can paddle a kayak at dawn beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge, go on a cycle tour and sunset cruise around Manly and North Heads coastal cliffs, or follow the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk for sweeping ocean views and refreshing swim spots.

Just a 90-minute trip from Sydney by road, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains is an endless landscape of towering eucalyptus forests and striking sandstone cliffs as far as the eye can see. There are few places quite as grand as this so close to a city. Don your hiking boots and traverse spectacular scenery to Wentworth Falls or take on the Grand Canyon Track – a 6km loop of dramatic cliffs, fern-fringed valleys and thundering waterfalls with lookouts to match. If you’re an early riser, watch the sunrise at Echo Point, where the Three Sisters rock formation is lit up by the glow of first light.

Wildlife lovers need to head north to Port Macquarie for some of the best marine encounters on the east coast. Humpback whales are almost guaranteed from May to November, and dolphins can be spotted all year round. For front-row views, jump on a whale-watching cruise, or pitch up with a picnic on a headland and watch the breaching giants from afar.

Swap the sandy beaches for subtropical rainforest in Coffs Harbour’s hinterland in Dorrigo National Park, where winding roads serpentine through flourishing banana plantations, dense palm-filled forest and endless rolling hills. The region’s cycling trails range from casual loops to more challenging rides with jaw-to-the-floor sea views.

Aussies love their surfing, and Byron Bay is the epitome of surf culture Down Under, with beaches to suit all skill levels; from the gentle swell at The Pass to barrel-laden breaks at Tallows. If you’ve got any stamina left, soak up the view from Cape Byron Lighthouse post-surf – the easternmost point of mainland Australia.

With over 8,000 islands to its name, Australia offers the ultimate in island adventures. Lord Howe is one of them, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed pristine island, where only 400 visitors are allowed at any one time. You’ll find rare birds, kaleidoscopic coral reefs, and Mount Gower, offering one of the best day hikes in the country, with epic coastline views and dizzying drops.

For those who need more than a beach stroll to get the heart pumping, grab a kayak and explore the Sapphire Coast from the water in Merimbula. Glide over crystal-clear waters, past secluded coves, pristine beaches, and the untouched beauty of surrounding national parks. Keep an eye out for dolphins and other marine life as you paddle. Once back on shore, refuel with the region’s famous fresh oysters and enjoy a refreshing dip at Bar Beach.

Book your flight to Sydney today at qantas.com and start your Australian adventure.

Reform UK council leader quits — leaving 18-year-old in charge

A Reform UK council leader has resigned just weeks after being elected, leaving an 18-year-old in charge of hundreds of millions of pounds of public spending.

Reform’s Rob Howard said it was with “much regret” that he was quitting as Warwickshire County Council leader, citing health challenges preventing him from “carrying out the role to the level and standard that I would wish”.

It means his deputy, Reform’s 18-year-old George Finch, will take over as interim leader of the council until a permanent replacement is confirmed.

The change means Mr Finch, a former member of the Conservative Party, is now responsible for the council, with £1.5bn of assets and a budget of around £500m.

In his statement, Mr Howard said: “This has been a very difficult decision to take.

“The role of leader is an extremely demanding role and regretfully my health challenges now prevent me from carrying out the role to the level and standard that I would wish.

“I am honoured and privileged to have held the role, even if only for a short time.

“I remain committed to my continued role working as a county councillor for the benefit of Warwickshire residents.”

His resignation comes after chaos in the wake of Reform’s surge at the local elections.

One newly-elected councillor resigned from Reform just days after being elected, having promised to defect from the party anyway after the local elections. Donna Edmunds called for ousted Reform MP Rupert Lowe to establish a challenger party on the right of Reform and said Nigel Farage “must never be prime minister”.

Another, Wayne Titley, who was elected in Staffordshire, quit as a councillor altogether after just two weeks, following criticism of him for a Facebook post about small boats arriving in Britain.

And a Reform councillor who failed to declare he worked for the council, Andrew Kilburn, also announced he would no longer take up his role, forcing a by-election in Durham just over a week after the local elections.

Desmond Clarke, who won in Newark West, also resigned his seat just a week after the vote, forcing a by-election in Nottinghamshire.

But the chaos does not appear to have slowed Reform’s rise in the polls, with a major YouGov poll on Thursday indicating Mr Farage would win the most seats by far if an election was held today.

YouGov said Reform would jump from having just five MPs to 271, with Mr Farage poised to form a minority government.

Labour meanwhile would collapse from holding 403 seats now to just 178, with Sir Keir Starmer’s popularity having plummeted since the general election due to a series of disastrous policies and chaotic U-turns.

Ex-Barclays chief loses bid to overturn ban over Epstein ties

Former Barclays chief executive Jes Staley has lost a legal challenge against a regulator’s decision to ban him from top City jobs over his ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

In 2023, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fined Mr Staley £1.8 million and banned him from holding senior roles in the financial sector after finding that he misled the regulator over the nature of his relationship with the financier.

The American challenged the ban and the fine at the Upper Tribunal in London, with his lawyers saying that he “never attempted to conceal his relationship with Mr Epstein”.

In a unanimous decision on Thursday, Upper Tribunal judge Tim Herrington and tribunal members Martin Fraenkel and Cathy Farquharson dismissed the challenge, but reduced the fine to £1,107,306.92.

Over the more than-two week hearing, Mr Staley, who ran Barclays from 2015 to 2021, told the tribunal that while he had a close professional relationship with Epstein, it was not a close personal friendship.

Mr Staley, who gave evidence at the hearing which ended in April, claims the last time he physically met Epstein was in April 2015.

In a letter to the FCA in 2019, approved by Mr Staley, Barclays claimed he did not have a “close relationship” with Epstein and their last contact was “well before” he joined the bank in December 2015.

But the authority found that the letter was misleading and that Mr Staley acted “recklessly and without integrity” by allowing it to be sent.