Tories think auction's a clue Sunak has already conceded

Rishi Sunak appeared to run up the white flag of surrender at the Conservatives' summer garden party fundraiser, with what guests saw as an acceptance that he will not be prime minister after 4 July.

Top Tory takes leave over election betting allegations

The Conservative Party's chief data officer has taken a leave of absence over claims he placed bets on the timing of the general election. Nick Mason is the latest Tory to be investigated by the Gambling Commission for allegedly betting on the timing of the election before the date had been announced.

JK Rowling: Labour's trans stance 'abandoning' women

Author JK Rowling has criticised Labour for \"abandoning\" women concerned about transgender rights.

How Starmer set a trap over Partygate to snare Johnson

Sir Keir Starmer has set out for the first time how he laid a trap for Boris Johnson over Partygate, luring the former prime minister into the lies that saw him forced out of parliament.

Labour to target Sunak over his 'dirty dozen' candidates

Labour is set to launch a social media campaign aimed at questioning Rishi Sunak's judgement by ramping up pressure for him to suspend 12 candidates caught up in different controversies including the betting scandal.

Disenfranchised younger people to reject ballot box

Huge numbers of younger people feel disenfranchised by the political parties and are not going to vote, exclusive polling for The Independent shows.

Don't fret about wine buffs and rosé advice, just enjoy it

The sun has been shining for a good 30 seconds, which means for many of us it's finally time to crack open that bottle of rosé we've been keeping back just for this occasion.

This 'punishment election' is revenge for the past 14 years

Is this the most vindictive general election ever? There's reason to think so. The former Conservative MP and junior minister Paul Scully puts it rather well, calling it a \"punishment election\" in which the Tories and particularly their leader - are coming in for a vengeful kneecapping in a fortnight's time.

'People forgot my sister'

Nicole Simpson was killed outside her home 30 years ago, leading to the trial of the century. Now, her sister Denise talks to Annabel Nugent about the woman she was and how her story resulted in a revolution on domestic violence

England pay for slow start in T20 loss to South Africa

Harry Brook narrowly failed to get England out of jail against South Africa as the defending champions blinked with a semifinal spot at the T20 World Cup within their grasp. Having restricted the Proteas to 163 for six in St Lucia, England looked to be on the way to a second Super 8s win in three days - and a place in the final four - but slipped to a seven-run defeat.

Mercedes call police after Hamilton 'sabotage' claims

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has hit out after an anonymous email was sent that claimed Lewis Hamilton was being \"sabotaged\" and that his life was in danger.

Enthralling draw but more finishing prowess needed

There’s no masking the truth from this first 0-0 of Euro 2024. France, the true favourites, currently lack end product.

Barcelona plans to scrap holiday rentals by 2028

Tourists will be banned from renting apartments in Barcelona in a controversial move aimed at clamping down on soaring housing costs in the city. Over 10,000 holiday lets, which are advertised on platforms like Airbnb and Homeaway, will instead be made available to residents from 2028, the city's mayor said.

France reels as two boys charged with raping Jewish girl ‘in antisemitic attack'

The alleged rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in a suspected antisemitic attack has sent shockwaves throughout France, and thrust concerns about antisemitism to the forefront of campaigning for the country’s legislative elections.

Billionaire Hindujas jailed for exploiting poor servants

An Indian-born billionaire and three family members were sentenced to prison yesterday for exploiting domestic workers at their lakeside villa in Switzerland by seizing their passports, barring them from going out and making them work up to 18 hours a day.

Trump raises $141m in May, outstripping Biden by $56m

Donald Trump raised significantly more funds than Joe Biden in May, despite becoming the first US president to be convicted of a crime.

Ukraine faces terror of new 3000kg Russian glide bomb

The multistorey building stands alone just off a main road.

'His brazen dishonesty will cause lasting harm to police'

Chief constable sacked for lying about service achievements

She stood up to the Taliban as a TV presenter. Now they've come for her family

As a leading TV presenter championing women's rights, Shabnam Khan Dawran is no stranger to death threats.

Grant Windrush victims UK citizenship 'within 100 days of new government'

Campaigners are demanding citizenship to be granted to all families affected by the Home Office's Windrush scandal within the first 100 days of the new government. Ahead of Windrush Day celebrations today, a coalition of anti-racism charities and groups has unveiled a “Home Office scandal manifesto”, outlining key demands for new ministers after the 4 July general election.

Why is there silence on the crisis looming for councils?

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned of the looming crisis facing local authorities, and the worrying silence on the issue in the election campaign.

The Tories are not the only ones having poll nightmares

The Conservatives fear the opinion polls shaping the election campaign will encourage more of their many disenchanted supporters to switch to Nigel Farage's Reform UK on the grounds the Tories are certain to lose anyway. \"This election is all about the polls, not the policies,\" groaned one senior Tory.

West provoked Russia into Ukraine war, insists Farage

Nigel Farage has said the EU and Nato provoked the invasion of Ukraine by Russia by expanding eastwards. Speaking to BBC's Panorama last night, Mr Farage said the expansion of the European Union and Nato eastwards gave Vladimir Putin a reason to tell the Russian people “they’re coming for us again”.

Voters to hit Tories hard as property ladder pulled up

The Conservatives have been warned they face an existential crisis over housing after new figures showed ownership has declined in dozens of seats held by the party.

Tory donations dry up as big business backs Labour

The Tories have been dwarfed by the Labour Party in fundraising as big donors ditch Rishi Sunak's party ahead of the 4 July general election.

Conservative Party 'held in contempt by the electorate' as betting scandal deepens

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of \"total lack of leadership\" after the prime minister failed to deny cabinet ministers are among senior Tories who placed bets on the election date.

Brand it like the Beckhams

With help from Netflix, Posh and Becks continue to show the world a rosy view of their marriage. As a new biography tells a different story, Rachel Richardson delves a little deeper

"They all went for a hike amid high temperatures'

Greek tragedies see five tourists die over 11 days in 40C heat

Do pushy parents damage kids or help them to thrive?

Tennis ace Emma Raducanu says she’s lucky to have a strict mum and dad despite years of resentment and the returns are clear. Charlotte Cripps wrestles with a parental poser

Biden's mental capacity is an election issue - he has to go

Over the past week, discussion of the US presidential election has dramatically shifted from Joe Biden’s chances of winning a second term to his chances of contesting the election at all.