However, allow me to make the case that this document published by the government today represents something very important for all of us. And the reason, surprising as this might sound, has nothing to do with steel. The strategy itself is, for those of us interested in such things, a big moment for the steel sector. There will be more money given out to steel producers - about £2.5bn - some of it going to the British Steel works in Scunthorpe that have been effectively nationalised, some going to support private steel makers around the UK in their efforts to produce lower carbon metal. Money latest: Another major airport whacks up drop-off fees Perhaps the most interesting of all the ambitions contained within it is a pledge to try to raise the proportion of steel we use in this country that is also made in this country. Right now that proportion is running at a record low of 30%, which, when you think about it, is rather depressing. Think of all those wind turbines dotting the countryside and offshore, or for that matter much of the infrastructure surrounding us. Most of that still is not made - indeed cannot be made - in the steelworks and with the steel equipment we have in this country. The ambition of the strategy is to raise the proportion of domestically produced steel to 50%, which is certainly better than the current level but is basically back to the level that used to prevail before COVID. However, a far more significant element of the Steel Strategy - the bit that matters to all of us - concerns trade rules. The background here is important. For some years British steel producers have struggled to compete with their overseas counterparts. Take something like galvanised steel: right now the country is facing an influx of very cheap galvanised steel from countries like Vietnam and Turkey. Most of those producers enjoy subsidies and tax breaks their British competitors do not. The upshot is it is fiendishly difficult, if not impossible, for British producers to compete. This is fast becoming an existential crisis for the industry. There have been some trade barriers on this kind of steel, but they were due to expire this June, and anyway, were not particularly prohibitive. In fact, anyone who wanted to import cheap galvanised steel from Turkey or Vietnam was able to do so without paying any tariff whatsoever. The centrepiece of the steel strategy is a brand new tariff of 50% on many of these steel imports and (just as, if not more important) new, lower quotas on those steel imports. Now, in some senses this is not particularly surprising. At some point the regime needed to be updated - it was due to expire soon, after all. And Europe already has tariffs coming in that look very similar to these new British ones. However, there is something more significant about this moment. It is the first time since the beginning of the most recent trade war - indeed the first time since Britain took back control of its trade policy post-Brexit - that it has raised tariffs to these kinds of levels. It's very hard to make like-for-like comparisons given the convoluted detail of trade barriers, but the long and short of it is that these are probably the biggest increases in trade barriers imposed by a British government in at least a generation. While other countries, most glaringly America under President Donald Trump, had raised many of their tariff barriers, up until this moment Britain had held firm. For many ministers this was a matter of national pride. This after all, after all, is the country that "invented" free trade, the country that abolished the Corn Laws in the 19th century and brought the worlds the notion of "comparative advantage". Many felt that to raise tariffs, even in an environment where everyone else was, would be an abomination. However, it is a sign of the times but now that is precisely what this government has done. Britain will now have some of the highest steel tariffs it has imposed in its entire history, in an effort to protect its domestic industry. Britain, in short, is dipping its toes into the waters of protectionism. Many, including the government itself, will point out that the way these new tariffs are structured is far more sophisticated and far less brutal than the tariffs imposed in America. They will point out that they are mostly just mirroring what's happening in Europe. Even so, it's hard not to conclude that this represents a watershed moment. This new Steel Strategy may look, on the face of it, like a boring, arcane document for a relatively small sector of the economy. But, an economic and historical terms, it is dynamite.

The government had been in favour of allowing AI developers to train their machines on copyrighted works, with rightsholders having an opt-out option. However, that approach was "overwhelmingly rejected by the vast majority of the creative industries", Liz Kendall, the minister for innovation and technology, said on Wednesday. Due to this, she announced, "the government no longer has a preferred option". The decision was welcomed as a "first step" which avoided the "worst outcome" by The Ivors Academy, which represents songwriters and composers. The government was urged to go further by UK Music and other creative bodies. "We urge them to go further and rule out resurrecting this plan throughout their period in office," UK Music boss Tom Kiehl said. "The 220,000 people in our sector, which generates £8bn for the UK economy, should be entitled to work and earn a living without the constant fear that the fruits of their labour could effectively be taken by AI firms without payment or permission." The government now plans to launch a consultation in the summer on how to address the harm caused by unpermitted "digital replicas", while protecting legitimate innovation. The plans had caused widespread outrage within the creative industries. Producer Giles Martin described the now-abandoned plans to allow AI firms to use artists' work without permission, unless creators opt out, as like allowing criminals to burgle houses unless specifically told not to. Read more from Sky News:UK weather: Temperatures could soar to 21CSenegal stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations Sir Elton John and Simon Cowell were among the celebrities who had backed a campaign opposing the government's previous proposals. More than 1,000 artists and musicians, including Kate Bush, Damon Albarn, Sam Fender and Annie Lennox, previously recorded a silent album in protest at proposed changes. Concerns about unfair mining of material by AI firms have grown across different sectors in recent years. In February, Sky News announced it had formed the Standards for Publisher Usage Rights coalition (SPUR) with other major news organisations to develop industry standards for AI's fair use of their material. The alliance said while the rise of AI brings opportunities for publishers and their audiences, it "also raises urgent questions about fairness, consent, attribution, transparency and trust". "The lack of transparency about how AI answers are created risks eroding public trust in both the news and the technologies used to access it," the group added.

"We are running out of time," she told MPs at a party event. "The very survival of the Labour Party is at stake." The intention is clear: Rayner wants to demonstrate she is back and Sky News understands that her allies are increasingly confident that issues around her tax affairs will be resolved before the May elections, paving her return to the frontline at a moment of clear peril for the prime minister. Politics latest: Sarwar hasn't spoken to PM since urging him to quit Rayner was forced to resign in September after it emerged she had broken the ministerial code by underpaying stamp duty on her second home on the south coast by £40,000. At the time, Rayner admitted her mistake, but said it had been her initial "understanding, on advice from lawyers" that she had paid the correct amount, having put her stake in the family home into a trust of her disabled son following her divorce in 2023. But a fresh probe concluded Rayner should have paid more stamp duty because her new property in Hove was classified as a second home. Since then, Rayner has been trying to resolve the matter with HMRC through lawyers and that process is reaching a culmination. She has also been involved in speaking engagements and is writing an autobiography in an effort to raise enough funds to pay stamp duty owed and possible fines. It's thought she's poised to earn over £100,000, more than enough to pay stamp duty owed and possible fines. As the tax dispute rumbles on, Rayner is rallying MPs ahead of critical elections in May. 'Losing faith in the PM' Friends of Rayner tell me the former deputy to Starmer - like many MPs across the party - has increasingly lost faith in the prime minister after the performance of his Number 10 operation, which has seen a huge turnover of staff, a series of damaging U-turns and bad decisions, culminating in the Mandelson scandal that has so badly wounded the prime minister and the party. I understand that Rayner verbally warned the prime minister not to appoint Mandelson but was ignored. Rayner had all but disappeared from view after her resignation in September over her tax affairs, but has become more vocal in recent weeks, urging the government not to water down capping ground rents and being a leading figure forcing Number 10 to disclose the Mandelson files. Read more:Labour's left unite behind 'major reset' call in new challenge to PMReform UK maintain poll leadRayner admits she should have paid more tax on house purchase Her rallying cry to Labour MPs this week was her strongest yet as she told MPs "not to be embarrassed by Labour values" and took aim at the party's divisive immigration proposals. Her speech to Labour's centre-left campaign group Mainstream's spring reception on Tuesday was a clear rebuke as she urged the prime minister to reconsider "un-British" immigration reforms. The proposed changes to make it harder for migrant workers to quality for permanent residence in the UK have become a lightning rod for unhappy MPs, with over 100 signing a letter in recent weeks demanding that the prime minister water down the reforms. Labour 'running out of time' She also warned MPs in the wake of the Gorton and Denton by-election defeat to the Greens that the Labour Party "cannot just go through the motions in the face of decline", telling MPs: "There is no safe ground, we are running out of time." "When the British people voted for us, they voted for change, we put it in our manifesto. The Labour Party is at its best when we are bold and stand by our values. We should make clear our mission is to represent working people," she said, warning that the party under Starmer had left voters with the impression that it represents the "status quo". All of this adds weight to leadership speculation, with the popular former deputy and bookies' favourite to replace Starmer widely seen as the centre-left candidate in waiting should the PM face a leadership challenge post-May. Allies of Rayner are clear the former housing secretary would not engineer a scenario to oust Starmer or directly challenge him. But equally, she would consider running if MPs triggered a race, with one ally telling Sky News that if the May elections prove disastrous, there could well be 81 MPs prepared to call for his resignation and trigger a contest. "She would have to weigh up the personal and the political and see what level of support there is in the party." She is also testing support in the City. 'No lurch to the left' The Financial Times reported this week that Rayner has joined a call with City investors, hosted by French bank BNP Paribas, in which she reassured them Labour would not lurch to the left. The former deputy prime minister told investors on the call that the party would stick to the manifesto and not resort to more borrowing. In essence, Rayner committed to sticking to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' fiscal rules. This would be in part to assuage investors over the prospect of a more left-wing leader and also to ensure that there is no deviation from the manifesto. Her allies say the meeting was one of various speaking events she is doing in order to raise the funds to settle her bill with HMRC. Possible leadership challenge Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, is the only senior figure to go public and call for the PM's resignation, but in private a number of senior colleagues are openly discussing a possible challenge. When Sarwar called for the PM to resign in February, Rayner joined the rest of the cabinet to back the prime minister, but friends suggest that if the situation deteriorates further she would not be so willing to come out in support again. There is growing speculation among MPs that a terrible result for Labour in the May elections could precipitate a leadership challenge, although those at the top of Labour are divided about what might happen. One senior figure told me recently that they thought Starmer would survive the bloodbath of May because there are "enough people in the Labour Party that dislike the alternative enough that they'll keep Keir Starmer in" - be that Angela Rayner on the left, or Wes Streeting on the right. Others think the scale of losses could spur MPs, and senior figures, into action in a way that Sarwar's resignation in February did not. What is clear is that the prime minister would fight any challenge to his leadership. Starmer has made it repeatedly clear that he has no intention of quitting Number 10, throwing down the gauntlet to his MPs to try to force him out. When I asked Anas Sarwar this week whether he thought the PM should resign if the results are bad, he simply told me that he had stated his position in February and was not "recoiling from that position". The Scottish Labour leader clearly felt he needed to cut Starmer loose to have any hope in convincing Scottish voters to back Labour, such is the dislike for Westminster government in Scotland. "I feel I had a duty to be straight to the people that I'm going to have to look in the eye over the course of the next 50 days and ask them to put their support in me to replace an SNP government that's been in power for 20 years and to change the first minister of this country," said Sarwar of his decision to call for Starmer to go. "I'm the person that's putting myself in front of the people of Scotland in 50 days' time. And people in Scotland have a right to know what are my standards, what are my principles, what am I willing to accept, and what would I do differently if I have the honour of being first minister of my country." What happened at the last general election? Back in 2024, Labour took 37 seats from the SNP in the general election - its best performance since 2007, as Starmer's Labour clocked up 35% of the vote and the SNP came in with 30%. Back then, it looked like Sarwar could be heading to become Scotland's first minister. Instead Labour has performed woefully in Scotland, coming in third behind the SNP and Reform in several polls. The outlook is pretty bleak in Wales too, where Labour look set to lose control of the Senedd for the first time, according to polling, as Welsh voters turn to Plaid Cymru. Welsh Labour had run the parliament in Cardiff for 26 years in a row, making it the most successful democratic party in the world. Look to London and Labour are contemplating the prospect of a Zack Polanski green wave while in councils across England Reform are looking to make more gains. When I asked Sarwar if May was the crunch point for Labour, he simply replied "absolutely". Like Rayner, he seems clear that Labour are running out of time. What is far from clear, is where that goes next.

Galatasaray were blown away, beaten 4-0 as Liverpool sealed a 4-1 aggregate win and a Champions League quarter-final tie against holders Paris Saint-Germain. It could have been much more. Hugo Ekitike said they could have hit double figures. Crucially for Slot, the manner of the performance - a Liverpool performance - was unifying. It was the perfect response to the pressure on him after Sunday's miserable 1-1 draw with Spurs. "From start to finish we played the game I was hoping for, the players were hoping for and the fans were hoping for," the Liverpool boss said after the game. "Not only did we play the perfect game from start to finish but our fans did as well." Boos after the draw with Spurs painted a dreary picture for the rest of Liverpool's season. Jamie Carragher said Slot would struggle to win back the match-going fans. But now there is a sense of possibility in the air at Anfield. Liverpool were utterly dominant, illustrated by their xG of 4.88 compared to Galatasaray's 0.18. Such a performance suggests this team, still fighting in Europe, the FA Cup and for Champions League qualification, can salvage something from this season to forget. Report: Liverpool 4-0 Galatasaray (agg 4-1)Liverpool news & transfers🔴 | Liverpool fixtures & scoresDownload the Sky Sports app | Watch free Premier League higlights It was the perfect night for Slot capped by Mohamed Salah delivering his best performance of the season by overcoming a first-half penalty miss to score two and set up another, becoming the first African player to hit 50 Champions League goals. Many questioned if Slot could overcome his fall-out with Salah. Now, they are questioning if he is the man to get Liverpool out of their slump. On Wednesday night, like Salah, he reminded us not to count him out just yet. "It says a lot about him that after you miss a penalty just before half-time as that can sometimes be hard for an individual or for a team," said Slot. "We have had a lot of setbacks this season, a lot of first halves or second halves where we have created chance after chance after chance without doing justice to how we have performed - so not scoring. "And then Mo and the team came out in the second half the way they did; he assisted Hugo, a great assist, and then scored a trademark goal that he has scored so many times in this stadium and for this club, cutting inside, finding the corner. "So that tells you a lot about his mental strength but definitely also of the team, because adversity is something we can definitely talk about in this season." Slot's departure from Jurgen Klopp's heavy metal football in search of greater control has been a problem this season. Liverpool have been accused of losing their identity. Approaching a crossroads in their season, this was a sign of them rediscovering it. "That for me was Liverpool's best performance of the season," Sky Sports pundit Carragher said on CBS. "There was a big contrast from what we saw against Tottenham." Ekitike was one of the Liverpool stars Carragher shared this analysis with and the forward was in full agreement. "We fought for each other. Great intensity. I think it could have been 10-0," the forward told CBS. Dominik Szoboszlai, Carragher's pick for player of the match, could not explain the stark difference in performance from Sunday. The midfielder urged his side not to fall into the trap of inconsistency that has plagued their season. "Now we know we are able to do this," Szoboszlai told CBC. "It should not be a question that we do this every game. It doesn't matter if we play 8pm in the Champions League at Anfield." Liverpool's best nights do tend to come in the Champions League at Anfield. The test for Slot's side, and perhaps a good measure for what we can expect for the remainder of the season, will be at Brighton on Saturday lunchtime. Champions League qualificaiton through the league is still very much in Liverpool's grasp. Neither Chelsea nor Aston Villa, their closest rivals for top five, appear to have the credentials to pull away. Liverpool sit in between those two in fifth, currently enough to qualify, and their performance in the Champions League could be crucial to ensuring that remains the case with Arsenal the only other English side to progress. The Premier League champions come up against the Champions League winners in the next round. PSG knocked Liverpool out at the round of 16 stage last season. A rematch felt like a scary proposition before Wednesday night. If Liverpool, and Salah, can keep this up, you know better than to write Liverpool off in the Champions League. Analysis: Liverpool upped the tempo Sky Sports' Adam Bate at Anfield: "I cannot think of one match all season where Liverpool have put in the perfect performance in both attack and defence and been three or four nil up," Jamie Carragher had said at the weekend. "Every game has been a struggle." This display was different. Liverpool went for Galatasaray from the start, feeding off the energy of a home crowd that did not include the banned supporters of the visiting team. In his programme notes, Slot had called for his team to go "the extra mile" to make the comeback happen. "The incentives are there and we must give everything we have got to secure them. The onus is on us. This is our opportunity to go to the next round and also to remind ourselves and everyone else what we are capable of. Let's make the most of it." Liverpool delivered so spectacularly, their performance so dominant, that Galatasaray goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir was one of the standout players on the pitch despite conceding four. He was overwhelmed, a reminder of what these Liverpool players can do in full flow. It has not been seen enough this season, too many games still in the balance late on, and that has cost Liverpool in the Premier League. But there are still prizes to play for, European and domestic. And maybe a bit more belief now that those prizes can be pursued.

The jobless rate was 5.2% in the three months to January, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said. Before last month, such a high hadn't been seen since the three months to January 2021. The increases in the last three months were "largely" due youth joblessness, the statistics body said. Money blog: New speed cameras trialled - here's where they're located The unemployment rate among 18 to 24-year-olds rose to 14.5% while the number of people in this age group out of work and not in full-time education increased to the highest rate since 2014, 19.2%. While unemployment rose across the board, the impacts were not felt evenly: male unemployment is 5.5%, while female unemployment is 4.8%. Why? Employers have faced higher costs for employing staff due to the rise in employers' national insurance contributions in April. Higher minimum wages for younger workers had contributed to the growth in unemployment among that cohort, Catherine Mann, a senior Bank of England economist and interest rate setter, said last month. Lower pay rises At the same time, wage growth was at its lowest in more than five years, the ONS said. It means pay is still rising faster than inflation, but more slowly than before, in both the private and public sectors. Average pay, including bonuses, rose 3.8%, while average weekly earnings, which include bonuses, increased 3.9%. Just a month earlier both measures of pay increases had been 4.2%. Green shoots? There are some signs of a rebound in the jobs market, though, as the number of staff on payrolls rose slightly in January. The number of job vacancies remained stable, according to the ONS. Smaller businesses were more reluctant to hire staff and reduced the number of vacancies they posted. But that was made up by bigger firms looking for more staff. Redundancy numbers fell in the last three months, though they are higher compared to a year ago. The proportion of people reporting redundancy was 4.5 per 1,000 employees, from November 2025 to January 2026. None of the latest figures reflect the impact of the Iran war, which, due to the oil and gas price rises, is expected to increase inflation. Impact of war Higher prices can mean people spend less, putting businesses under pressure and potentially leading to them hiring fewer staff and letting go of workers. As the conflict continues the green shoots could evaporate leading to unemployment climbing even higher.

For this year's Academy Awards, this was my spot - a front-row seat to the stars everyone is talking about. The room holds several hundred reporters and there's an Oscar-worthy buffet in the hallway outside to keep us going all day. All the journalists are hoping to be selected to ask a question. Each winner is limited to answering about three to four and you show interest by holding up numbered cards. It's then up to a moderator to select which reporters get to ask away. But it's not just about questions. It's about witnessing those little moments behind the scenes, the things you don't get to see on TV. There's a buzz in the room that builds and builds as the big winners come in towards the end, with one star in particular eliciting a lot of love from the journalists. Here are the best moments. Jessie Buckley's party plans After making history as the first Irish woman to collect the best actress Oscar, Jessie Buckley was asked what her message is to all her supporters back in Ireland who stayed up overnight to watch her win. "Don't go to bed, keep partying!" she replied. "That's what I'm going to do." After winning not just the Oscar, but also the BAFTA, Golden Globe, Critics Choice and Actor Award before it, you would expect nothing less. "I'm so grateful for the support, and I feel the love. Man, I feel it. "I feel it from young people and old people, from women and men, and from my family," Buckley said, adding that she had relatives from New Zealand and Australia as well as Ireland who had flown to LA for the ceremony. "That makes it real," she said. "They're the people who built me. "To share this moment with them and know that back home they are either drunk or staying up - I'm delighted for us all." Standing ovation for Michael B Jordan Buckley got a big cheer, but Michael B Jordan's is even bigger. It takes about 40 seconds for the applause to die down after Jordan is announced as the next winner to be coming into the room. All the journalists are on their feet as he walks in with his Oscar. Winning the award feels "timely", he said, adding that he is here because of black winners before him, such as Denzel Washington and Halle Berry. "Dream big," he said, is his advice for other young creatives. "And be kind, be honest." Being supportive to the next generation is important to him, he added: "So trying to be an example. I'm not a big talker, but I like to think I'm about that action." Cue more applause as he left the room. Making history 'for the ladies in the room and girls at home' Jordan was not the only Sinners star to get a big reaction in the room, with a huge round of applause, too, for cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw. When her name was announced as the winner, she became the first woman ever to win this category in 98 years of the Oscars. "It's tricky because when you go up there you have so much to say, especially after 98 years," she said. "But one thing I was going to say that I had written down was that a lot of little girls that look like me will sleep really well tonight because they'll want to become cinematographers." She said she wanted the award "for all the ladies in the room, and I wanted it for all the girls at home". K-pop Demon Hunters songwriters finish speech after being stage cut-off After being cut off during the acceptance speech for best song, Ejae, singer-songwriter on the KPop Demon Hunters hit Golden, said she wanted to thank fellow singers Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna, because they "killed it with their singing and they're just incredible people". After it was noted that there had been some booing when they were cut off on stage, songwriter and composer Mark Sonnenblick said he had wanted to thank his family and "everybody who worked on this movie, all the animators, it was a real collaboration across the board". Awards librarians We had a very rare moment during this year's ceremony - a tie, with The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva sharing the award for best live-action short film. In the 98-year history of the Academy Awards, this had only happened six times before. How did I find this out so quickly? Well, in one corner of the press room, there are Academy Awards librarians who can give you any fact or figure you want to know about the Oscars. So when the tie was announced, cue a queue of reporters trying to find out exactly how rare a feat this is. The last time it happened was in 2012, when Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty were both recognised for sound editing. Oscars bingo The first winner of the night was Amy Madigan, named best supporting actress for her chilling performance in Weapons, and she was quick to note the journalists holding their cards up. "How do you decide who gets to ask a question?" she asked, getting a laugh. "Is it like bingo or something, how does it work?" Asked whether she was prepared for a possible win, she said she knew it was a special day as she had shaved her legs especially.

The statement, from a coalition of MPs, councillors and activists, comes after a major intervention from Angela Rayner, in which she criticised Sir Keir Starmer's "un-British" immigration reforms and said Labour's "very survival" is "at stake". The former deputy prime minister was speaking at a reception hosted by Mainstream, a centre-left organisation which advocates for practical left policies and is closely aligned with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Her language has been echoed by a new "Reset the Labour Party" statement, which calls for a change of course in the wake of the Gorton and Denton by-election disaster and potentially catastrophic local elections in May. The statement, launching with an official website this evening and seen by Sky News, calls for bolder ideas and a more democratic culture within the party, hitting out at the "pandering to the far right" from the "top down" leadership. It is supported by Mainstream as well as Momentum - the organisation that spearheaded Corbynmania. The campaign also has the support of a broad group of Labour MPs, ranging from those in the Socialist Campaign Group like John McDonnell and Richard Burgon, to centre left figures from the Tribune group and Mainstream - such as Simon Opher and Paula Barker. The collaboration is significant, as there have historically been clashes between Labour's left and centre-left. It is part of an attempt for progressive figures to gain seats on the party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), which is facing elections later this year. Highlighting Labour's "growing electoral threat" the statement says: "Members from across our party's progressive majority are uniting behind a call to urgently reset the Labour Party. The upcoming National Executive Committee elections are an opportunity to do just that. "We stand against the insular, centralising approach of the current leadership that refuses to draw on the energy, talent and ideas of our whole movement, the continued underfunding of public services and local government, and the pandering to the talking points of the far right." Internal elections Labour's NEC sets the overall strategic direction of the party and has an influence on party rules and discipline and candidate selection. Nine Constituency Labour Party (CLP) representatives are up for election on the body, with Mainstream and Momentum backing a different set of three candidates. While this is not a joint slate, all of their candidates have signed the statement, as well as independent candidates. It is hoped this will signal to members common ground between those standing from the broad left, who will be going up against those backed by Labour to Win - a pro-leadership group. 'Choose a different path' The NEC elections are not until the summer, but in going public now it signals the deep-rooted anger within many corners of the party about the direction of travel. Last month's Gorton and Denton by-election saw Labour come third, behind the Greens and Reform UK in a seat they had controlled for 100 years, after the NEC blocked Mr Burnham from standing. The party has also lost to Reform UK in Runcorn, and to Plaid Cymru in Caerphilly. With support for Labour collapsing across the country, there is growing speculation Sir Keir could face a leadership challenge following May's local elections, which insiders expect to be a "bloodbath". The reset statement warns Labour can "only survive...if we choose a different path", with policies such as wealth taxes and taking essential services into democratic ownership. Read More:Voters split over whether Starmer is handling Iran war well It also calls for rebuilding democracy within the party, saying that means restoring "genuinely open" candidate selections, "ending the suspension of MPs for legitimate scrutiny of the government" and moving away from "top-down control". And it also warns members are giving up on Labour in "anger or disappointment", and rebuilding membership "must be a priority for Labour's success". The statement has been signed by councillors across the country, while other MPs names include jury trial critic Charlotte Nichols, Open Labour's Alex Sobel and welfare rebels Chris Hinchliff and Neil Duncan-Jordan. Rayner warns Labour 'running out of time' Ms Rayner - often tipped as a frontrunner to replace the prime minister - is not one of the signatories, but last night she made similar remarks as she praised Mainstream's "radical realism". She said the "very survival of the Labour Party is at stake" and that the government is "running out of time" to deliver change as people have the impression it has been "defending the status quo". As well as criticising migration reforms, she said the government must pursue a relentless battle on the cost of living if it wants to emulate the success of centre-left governments in Norway and Canada that have bounced back to win amid rising populism. Number 10 has since declined to give the migration reforms its full backing, but insisted today that Sir Keir "shares an impatience" to deliver change and is "firmly on the side of working people". Meanwhile the prime minister has previously vowed to face down any leadership challenge and insists he will lead Labour into the next election.

The landmark agreement promises to usher in a new era for the sport as Zuffa Boxing, the new promotional powerhouse, confirms Sky Sports as the UK and Irish broadcaster for their events. The deal adds to the broadcaster's already world-class offering in sporting entertainment and means customers can look forward to seeing action-packed fight nights, including at least five shows per year on UK soil. Listen to the Toe2Toe podcast every weekNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW Sky Sports is the home of British sport and has been at the heart of boxing for more than three decades bringing fans the best and biggest bouts in the sport. From Frank Bruno taking on Mike Tyson at the MGM Grand to Ricky Hatton's legendary career, from the spectacular entrances and sensational fights of Naseem Hamed to Anthony Joshua headlining Wembley Stadium and much, much more, Sky Sports has brought fight fans the best and biggest bouts in the sport for 35 years. This new deal underlines Sky's renewed commitment to showcasing the very best boxing talent to UK fans alongside Zuffa. Zuffa Boxing was launched in 2025 as a joint venture between TKO Group Holdings and leading entertainment conglomerate Sela. The promotion - anchored by UFC president and CEO Dana White and WWE President and TKO board member Nick Khan - aims to reimagine the sport of boxing by evolving the current model to restore the sport's rightful place in the forefront of the global sports ecosystem. Sky Sports' Chief Officer UK & Ireland, Jonathan Licht, said: "Sky Sports has been a long-standing partner to boxing for more than 30 years. "Zuffa Boxing has exciting plans for the sport, and we share that same ambition when it comes to putting on the best fights for our customers. "We look forward to a new era where we'll use our platform to both build stars and showcase elite boxing talent here in the UK and internationally." Dana White said: "The UK has played such a pivotal role throughout the history of boxing. The fans there are some of the most loyal and passionate in the world. When you talk about boxing in that region, Sky Sports has always been the home for legendary boxing fights. There's no bigger or better platform to showcase the best boxing in the UK. "This is a massive milestone for Zuffa Boxing." Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing will reveal a more detailed fight schedule for the remainder of 2026 over the coming weeks. First show The first event to be broadcast on Sky Sports will be ZUFFA BOXING 05: CORTES vs GARCIA on Sunday April 5 in Las Vegas, live from the Meta APEX. The main event will feature rising contender, Andres Cortes, 24-0 (13), looking to keep his perfect record as he takes on Eridson Garcia, 23-1 (14), who is coming off a six-fight winning streak. The chief support will see former world champion Mark Magsayo (28-2, 18 KOs) take on Ireland's own Feargal McCrory (17-1, 9 KOs) with both looking to stamp their mark on Zuffa Boxing's lightweight division. Who are Zuffa? The promotional company brings together three of the most powerful figures in combat sports entertainment: Dana White - the long-serving figurehead of the UFC, the hugely successful mixed martial arts enterpriseNick Khan - the president of the WWETurki Alalshikh - the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, who has been guiding an industry-changing venture into boxing. White has been planning a move to shake-up boxing and after years of speculation his vision is finally fast taking shape. Zuffa Boxing promoted the Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford super-fight last September, which was a truly global event. Zuffa has also made the marquee signings of Conor Benn, one of Britain's most high-profile boxing stars, and leading cruiserweight Jai Opetaia in a clear statement of intent. Their first show on Sky will be headlined by Andres Cortes versus Eridson Garcia, two fighters who between them have a combined record of 47 wins against just one loss. In just two months, the Las Vegas-based company have promoted four shows at the Meta Apex, with competitive 50-50 clashes at the core of their philosophy.