Drought declared in Midlands – and more hosepipe bans on the way

The East and West Midlands have become the latest areas declared to be in drought, and more hosepipe bans are expected, after one of the UK’s driest springs on record.

The Environment Agency warned millions more people will be affected this summer, following a meeting on Tuesday of the National Drought Group.

The agency said a drought has been declared in West and East Midlands, joining three regions already in drought: Cumbria and Lancashire, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, and Merseyside and Cheshire.

Thames Wessex, parts of the Solent and South Downs, parts of East Anglia and Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire are likely to be in drought in the next few months, it said.

The Environment Agency said it expects to see more companies add hosepipe bans, although this will also be dependent on the rainfall and temperatures in the coming weeks.

If England gets 80 per cent of its long-term average rainfall and warm temperatures over the coming weeks, the total number of areas given “drought” status could reach eight by September, the watchdog predicted.

To prepare for and tackle the impacts, the Environment Agency said it has been working closely with water companies, which are following their drought plans to ensure supply, as well as the National Farmers’ Union and local authorities.

It comes after Thames Water became the latest utility company to announce a hosepipe ban, which will begin next Tuesday for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire.

Stuart Sampson, drought manager at the Environment Agency, said the situation for farmers has been “deteriorating” with already low levels in irrigation reservoirs prompting concerns for the rest of the summer.

Some farmers have been reporting poor crop quality as well as lower yields on livestock, while fears are growing over the impact that conditions could have on winter feed.

While the Environment Agency is planning for its reasonable worst-case scenario, Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said July is likely to see more changeable weather, with sporadic rainfall and some hot spells.

And for the longer-term outlook, Mr Lang said there is “no strong signal” for it being very dry or extremely wet.

“It could go either way, but the most likely situation is that we will have somewhere near average rainfall for the UK and also for England and Wales as a whole,” he said.

In Yorkshire, police urged people not to reach out to them about those flouting the hosepipe bans but to contact Yorkshire Water instead.

Chief Superintendent Tracy Bradley, from Humberside Police, told the BBC that calls “could divert call handlers away from dealing with emergencies or other policing matters”.

Highest-paid BBC stars revealed in annual salary report

The BBC has announced the salaries of its highest-paid stars from 2024/25, with Gary Lineker topping the list two months after leaving the corporation.

Radio 2 DJ Zoe Ball was the second highest-paid employee on the corporation’s annual report, having earned £515k-£519k, which is a £435k drop from last year’s salary after her departure from the station’s breakfast show.

Football pundit Alan Shearer has had a £60k increase to sit in third place, with £440k-£444k, while Radio 1 DJ Greg James is close behind with £425k-£429k.

Broadcasters Nick Robinson and Fiona Bruce are on the same salary (£410k-£414k), in fifth place.

This is the eighth consecutive year Lineker has topped the list, and he is the only star paid more than £1m, with takings of £1.35m-£1.354m – no change from last year.

The salary report arrives shortly after Lineker quit the corporation, having worked there for 26 years – and criticised bosses for “bowing to pressure from the top” after failing to air the documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack.

Meanwhile, Ball stepped down from Radio 2’s Breakfast Show in December, but returned in May with a new Saturday afternoon programme.

Other stars to have seen drastic increases include Laura Kuenssberg, who presents her own Sunday morning politics show, and Radio 2 DJ Vernon Kay.

The salaries of many of the BBC’s most famous names are not disclosed on the list, as the corporation refrains from including those paid through independent production companies.

These include Strictly hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, as well as chat show presenter Graham Norton.

Huw Edwards, who was the third highest-paid employee on the 2023/24 list, is absent from this year’s list, having resigned from the BBC last year amid a scandal that saw the presenter admit to accessing indecent images of children as young as seven.

The veteran broadcaster, 63, was handed a six-month suspended sentence in September 2024.

Find the full list below:

1. Gary Lineker £1,350,000-£1,354,999 (no change)

2. Zoe Ball £515,000-£519,999 (down from £950,000-£954,999)

3. Alan Shearer £440,000-£444,999 (up from £380,000-£384,999)

4. Greg James £425,000-£429,999 (up from £415,000-£419,999)

=5. Fiona Bruce £410,000-£414,999 up from £405,000-£409,999)

=5. Nick Robinson £410,000-£414,999 (up from £345,000-£349,999)

7. Stephen Nolan £405,000-£409,999 (no change)

8. Laura Kuenssberg £395,000-£399,999 (up from £325,000-£329,999)

9. Vernon Kay £390,000-£394,999 (up from £320,000-£324,999)

10. Justin Webb £365,000-£369,999 (up from £320,000-£324,999)

=11. Scott Mills £355,000-£359,999 (up from £315,000-£319,999)

=11. Naga Munchetty £355,000-£359,999 (up from £345,000-£349,999)

13. Sophie Raworth £350,000-£354,999 (up from £325,000-£329,999)

14. Clive Myrie £335,000-£339,999 (up from £310,000-£314,999)

=15. Mark Chapman £325,000-£329,999 (up from £260,000-£264,999)

=15. Mishal Husain £325,000-£329,999 (down from £340,000-£344,999)

17. Amol Rajan £315,000-£319,999 (up from £310,000-£314,999)

=18. Sara Cox £310,000-£314,999 (down from £315,000-£319,999)

=18. Jeremy Vine £310,000-£314,999 (up from £285,000-£289,999)

=20. Nicky Campbell £300,000-£304,999 (up from £295,000-£299,999)

=20. Reeta Chakrabarti £300,000-£304,999 (up from £270,000-£274,999)

=20. Evan Davis £300,000-£304,999 (up from £290,000-£294,999)

=23. Ros Atkins £295,000-£299,999 (up from £290,000-£294,999)

=23. Tina Daheley £295,000-£299,999 (up from £270,000-£274,999)

25. Emma Barnett £285,000-£289,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

26. Victoria Derbyshire £275,000-£279,999 (down from £295,000-£299,999)

27. Chris Mason £270,000-£274,999 (up from £260,000-£264,999)

28. Jeremy Bowen £260,000-£264,999 (up from £240,000-£244,999)

29. Sarah Montague £250,000-£254,999 (up from £245,000-£249,999)

30. Trevor Nelson £245,000-£249,999 (up from £235,000-£239,999)

=31. Katya Adler £240,000-£244,999 (up from £230,000-£234,999)

=31. Jon Kay £240,000-£244,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999)

=33. Rick Edwards £235,000-£239,999 (up from £215,000-£219,999)

=33. Faisal Islam £235,000-£239,999 (down from £260,000-£264,999)

=33. Fergal Keane £235,000-£239,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999)

=36. Jason Mohammad £230,000-£234,999 (down from £245,000-£249,999)

=36. Sarah Smith £230,000-£234,999 (up from £225,000-£229,999)

=36. Jo Whiley £230,000-£234,999 (down from £245,000-£249,999)

39. Simon Jack £225,000-£229,999 (down from £240,000-£244,999)

=40. Rachel Burden £220,000-£224,999 (no change)

=40. Katie Razzall £220,000-£224,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

=42. Mark Easton £210,000-£214,999 (up from £205,000-£209,999)

=42. Orla Guerin £210,000-£214,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

=42. Stephen Sackur £210,000-£214,999 (up from £200,000-£204,999)

=45. Lyse Doucet £205,000-£209,999 (no change)

=45. Jonny Dymond £205,000-£209,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

=45. Christian Fraser £205,000-£209,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

=45. Alex Scott £205,000-£209,999 (down from £220,000-£224,999)

=45. Ben Thompson £205,000-£209,999 (down from £225,000-£229,999)

=50. Matthew Amroliwala £200,000-£204,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

=50. Ben Brown £200,000-£204,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)

=50. Jane Hill £200,000-£204,999 (up from £178,000-£184,999)

=50. Lucy Hockings £200,000-£204,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)

=50. Sally Nugent £200,000-£204,999 (up from £195,000-£199,999)

=50. Chris Sutton £200,000-£204,999 (up from £190,000-£194,999)

=56. Owain Wyn Evans £195,000-£199,999 (down from £200,000-£204,999)

=56. Maryam Moshiri £195,000-£199,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)

=58. Sally Bundock £190,000-£194,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

=58. Craig Charles £190,000-£194,999 (up from £185,000-£189,999)

=58. Annita McVeigh £190,000-£194,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

=58. John Simpson £190,000-£194,999 (no change)=58. Charlie Stayt £190,000-£194,999 (no change)

=63. Caitriona Perry £185,000-£189,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

=63. Sumi Somaskanda £185,000-£189,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

=65. Gary Davies £178,000-£184,999 (down from £200,000-£204,999)

=65. Charlie Hedges £178,000-£184,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

=65. Steven Lai £178,888-£184,999 (not listed in 2023/24)

Cole Palmer is England’s cheat code for World Cup success

In the midst of a 12-game goal drought, questions began to rise over Cole Palmer’s potency. With a supersonic rise to prominence comes the inevitable doubt that such quality can be sustained.

The Manchester City youth product had set expectations high. His debut season at Chelsea single-handedly justified Todd Boehly’s strategy of heavy investment in high potential, registering 33 goal contributions in 34 Premier League games in 2023/24. And while his mid-term tally of 14 goals this year was by no means indicative of a one-season wonder, the barren run that followed led the naysayers to become emboldened.

When his dry spell eventually came to an end on 4 May – netting a last-second penalty as Chelsea capitalised on Liverpool’s post-crowning hangover – there was a real feeling of a weight being lifted.

The 23-year-old had come out the other side of his first true patch of adversity as a senior player, the significance of which was represented by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez running the length of the pitch to celebrate with him.

Palmer has looked his old self since that Sunday afternoon at Stamford Bridge, crucially re-stamping his mark as a big game player. His dazzling second-half display in the Conference League final made such a fact apparent, outshining his opposite number – a rejuvenated 33-year-old Spanish playmaker Isco – to spearhead a stunning turnaround against Real Betis.

But it was stateside, against the best team on the planet, where the Englishman made his biggest statement.

There are not enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe Palmer’s scything of Paris Saint-Germain. Luis Enrique had seemingly built an unbeatable footballing force, one that had conquered Europe after ridding itself of a reliance on superstars, instead shifting to an ideology that focused on the all-powerful collective. Ironically, it was an individual who proved their undoing when world champion status was put on the line.

A tournament tarnished by its unplayable heat, the Club World Cup culminated in the coldest performance of them all. Palmer was unfazed by the reputation PSG had built, but invigorated by how quickly his side had been written off. “Impossible,” they said – but is there such a thing in football? What followed was an outright humbling, with Palmer at the heart of all three Chelsea goals that went unanswered on their journey to immortality.

“Everyone’s talked a lot of s*** about us this season, but I feel like we’re going in the right direction,” Palmer said post-match. That wasn’t from the media training handbook. It was instead a moment of refreshing honesty from a player who has been wrongly doubted for half a year, but evidently hasn’t let the critics hurt his progression or on-pitch psyche.

Enzo Maresca will hope such an astonishing solo performance is a sign of glory to come. As will Thomas Tuchel.

Palmer has already conquered New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium to win a “World Cup”. Next year, England football team boss Tuchel will be praying for a repeat. The proper World Cup 2026 will reach its climax at the same location – an admittedly questionable choice, given its inconvenient location, lack of roof and unfit-for-purpose facilities – but regardless, England will strive to be there.

The wealth of talent in England’s ranks is arguably second to none. Position for position, Tuchel has serious depth in quality at his disposal, a fact made even more encouraging by the squad’s relatively low average age. This era of England feels destined to win a major tournament – but we’ve been here before.

The cautionary tale of the “golden generation” has long taught England, as a nation, to manage its expectations. The mid-2000s squad that included the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes among a collection of world-beaters – that never got a sniff of ending however many years of hurt.

This current crop, however, has. The wounds of back-to-back Euros final defeats still sting, but there is an increasing sense of belief that this England generation can break the now six-decade trophyless curse. That’s because, at least under Gareth Southgate, the Three Lions had a knack for getting the job done, even when performances had a lot to be desired. At Euro 2024, there wasn’t one game where England looked like potential champions. They still reached the final.

Whether Tuchel can emulate the same ugliness and grit that got England to within 90 minutes of major silverware remains a key topic of debate. He was a master of tournament football at club level, famously guiding an unfancied Chelsea to the Champions League in 2020/21, but he’s a novice in the international game. It’s a completely different kettle of fish, and if his most recent international friendlies are to go by – an intensely underwhelming 1-0 win over minuscule Andorra and a shock 3-1 home loss to Senegal – Tuchel is still going through his teething stage, just 331 days before the 2026 World Cup gets underway.

If England are going to achieve their crowning glory in 12 months, their fairytale ending to so much footballing pain, Tuchel will need something special. He’ll need a man for the occasion. Palmer, with insider knowledge of how a Maga World Cup works and feels, could well be that man.

The Blues talisman has yet to fully establish himself as an indispensable part of the England setup – a common struggle for younger players in international football, which naturally favours the more experienced. But he’s already proven that he can deliver when it matters for England.

He came off the bench to score the equaliser in Berlin last year, firing in from range to provide a Southgate side devoid of any inspiration a glimpse of desperately needed hope in the final. His contribution proved in vain for England’s Euros dream, Mikel Oyarzabal instead snatching the title for Spain late on, but what it showed about the player still rings true.

It’s this big-game energy that could make Palmer the key to England’s salvation for Tuchel. His supreme ability is complemented by a mentality that pays no interest to outside noise, staying unapologetically true to himself rather than bowing to the perfect PR image imposed on modern footballers.

It makes him a uniquely perilous threat, dangerously immune to the pressure – his “Cold Palmer” nickname is apt – and one whose mind is genuinely hard to get into as an opponent.

In light of his Club World Cup masterclass, it’s clearer than ever that Palmer can handle the heat. Levels are shown when difficult circumstances arise, and while many of the game’s top stars faltered in the brutal conditions of the US, Palmer looked unaffected.

Expect little to change in a year, which could make Palmer a World Cup cheat code for England.

Tributes paid to ‘inspiring’ medics killed in Southend plane explosion

A medical evacuation company has paid tribute to two colleagues that were killed when a plane dramatically crashed and burst into flames in Southend on Sunday.

Globalmed Air Medical Services B.V. said it was with “profound sadness” and a “heavy heart” to acknowledge the passing of two “dear medical colleagues and friends”.

It did not name them, but it was previously reported that German nurse Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, 31, was killed, alongside a Dutch pilot and co-pilot. A European male medic was also reported dead.

The company, which used a Beechcraft King Air B200 plane from Zeusch Aviation’s fleet, said: “They were not only valued medical professionals but also kind, inspiring individuals whose presence brought light and strength to those around them.”

“Their dedication, warmth, and friendship will be deeply missed by all who knew them. We honour their memory and hold them in our hearts. May they rest in peace.”

Ms Ortiz was reportedly on her first day as a flight nurse on board the small aircraft when it came down in an explosion after take-off.

Her friend Anna Smith told the BBC: “She was so excited for this new job,” she said, adding: “She had a giving heart and was humble, and chose a profession that reflected that.”

Think we live in the age of ‘blockbuster slop’? Try watching Superman

Look up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a hackneyed opening line? No – it’s Superman (2025), James Gunn’s new blockbuster, which flew dashingly into cinemas last Friday. The film comes at a precarious time for blockbusters, arriving in a forbidding post-pandemic landscape where superhero movies, still ubiquitous, are no longer the bankable certainties they were a decade ago. If “superhero fatigue” is the phrase du jour when it comes to recent audience attitudes, then Gunn clearly didn’t get the memo.

Superman is as unapologetically comic book-ish as any film in recent memory, and promises much more to come. It heralds a complete overhaul of the DC Comics movie universe, following more than a decade of critically panned, commercially wavering releases, from Man of Steel (2013) through to The Flash (2023). Gunn, best known for directing Marvel’s much-loved Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, took over as co-chair of DC Studios in 2022, and is overseeing the new creative direction of the franchise himself.

On paper, Superman is the kind of film that embodies what is so drab and off-putting about contemporary blockbuster cinema: a reboot of a character we’ve seen adapted ad nauseum. But here’s the thing: it’s really very good. So good, in fact – lively, and sincere, with an unexpected timeliness – that it ought to upend the widespread cynicism surrounding the modern blockbuster and its viability as an artform.

There is often a temptation to conflate blockbuster filmmaking into one homogeneously disappointing entity – a uric canal down which the year’s big releases grimly float. And sure enough, even if we look at just this year’s offerings, there are plenty of lacklustre blockbusters out there: some commercially successful (A Minecraft Movie; How to Train Your Dragon; Mission: Impossible– The Final Reckoning); others less so (Captain America: Brave New World; Snow White). These represent the kind of output that has come to be referred to as “slop”: interchangeable franchise extensions bereft of imagination, ideology or craft. But this is only half the story.

Twenty-twenty-five has been no one’s idea of a banner year for cinema, but this summer has seen the release of several sturdy, worthwhile blockbusters, from Ryan Coogler’s brilliant Sinners, a vampiric period thriller, to the Florence Pugh-fronted Marvel outing Thunderbolts*, and 28 Years Later, a muscular sequel directed by Danny Boyle. Significantly, these films have not only garnered strong reviews but have enjoyed healthy showings at the box office. Superman banked $217m globally across its opening weekend. Sinners made back nearly four times its budget.

Even Jurassic World Rebirth – arguably the best Jurassic film since 1997’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park, if that doesn’t sound too much like faint praise – shot past industry predictions and is currently racing up the yearly Top 10 ranking. It’s a relief to know that there is still an audience for well-made mainstream entertainment; that the doom-mongering about cinema’s apocalyptic future is premature.

The rest of the year features a number of prominent blockbusters from real-deal, big-name filmmakers: in August, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio; in November, Edgar Wright’s The Running Man, starring Glen Powell; in December, Avatar: Fire & Ash, directed by James Cameron. It’s entirely possible that we will end 2025 in the rare situation where several of the very best films are also among the most widely seen. The blockbuster, in other words, isn’t dead yet – and it would take more than Kryptonite to kill it.

‘Superman’ is in cinemas now

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.

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.

Rachel Reeves’ mortgage gamble is the move of a chancellor who is running out of options

According to Treasury sources, Rachel Reeves wants the public to start taking risks again.

The analysis she is working from is that the financial crash of 2008 – which saw several banks go under or need to be nationalised – has made the country too risk-adverse.

But the biggest risk taker may well be the chancellor herself, with her plans to free up the mortgage market and slash red tape for financial services in the City.

Like many gamblers, though, Ms Reeves’ spin of the financial services roulette wheel, to be announced in her Mansion House speech this evening, is largely prompted by the fact that she is running out of options.

After all, when Labour won the election just over a year ago, Ms Reeves came into office with economic growth as her “number one mission”.

For all of the talk of “having the best economic growth in the G7”, it has actually been negligible and, in fact, in the last quarter it has gone slightly backwards.

She also insisted she did not want to raise tax, and even said during the election that she would prefer to cut tax. Once in power, however, she oversaw a massive increase in spending fuelled by £40bn of tax rises in her first Budget, mostly a hike on employer contributions to national insurance which is now impacting the jobs market.

Attempts to bring spending under control by tackling welfare has ended with U-turns on winter fuel payment cuts for pensioners, costing her £1.25bn, and planned welfare cuts mostly on disability benefits which has cost her a further £5bn.

The frustrations and pressure on Ms Reeves could not have been better illustrated than the tears visibly rolling down her face during a recent session of PMQs, where the prime minister Keir Starmer could not even guarantee her future as chancellor.

The one break she got was after that unfortunate incident, Sir Keir was forced to give her a belated vote of confidence to prevent the markets tanking at the thought she might be sacked.

But now, faced with the prospect she will have to bring in yet more painful, growth-killing taxes – possibly so-called wealth taxes on pension funds or dividends, or stealth taxes by freezing income tax thresholds, or both – Ms Reeves only has one way to find growth.

That is to return to the pre-2008 model on financial services and mortgages to encourage investors and first-time buyers to start taking risks again themselves.

It is exactly what fed the high growth which characterised the last Labour government under Tony Blair. Most of the country’s economic success was floated on the ‘get rich’ model of the City.

The problem is that the result of that model was 2008 when the deregulated financial services industry took several risks too many, and the economy was plunged into crisis, taking whole banks with it.

Part of the reason for that was because of the mortgage market, where it had become far too easy for people to borrow unsustainable amounts that they could not pay back in so-called sub-prime mortgages.

Ms Reeves is nodding back in that direction. By reducing the minimum wage for people to have a mortgage and increasing the ration from 3.5 times salary to 4.5 times she is not quite repeating the mistakes of the 2000s where people could literally self-certify their income.

However, she is heading slowly in that direction and it brings an enormous risk, as well as potential for short-term economic growth.

Possibly the greater worry for Ms Reeves, though, is if this does not work and her bonfire of red tape does not produce the increase to the nation’s wealth that she needs to help fund the bill for public spending increases before the next election.

There may not be any more dice for Ms Reeves to throw if that is the case. And, despite his recent assurances, that could mean that the prime minister ends up looking for someone else to do the job.