Britain is a ‘powder keg’ of tensions which could ignite, report warns

The UK is a “powder keg” of social tensions which could easily ignite once again, a major report has warned a year after riots erupted across the country, sparked by the Southport knife attacks that killed three young girls.

One in three adults, the equivalent of 15 million people, say they rarely or never meet people from different backgrounds, according to the findings of research into the nation’s community strength and cohesion.

It also found that up to seven in 10 have never met or interacted with local asylum seekers amid polarised debate on immigration, struggles with the cost of living and declining trust in politicians.

Sir Sajid Javid and former Labour MP Jon Cruddas, who are chairing the new Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion, said the report shows “clear evidence” that societal bonds are under growing pressure.

Without action, the “very basis of our democracy is at risk”, they warned.

“This is leaving our society more fragmented, fragile, and less resilient to internal and external threats,” they said.

“At the same time, forces driving division are intensifying: political polarisation is deepening and trust in institutions is declining, while mounting economic pressures – particularly the cost of living crisis – are fuelling widespread frustration, intensified by a widespread belief that immigration policy is in chaos.

“These trends are inextricably entwined – narrowing the space for constructive dialogue and increasing the risk of further unrest and alienation.”

It comes after last summer when far-right riots broke out in towns and cities across the country, with hotels housing asylum seekers targeted.

The unrest was triggered after misinformation spread on social media claiming the attacker who launched a knife rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed children’s dance class on 29 July, killing three girls, was a Muslim asylum seeker.

The perpetrator was later revealed to be 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents who were Christians.

The State of Us report, by independent think tank British Future and the Belong Network, described the clashes as the result of a “tinderbox of long-term social pressures” which remain unaddressed.

“Without urgent action, unrest risks being reignited,” the report said.

“We saw what that can look like in the disorder of last summer. Attacks on visible minorities and people seeking asylum marked the UK’s worst targeted violence in a generation.

“High streets, businesses and community spaces were damaged or destroyed and people fought the police in the streets.”

The survey of 2,243 UK adults and eight focus groups (with a total of 71 participants) held around the UK, including in areas that faced riots, showed that concern around immigration is the top reason for tensions within local communities.

Around half (49 per cent) of respondents believe that divisions between locals and those who have migrated to the UK, including refugees and asylum seekers, are negatively affecting how well people from different backgrounds can get along in their area.

But the majority of people (67 per cent) say that they have never met or interacted with asylum seekers in their local area, or are unsure if they have.

Divisions over migration were ranked more negatively than religious, ethnic, political and wealth-related divides.

One in three adults say they rarely or never have the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds.

Financial security plays a part in this – half of people believe that they don’t have enough money to go and meet people in common spaces, like cafes or pubs.

During last year’s riots, tensions over asylum seekers were central to fanning flames of violence, as misinformation about the identity of the killer was viewed over 420,000 times on social media at the time, an investigation by The Independent found.

This resulted in attacks on asylum hotels and incitement of violence online, with subsequent arrests of people including Lucy Connolly, wife of a Tory councillor, who was jailed for 31 months over a tweet.

This lack of awareness extends further, as 4 in 10 people do not even know if asylum seekers are being housed in their local area, the survey reveals.

The survey also found that although eight in 10 people still believe that people from different backgrounds get along well in their area, this has gone down in the past few years.

Those in the most deprived areas are least likely to say that different backgrounds get along (69 per cent), compared to 90 per cent in the most affluent areas.

A map of the data in different local authorities shows that a higher perceived lack of social cohesion is recorded in areas in the north, particularly near Manchester and Leeds, in addition to areas east of London.

Cohesion between people of different backgrounds is perceived to be worst in Boston, at just 59 per cent; 21 points below the national average.

The town was home to racially-motivated riots over two decades ago following the 2004 Euros, a Brexit stronghold, and elected Reform MP Richard Tice.

‘Beloved’ nurse named among dead in Southend plane crash as details of fireball emerge

A Chilean-born nurse has been named as among the four people who were killed in a plane crash at London Southend Airport.

Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, 31, a German citizen born in Chile, was reportedly on her first day as a flight nurse on board the small aircraft when it came down after take-off on Sunday afternoon.

A Dutch pilot and co-pilot, along with one other person, were also on the Beech B200 Super King Air, operated by Zeusch Aviation, which specialises in medical evacuations.

A friend of Ms Ortiz, called Anna Smith, told the BBC it had been her first day as a flight nurse, having previously worked as a nurse in the public sector.

“She was so excited for this new job,” she said.

She added: “She had a giving heart and was humble, and chose a profession that reflected that.

It is understood that the plane had dropped off a patient at Southend, and was due to return to its base in the Netherlands

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has started an investigation with inspectors with expertise in aircraft operations, human factors, engineering and recorded data already dispatched to the crash site.

The airport remains closed.

Government offers up to £3,750 off an electric car as EV grants return

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has announced a new £650m Electric Car Grant (ECG) to help reduce the cost of EVs, with up to £3,750 available on some cars under £37,000.

The new grant comes into effect on Wednesday, with the government promising a fuss-free scheme for buyers with car makers and their dealers made to do the paperwork. However, with just 24 hours before the scheme goes live, details on which cars get what discounts are yet to be announced.

The grant amounts are based on sustainability criteria with car makers having to commit to a Science-Based Target (SBT) on emissions. An SBT is a company’s specific goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in line with the aim to limit global warming to 1.5C or below 2C, as outlined in the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The grant amounts will depend on each vehicle manufacturer’s sustainability criteria. Cars from manufacturers in band one will receive up to £3,750 and band two vehicles will receive up to £1,500. Despite the grant coming into effect on Wednesday, car makers still don’t know which bands their cars sit in and what grants will be offered on them.

Volkswagen group – the UK’s biggest seller of new cars across its Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat and Cupra brands – confirmed that it is signed up to Science-Based Targets, but could not confirm which of the electric vehicles it sells would be eligible for which grants.

Similarly, Renault Group – covering Renault, Dacia and Alpine – is also signed up to SBTs but could not confirm which EVs it sells were eligible for which grants. Ford has also said that it has an SBT and that it meets all the requirements stated so far. However, like everyone else, it was waiting on confirmation that its Puma Gen-E – an electric version of the UK’s best-selling car – is eligible for the ECG.

So far, the government has told us that the following rules will apply:

The government is set to update information on the grants available to specific vehicles on its website over the coming weeks, with eligible car makers able to apply for funding from Wednesday – on a first come, first served basis. However, it’s not yet known how long it will take for applications to be approved, while a digital system for manufacturers to log eligible vehicle sales won’t be open until 11 August. Grants may be available before that date for vehicles that have been approved, though.

Anyone who has bought an EV before the grants are approved will not be eligible for the grant to be issued retrospectively, while there is a concern that the EV market stalls while buyers wait to find out what grants will be issued to EVs with list prices under the £37,000 threshold.

Announcing the new Electric Car Grant, transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: “This EV grant will not only allow people to keep more of their hard-earned money – it’ll help our automotive sector seize one of the biggest opportunities of the 21st century. And with over 82,000 public chargepoints now available across the UK, we’ve built the infrastructure families need to make the switch with confidence.

“This is our Plan for Change in action. We’re backing British drivers, British jobs and British growth.”

Automotive industry spokesperson, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said: “Today’s announcement of the return of government support for the purchase of electric vehicles is a clear signal to consumers that now is the time to switch. Rapid deployment and availability of this grant over the next few years will help provide the momentum that is essential to take the EV market from just one in four today, to four in five by the end of the decade.

“This announcement is a welcome response to consistent calls from the industry for more support, which will be in addition to the substantive subsidies already provided by manufacturers. Taken with recent announcements regarding infrastructure investments and the Industrial Strategy, the UK has the opportunity to maintain its position as a leader in both the manufacture and sale of zero emission vehicles.”

However, Toby Poston, chief executive of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) has warned of further pressure on the used electric car market and the potential for higher finance costs for new EVs due to faster depreciation of models from new.

“Bit by bit the government is chipping away at the barriers to EV adoption. Targeted incentives have powered the transition to date and now the government is acting to widen the demand base for new electric cars by providing this grant. This generous grant will boost uptake in the retail market but could have serious repercussions for the used market, where rampant depreciation already has red warning lights flashing.

“Further stimulating new EV registrations without supporting the used market risks creating an even greater supply/demand imbalance, putting even more pressure on fast deflating second-hand values. The resulting losses will erode confidence and result in higher finance costs for new EVs, eliminating much of the benefit from the original grant.”

The ECG announcement comes in the week that government has also announced a £25m scheme for local authorities to introduce cross-pavement technology to allow EV charging cables to run safely beneath pavements to help EV owners who don’t have off-street parking.

An £8m fund has also been made available to electrify ambulance and medical fleets across 200 NHS sites.

The government has committed to updating EV charging signs on major roads. For the first time, EV charging hubs – which have more than doubled since early 2023 – can now be signposted from motorways and main A-roads.

MasterChef presenter John Torode accused of racism in Wallace report

MasterChef presenter John Torode has confirmed he has been accused of using racist language, in an allegation that was upheld as part of a review into the behaviour of co-presenter Gregg Wallace.

The report, commissioned by MasterChef production company Banijay and led by law firm Lewis Silkin, found 45 out of 83 allegations against Wallace were substantiated, alongside two standalone allegations made against other people, including one for using racist language.

In a post on Instagram, Torode confirmed he was the person alleged to have used racist language but said he had “no recollection of the incident” and was “shocked and saddened” by the allegation.

His statement said: “Following publication of the Executive Summary of the investigation into Gregg Wallace while working on MasterChef, I am aware of speculation that I am one of the two other individuals against whom an allegation has been upheld.

“For the sake of transparency, I confirm that I am the individual who is alleged to have used racial language on one occasion. The allegation is that I did so sometime in 2018 or 2019, in a social situation, and that the person I was speaking with did not believe that it was intended in a malicious way and that I apologised immediately afterwards.

“I have absolutely no recollection of any of this, and I do not believe that it happened. However, I want to be clear that I’ve always had the view that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment. I’m shocked and saddened by the allegation as I would never wish to cause anyone any offence.”

Reports in The Sun said Torode had been asked to leave the show and claim he had mental health issues following the allegation.

It comes as Gregg Wallace apologised for causing “distress” after the MasterChef report substantiated 45 allegations against him.

Hours before the findings of the investigation were revealed on Monday, the host, who has been dropped by the BBC, said that he “never set out to harm or humiliate” anyone with his behaviour.

“For eight months, my family and I have lived under a cloud,” Wallace, 60, he said hitting out at the BBC for “exposing” him to “trial by media fuelled by rumour and clickbait”.

Wallace faced multiple accusations, including claims that he made inappropriate sexual jokes, asked for the phone numbers of female production staff, and behaved unprofessionally around female colleagues on set.

In November 2024, the show’s production company, Banijay UK, announced that Wallace, 60, would step away from his role on MasterChef while historical allegations of misconduct were investigated.

The report noted that during the course of the investigation, which was over a seven-month period, Wallace was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and said that the findings should be viewed in the context of his neurodiversity.

In his statement, Wallace added: “I’m relieved that the Banijay report fully recognises that my behaviour changed profoundly in 2018. Some of my humour and language missed the mark. I never set out to harm or humiliate. I always tried to bring warmth and support to MasterChef, on screen and off.

“After nearly 20 years on the show, I now see that certain patterns, shaped by traits I’ve only recently begun to understand, may have been misread. I also accept that more could have been done, by others and by myself, to address concerns earlier.

“A late autism diagnosis has helped me understand how I communicate and how I’m perceived. I’m still learning.”

He praised the show’s production company, Banijay, saying they had “given me great support, and I thank them”.

The former greengrocer added: “There will be more casualties if the BBC continues down this path, where protecting its legacy matters more than protecting people. For my part, with full legal support, I will consider my next move.”

Banijay UK said that “Wallace’s return to MasterChef (is) untenable” following the number of sustained allegations.

Patrick Holland, chief executive of Banijay UK, said that while the report “makes for uncomfortable reading”, it also provided “valuable insight to ensure that going forward everyone working on our productions feels safe and supported, and that inappropriate behaviour is quickly and professionally dealt with”.

The BBC also said it has “informed” Wallace that it has “no plans to work with him in future”, adding in a statement: “This behaviour falls below the values of the BBC and the expectations we have for anyone who works with or for us.

“Although the full extent of these issues were not known at the relevant time, opportunities were missed to address this behaviour, both by the production companies running MasterChef and the BBC. We accept more could and should have been done sooner.”

The BBC also addressed the future of a series of MasterChef filmed last year which has not yet been aired, saying it had not made a final decision on broadcasting it.

Last year, a BBC News investigation revealed a string of allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and alleged inappropriate behaviour against Wallace by 13 people who worked with him across a range of shows over a 17-year period, including former Newsnight host Kirsty Wark.

A statement from Wallace’s lawyers at the time said that it “is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”, as reported by BBC News.

Ahead of the official publishing of the external review, Wallace claimed in an Instagram post on July 8, which appears to have been taken down, that he had been cleared of the “most serious and sensational accusations” against him.

Man murdered girlfriend before texting her mother pretending to be her

A man who murdered and decapitated his girlfriend before texting her mother pretending to be her and searching for internet pornography has been jailed.

Ewan Methven was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years behind bars on Monday after admitting murdering his 21-year-old girlfriend Phoenix Spencer-Horn.

Methven murdered her in the home they shared in East Kilbride on 16 November 2024.

He also admitted decapitating her body and texting her mother, pretending to be her.

Methven, who is now 27, killed Ms Spencer-Horn after the couple ordered a takeaway.

Earlier that day, he had complained to his girlfriend that her waitress shifts made him “lonely”.

The High Court in Glasgow was told that Methven attacked Miss Spencer-Horn, stabbing her 20 times, including 10 times in the face, before mutilating her body and severing her head.

Methven had also strangled her, searched for internet pornography 170 times and made repeated attempts to buy cocaine, before spending the weekend driving around in Miss Spencer-Horn’s red Corsa, and texting her mother pretending she was still alive, according to prosecutors.

He texted: “Hey sorry I’ve just woken up xxx” before searching for pornography, the court heard.

On 18 November, at about midday, he dialled 999 and told a call-handler: “I had a psychotic break and killed my wife.”

He said: “We were messing about, I take steroids and was taking cocaine and alcohol, I think there was something else in it … it was f****** horrible.”

He was transferred to a senior police officer, and said: “I just want to go to jail”, and added: “I have been out my face, I can’t remember what happened. I have been driving about all weekend.”

Police officers discovered Miss Spencer-Horn’s mutilated body hidden under a towel. Methven admitted attempting to remove the limbs and torso from her body with a knife or other instrument.

Defending, Tony Graham KC, said, in 2024, Methven realised he had an addiction problem, and had written a letter to the judge saying “in relation to the harm that could cause, it could only be harm to himself”, regarding cocaine, steroids and other drugs.

Mr Graham read from the letter, which said: “I know how loved Phoenix was and how she made her family complete. I can’t believe I’ve taken her from them.”

He told the court: “Mr Methven is in a position where he can offer no explanation as to why the course of events which led to Phoenix’s death took place, other than his own self-administration of drugs.”

He said that Methven “insists he has taken the life of a person he loved, and appreciates he has caused an enormous void in that family”, and “struggles to reconcile how he could have caused that destruction”, the court heard.

Mr Graham said that Methven had been “taken into family home of Phoenix’s family and appreciates in that that two-year period he was adopted into that family”, and described the murder as “a betrayal”, the court heard.

However, he said Methven could not explain why it happened, and added: “He has flashbacks but no real memory as to how things progressed to this destruction of human life.”

Imposing a life sentence, Judge Lord Matthews said Methven had admitted a “truly dreadful crime”.

Lord Matthews said: “At 21 years old, she was standing at the threshold of what should have been a long and fulfilling life. You were a trusted member of her family but betrayed that trust.

“For reasons no one will ever understand you strangled her and stabbed her 20 times, including 10 in the face. You robbed her of all dignity in death by decapitating her and trying to dismember her.

“For two days after, you indulged in drug abuse and watching pornography, contacting her mother and pretending to be her.”

He added: “The way you treated this innocent young woman after her death meant her family did not have the comfort of saying goodbye to her.”

The judge told Methven: “The letter by you answers none of the questions which must be plaguing the family. You blame the effect of substances but that is no excuse.”

Are we all just working for Zuckerberg?

Musicians have always been the ones to speak truth to power. To challenge the status quo. To start the rebellion. They have always been the ones brave enough to stand up and say: “Stop.  You cannot control my voice. You cannot control me”.

But when it comes to social media platforms, that power of freedom is just an illusion. The truth is: they just controlled us. They divided us. They strangled the reach of our voices through their algorithms, and made us work for them for free.

This always amazes me with much loved pop icon Taylor Swift, who has worked to build her instagram audience to 280 million followers – “Follow me on Instagram” she lovingly advocates to her audience – and yet, she only has an average of 1.5% of her audience tap the like button on her posts. She has to turn off comments because of the hate and she cannot direct people back to her website – not because they don’t love her, but because Zuck is controlling her reach.

And if the biggest pop icon of our time is being controlled by Meta’s algorithms, what hope does any other artist and musician have?

The reality is that if Swift could actually reach her audience with a post, and 280 million people actually saw it, she would be double the size of NBC in the US and one of the biggest media channels in the world. And when hateful comments are eliminated, she could turn on comments and have personal engagement from real people. And when she can link people back to her website from posts, she will have hundreds of millions of people back to her own website.

This is possible! This is the new world of social media that we have built at WeAre8. This is true creative and economic freedom. We unlock the algorithms so people’s followers actually see them, we have built AI to eliminate abusive comments, we encourage people to link from the platform back to artists’ websites. In the world of 8, Swift won’t just be singing half time at the Super Bowl, she will be buying the rights to host the superbowl on Taylorswift.com.

Today she is working for Mark Zuckerberg. And so are 2 billion other people. But the future at 8 brings real transformation and hope. When you unlock the algorithms, when you elevate the voices of artists, when you eliminate the controls and share the economics, everything changes.

Musicians can get discovered, they can be elevated and reach their audiences. They can get much bigger brand deals and they can release music independently. And most importantly, they can create the music they want to bring to the world – not just create sounds that they think an algorithm would like.  In the world of 8, every artist wins.

‘We the people’ are the largest unpaid workforce in human history. And every artist on the planet is controlled by Meta algorithms. Because let’s be honest, are we really imagining anymore? Or are we just optimising?

We live in a world where your song, your art, your wild idea about space-funk cello solos can’t even reach your own damn audience unless it performs well on the algorithm. The art of rebellion, the beauty of raw expression now has to come with captions like “Wait for it…” and “This will blow your mind 🤯.” Otherwise? It dies.

And if John Lennon was around now, would Imagine even break through the noise? Would he be told by some TikTok growth hacker to add a dance move and remix it with Doja Cat to make it trend? Would the song that once gave us chills… get five seconds of attention before someone swipes up to watch a dog play the piano?

We’ve been told that data is the new oil. But let’s be clear: your creativity, your joy, your mental health, that’s what they’re drilling for. You post, they profit. You create, they control.

It’s no accident that most platforms don’t let your message reach your people unless you pay. They designed it this way. The people with the power to inspire, to challenge, to change the world are throttled unless they play the game, the casino…Zuck’s casino.

This is the moment we flip the script. This is the moment we reclaim our value. And this is the moment that we rediscover our infinite value in the world.

And the funny thing is that evil always destroys itself.  And musicians will rise and speak truth to power again in a way that the world has never seen. Because this time, 8 is here to supercharge their voices, and the 8 technology has been built to elevate, share, and give control to artists – and all people. And this new world is so much more entertaining than the social feeds of the past.

Meta actually means ‘dead’ in Hebrew. I am surprised Zuck didn’t do a quick Google search of that before he renamed a company that now has a market cap of 1.7 Trillion dollars. But like every David and Goliath story that has come before, Meta has an achilles heel. And that is their obsession with power, control and greed: no matter what the cost to people and society.

The winners in the new world of 8? Well, everyone: every artist, every musician, every community, charity, publisher, sports team, brand and person. Everyone standing together and breaking free. Because I speak on behalf of all the artists I know, we’ve had enough of the control, the trolls and of working for you for free.

As the band Queen said: “I want to break free”. And now is the time to do it.

Zoe Kalar is the founder and CEO of the social media platform WeAre8.

WeAre8 has announced 8Fest, a three-day virtual event hailed as the world’s first social media music festival. Running from July 11-13, the algorithm-free festival is dedicated to pure music discovery, with lineups curated by industry insiders and a mission to spotlight fresh talent on a global stage.

Download the WeAre8 app today to follow 8fest and be a part of the future of social media.

How the second Trump state visit could all go horribly wrong

Now that we know Donald Trump will be making his state visit to the United Kingdom in September, the big question is – will the blimp fly again?

You may recall the blimp – the giant Trump baby balloon that was raised in London during the president’s previous official visits, in 2018, and upgraded to full state visit status in 2019. The 20-foot-high inflatable portrayed an infantile Trump in a nappy with a snarl on its face, like it’d just been told it had lost a free and fair presidential election.

Seemingly inspired by Orville the Duck, the Trump blimp was intended – in the words at the time of its progenitor, Leo Murray – “to make sure he knows that all of Britain is looking down on him and laughing at him”.

It is now (or should be) as honoured and traditional an element of a Trump visit as the lavish banquet and inspecting the guards in their busbies – but will Keir Starmer pressure mayor Sadiq Khan to take that blimp down in the name of Anglo-American relations?

Khan has been singled out for criticism by Trump before and was proud of permitting the airborne satire to take flight over the capital on previous occasions. The now historic artefact is apparently in storage at the Museum of London, though it is occasionally given a test flight to ensure it’s still airworthy, like the Spitfires and Lancaster bombers we like to see fly past on other great occasions.

The sight of the blimp from the window of Air Force One could make the famously touchy president so upset that he might order the plane to turn around and head straight back to Florida. Which would be a shame, because it would deprive us of some great late-summer entertainment.

How big, for example, will the protests be? The British managed 400,000 last time round, including some especially obscene placards up in Scotland, where the president will be taking in a little golf.

The King has wisely opted to sequester the president, first lady and, no doubt, the extended clan at Windsor Castle, which was designed by William the Conqueror (who understood such things), to keep its inhabitants safe from attack. There will be a no-fly (or a no-blimp) zone. If possible, his majesty should make arrangements for any television sets to be removed from the visitors’ chambers and cancel the newspapers.

The prime minister has also sensibly opted for the Trump visit to be held during the parliamentary recess, so that there’ll be no unpleasant demonstrations by the likes of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana at what would usually be a jolly joint address to MPs and peers, as was recently the case for Emmanuel Macron. No chants of “from the river to the sea” will assail the presidential sensibilities.

Nor will the House of Commons have to stage a formal debate on the wisdom of the visit because of a massive public petition, as happened before.

Given previous incidents, I imagine that the president has no doubt already been told that he won’t be able to have the carriage ride through London for “security reasons” – anyway, it might rain and the presidential Cadillac, known as “The Beast”, is both air-conditioned and assassin-proof. Thus, will President Trump be deprived of the courtesy given to President Ceausescu in 1978 and Vladimir Putin in 2003?

Under our impressive anti-terror laws, protests will be quelled, suppressed and kept as far away from Trump’s attention as possible. Most of the jeopardy of mild to severe embarrassment, then, lies with the behaviour of the president himself. Starmer will be more nervous than a chicken hosting a convention of gourmand foxes at what The Donald might say or do during the few days when he will be the centre of attention.

Hopefully, Trump will leave JD Vance at home, but he’s perfectly capable of repeating his own views about irregular migration into Britain (naturally making an egotistical contrast with his own successes on his southern border), calling it an invasion or something. He could repeat his opinions about crime in London.

He might make a big public fuss of Nigel Farage – “great guy, make a fine leader” – and tell Rachel Reeves she’s making a complete and total mess of the economy (albeit that wouldn’t be so controversial).

In fact, based on what I’ve seen and read over the years, there are many things Trump might say. He might praise the likes of Tommy Robinson – most recently in court charged with harassing two Daily Mail journalists, and Lucy Connolly, the Tory councillor’s wife, jailed for inciting racial hatred online following the Southport attacks – as political prisoners.

Or, he might deride the King’s devotion to environmentalism. No one can predict what he might do – or stop him. We know that, by now.

Volatile as he can be, the best that Starmer can hope for from Trump is some warm words on a future US-UK free trade agreement (despite the claims, there isn’t one now), support for Ukraine and the Nato alliance.

More likely, as Theresa May discovered on previous occasions, the Trumps will leave no more of a legacy than another outing for that big tangerine baby.

German backpacker speaks out after being found alive in Australian outback

A 26-year-old German backpacker found alive in Western Australia‘s remote outback has revealed that a car crash and head injury left her disoriented and lost for 11 days.

Carolina Wilga trekked through one of the most sparsely populated and remote places in the world after her van became bogged in the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve.

Against the odds, Ms Wilga stumbled upon an unsealed access road, where a chance encounter with farmer Tania Henley led to her rescue.

“Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there,” Ms Wilga said in her first public comments since being found on Friday afternoon.

“The answer is: I lost control of the car and rolled down a slope. In the crash, I hit my head significantly. As a result of the accident, I left my car in a state of confusion and got lost.”

During those 11 nights, police said Ms Wilga survived on minimal food and sourced water from rain and puddles.

She also found shelter wherever she could, including in a cave, as she faced extreme weather.

The nights got extremely cold, police said, and without her vehicle she was totally exposed to the elements. It also rained heavily for a couple of days.

Ms Wilga’s vehicle was found first, a day before she was spotted on the road just 15 miles from her abandoned van.

She thanked her supporters and everyone who helped search for her.

“I am certain that I survived only thanks to this incredible outpouring of support,” Ms Wilga said in the statement, released by the Western Australian Police Force.

“The thought of all the people who believed in me, searched for me, and kept hoping for me gave me the strength to carry on during my darkest moments.”

Receiving treatment for her minor injuries, including many mosquito bites, as well as emotional support, Ms Wilga remains in hospital and has been in contact with her family in Germany.

Rescuers had held grave fears for Ms Wilga after so long in the wilderness. The German backpacker is the second person to have gone missing in the area in the last 12 months.