Good evening. Ben Wallace has told Tory rebels it is “too late” to replace Rishi Sunak, saying it is time for Conservative MPs to “march towards the sound of the guns” and “get on with it”.
Elsewhere, JK Rowling has vowed to continue “calling a man a man” in defiance of controversial new SNP hate crime laws.
March towards the guns, Ben Wallace tells Tory MPs
The former defence secretary said that, regardless of how his colleagues felt about the Prime Minister, there was “no other alternative” than to get behind him as leader. His comments come as Mr Sunak faces speculation about a leadership challenge.
JK Rowling vows to defy ‘ludicrous’ new hate crime laws
The Harry Potter author said she would not delete her social media posts, in which she has regularly argued that trans women are not women, to avoid being taken to court “under this ludicrous law”. The legislation creates a criminal offence of “stirring up of hatred”, expanding on a similar offence based on racist abuse that has been on the statute book for decades.
Yousaf showing ‘open contempt’ for voters with call for Tory-free Scotland
Humza Yousaf has displayed “open contempt” for hundreds of thousands of voters by calling for a “Tory-free Scotland”, Douglas Ross has said amid a mounting backlash. The Scottish Tory leader said the call to expel Conservatism from the country was “insulting” for almost 700,000 people who backed his party in the 2021 Holyrood election.
Evening Briefing: Today’s essential headlines
Ofcom | GB News episodes presented by three Tory MPs have been found to have broken broadcasting rules on due impartiality.
Comment and analysis
Stephen Davies | Installing Penny would be a calamity
Jane Shilling | The charmless M25 has hidden depths it takes time to discover
Lucy Burton | Labour’s workers’ rights plan is a ticking time bomb for the party
Ross Clark | The heat pump fantasy is dead – only our blinkered elites haven’t noticed
Greg Dickinson | I tired of overpriced London, and now tourists are being put off too
Feature of the day
What eating bread really does to your body – and the healthiest supermarket loaves to buy
The nation’s favourite carb can be bad for weight loss and blood sugar – but these selections from the UK’s top supermarkets are safe bets.
Business news: Google in talks to put AI chatbot on every iPhone despite diversity row
Google and Apple are in talks over a deal that could see the search engine’s chatbot technology installed on every iPhone, despite a row over the system’s excessive efforts to promote diversity.
Live markets news: Giving up oil is a ‘fantasy’, says Saudi Aramco chief
Editor’s choice
Travel | It’s time to rethink Med’s ‘worst’ destinations – here’s why
Dear Richard Madeley | Should I let my alcoholic brother stay in our mother’s house rent-free?
The Great Celebrity Bake Off review | There’s a reason this feelgood fundraiser gets the best celebs