A Worcestershire MP has recalled how a political rivalry with Dame Esther Rantzen turned into a lasting friendship, following her death at the age of 86.
Nigel Huddleston first met the veteran broadcaster and Childline founder when they stood against each other in Luton South at the 2010 general election.
But what could have been an awkward relationship between political opponents instead became a friendship that continued for many years.
"Esther and I probably should not have got on," the Conservative member for Droitwich and Evesham said, adding: "But, like so many people who met her, I was completely charmed by her and we got on like a house on fire from day one."
Dame Esther had entered the race as an independent following the MPs expenses scandal, turning what Huddleston expected to be a contest between the Conservatives and Labour into what he described as a "media frenzy".

#political #friendship

In the early 2000s, house-flipping was the get-rich-quick trend that seemingly everyone with enough liquidity wanted to try their hand at. It was popularized by TV shows like Flip This House that showcased fixer-upper success stories and took viewers along for the ride.
Though the heyday ended with the 2008 housing crash, the practice was revived in the COVID-era housing lull and remains popular even now, despite not being as profitable as it once was given rising real estate, material, and labour costs. One way around those realities is to take advantage of the speculative nature of certain properties so a flip doesn't have to involve much renovation work (or any at all, if you're lucky).
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake. Here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP
The tax breaks in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' expire after 2028. Here are 4 moves to make before the window closes

#like #covid #bezos

Manchester City begin their 2026-27 Champions League campaign at Porto on Tuesday, the first night of the new league phase and a landmark occasion for Enzo Maresca, who takes charge of a Champions League match for City for the first time since succeeding Pep Guardiola.
Both sides arrive with perfect domestic records, setting up the fifth competitive meeting between two clubs who have never previously finished on the losing side against each other. Porto return to the Champions League proper for the first time since 2023-24 having reclaimed the Primeira Liga ****** le last season, and they arrive full of confidence after seven straight wins in all competitions.
City, by contrast, head to Portugal having laboured to a narrow 1-0 win over Coventry City at the weekend, a game in which club-record £125m signing Enzo Fernandez was thrust into the starting XI earlier than planned following an injury to Nico O'Reilly. Maresca's side have won all three Premier League matches so far this season, though their away form in Europe has been notably shakier than their home record.
Date: Tuesday, 8 September 2026Kick-off: 20:00 BSTVenue: Estádio do Dragão, PortoReferee: Szymon Marciniak (POL)Last meeting: Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 1 December 2020, Champions League (Group Stage)
Jan Bednarek serves a one-match ban having been sent off in last season's Europa League quarter-final defeat to Nottingham Forest, meaning Nehuen Perez is set to partner Jakub Kiwior in central defence. Victor Froholdt, who was knocked unconscious and hospitalised during last weekend's win over Moreirense, remains sidelined along with Vasco Sousa, Oskar Pietuszewski, Gabriel Mec, Zaidu Sanusi and Samu Aghehowa. Diogo Costa continues in goal behind a defence that has conceded only once in six matches this season.

#champions

Coco Gauff won the all-American Labour Day showdown against teenager Iva Jovic to reach the US Open quarter-finals.
The 22-year-old, bidding for a second Flushing Meadows ****** le, overpowered Jovic 6-1, 6-4 on a balmy bank holiday night in New York.
An impressive victory set up a last-eight meeting with French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, whom Gauff has beaten in all five of their career meetings.
A jittery start from the 2023 winner gifted 18-year-old Jovic a break in the first game with a double fault.
But Jovic's nerves were also on show as Gauff raced away with the next six games to take the first set.

#jovic #first #flushing

By Anna Voitenko
KYIV, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The air raid alert in Kyiv was live, warning of approaching Russian jet-propelled drones, but fortunately there were no explosions nearby during the final phase of Alyona Bohatyrenko's labour.
"I gave birth during an ‌air alert!" beamed the 32-year-old, as she lay in her hospital bed cradling her baby daughter minutes after she was ‌born. "None of this is normal, but ... you get used to it somehow."
Doctors at Kyiv City Maternity Hospital No. 2 took a calculated risk by delivering Bohatyrenko's baby on the ward while the skies over the city were under threat.
The same was true for Yuliia Ishchuk, 26, who also gave birth there last Wednesday.

#kyiv #gave #birth #baby

US stock futures were broadly unchanged as investors ******* sed developments in the US-Iran conflict, the interest-rate outlook and corporate updates ahead of Friday's US labour market report.
By 03:50 ET, S&P 500 Futures were unchanged at 7,671.1 points. Nasdaq 100 Futures were also little changed at 29,211.25, while Dow Jones Futures stood at 53,195.
The moves followed a positive Wall Street session as US equities recovered from declines at the beginning of September. Attention remained focused on Friday's labour market data and its potential implications for Federal Reserve monetary policy.
Oil prices moved lower in Asian trading on Thursday after three consecutive sessions of increases as markets ******* sed developments in the US-Iran conflict.
Brent crude futures declined 0.4% to $95.25 a barrel, while WTI crude futures fell 0.2% to $90.80. Both contracts had gained almost 1% on Wednesday and reached their highest levels in approximately five weeks.

#futures #market

Named Regulatory Navigator, the free tool enables organisations to receive an instant, indicative summary of relevant legal requirements based on their specific business profile.
The launch comes amid a period of expanding global regulation in areas such as sustainability reporting and forced labour, creating uncertainty for companies over which obligations affect them and when.
With rules varying by headquarters country, revenue, employee numbers, markets served, and whether a company imports goods, Sedex said companies often struggle to keep up with changing thresholds and deadlines.
The Regulatory Navigator aims to address this by guiding users through a short series of questions about their headquarters location, revenue, workforce size, market presence, and import activity.
The tool **** ses responses and highlights which of eight key regulations are likely to impact the business. These include the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the EU Forced Labour Regulation, Canada's S-211 Act to combat forced and child labour in supply chains, and Australia's Modern Slavery Act.

#Sustainability #labour #corporate #regulation

A fresh Labour tax raid on the North Sea would cause "lasting damage" to Britain's oil and gas industry, bosses have warned.
John Healey, the Chancellor, is facing backlash over plans to extend a windfall tax on UK oil and gas profits, with energy chiefs claiming this would destroy investment and accelerate job losses.
Russell Borthwick, the chief executive of the chamber of commerce in Aberdeen, which represents the likes of BP and Shell, said another tax raid would cripple an industry "which Britain cannot afford to lose".
Labour already taxes oil and gas profits at 78pc under an existing windfall levy which Rachel Reeves, the former chancellor, previously extended from 2028 to 2030.
Under a more punitive regime, Mr Healey could increase the levy and extend it beyond 2030, as reported by The Telegraph.

#chancellor #profits #levy #north

A number of stars from overseas have joined the Women's Super League this summer - but one move that has gone slightly under the radar could turn out to be more important than them all.
Kirsty Hanson has swapped Aston Villa for Tottenham and there is reason to believe Spurs have quietly pulled off a recruitment masterstroke.
The 28-year-old was the third-highest goalscorer in the WSL last season despite the Scotland forward's side labouring in ninth place in the table.
With 12 goals in 22 matches, only PFA player of the year Khadija Shaw and England striker Alessia Russo scored more than her.
So why did Hanson make the move and how does she intend to take ambitious Tottenham - who start their WSL season on 6 September at home to West Ham - to another level this season?

#super #aston

NurPhoto/Getty Images
German robotics startup Neura Robotics has announced its fifth acquisition in 16 months as it races to build a physical AI platform through acquisitions.
The company announced on Monday that it will take full ownership of Adlatus, a German maker of autonomous cleaning and sweeping robots for industry, logistics, healthcare and public ****** es.
Neura plans to add its own sensor and AI capabilities to Adlatus's fleet, which it will then fold into its shared physical AI infrastructure, the Neuraverse.
"We're not buying Adlatus just to add another cleaning robot to our portfolio," Neura CEO and founder David Reger said. "We want to give machines like this a new brain. Cleaning is a massive global labour market and, at the same time, a perfect example of what physical AI can transform. When a robot doesn't just navigate its environment but understands what it sees, senses, and needs to do, an entirely new generation of machines emerges."

#cleaning #robot #machines #nurphoto

Hyundai Motor and its labour union have arrived at a tentative wage agreement, bringing an end to a period of industrial action that had hit production at the South Korean automaker.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the breakthrough came during the 17th round of negotiations between the two parties.
Under the terms agreed, monthly base pay will rise by Won100,000 ($72.20), alongside a performance bonus worth more than 400% of monthly salary and a separate lump-sum payment of Won12.5m.
"The two sides agreed to transparently share information on new projects and their implementation processes, and jointly respond to future changes in the industry", the company was quoted as saying.
Yonhap also reported that the retirement age will be pushed back from 60 to 65, though this element of the deal depends on corresponding changes to relevant laws and regulations.

#changes #motor #korean #agency

HONG KONG, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The term "flexible employment" has gone viral in China after a prominent economics professor described gig work as a form of "welfare", drawing widespread public anger and highlighting deep ‌anxieties over job insecurity.
Zhang Dandan, a professor of economics and deputy dean at Peking University's National School ‌of Development, made the remarks during a discussion on social protection for gig workers, on the popular financial show "Let's Talk" last week.
She argued that from the perspective of labour economics, "flexibility itself is a form of welfare."
While regular employees trade schedule flexibility for pensions and other benefits, flexible workers enjoy greater control over their time at the cost of weaker social protections, Zhang said.
The comments triggered a fierce backlash over the weekend, with social media users accusing Zhang of being oblivious to the harsh ‌realities of the gig economy.

#economics #form #welfare #flexibility

NurPhoto/Getty Images
German robotics startup Neura Robotics has announced its fifth acquisition in 16 months as it races to build a physical AI platform through acquisitions.
The company announced today (Aug. 24) that it will take full ownership of Adlatus, a German maker of autonomous cleaning and sweeping robots for industry, logistics, healthcare and public ****** es.
Neura plans to add its own sensor and AI capabilities to Adlatus's fleet, which it will then fold into its shared physical AI infrastructure, the Neuraverse
"We're not buying ADLATUS just to add another cleaning robot to our portfolio," Neura CEO and founder David Reger said. "We want to give machines like this a new brain. Cleaning is a massive global labour market and, at the same time, a perfect example of what physical AI can transform. When a robot doesn't just navigate its environment but understands what it sees, senses, and needs to do, an entirely new generation of machines emerges."

#neura #german #announced

FLA's new guidance offers a "strategic approach and concrete recommendations" informed by labour rights standards and frameworks, including its work with the Responsible Purchasing Practices Working Group. It is based on FLA's learnings from evaluating over 50 companies' responsible purchasing and production practices over the last decade; insights gleaned from conversations with buyers; and more.
"Purchasing decisions directly influence working conditions in supply chains," said FLA vice president of research & development in social compliance Tiffany Rogers. "Cost negotiations, payment terms, and lead times are just a few of the elements companies must consider in light of their impact on workers. Our latest guidance is designed to help businesses develop clear processes for working responsibly with suppliers that avoid creating risks for both workers and business operations."
Just Style coverage yesterday on the back of data from ESG ratings agency EcoVadis, revealed most UK retailers currently have no mechanism in place for workers to safely report labour rights abuse. EcoVadis ***** sed nearly 3,000 suppliers to UK retailers, 242 of which were based in countries classified as high risk for labour and human rights abuses.
While 72% of these suppliers had a written human rights policy in place, 56% had no formal channel available for workers to safely report labour-rights issues such as unpaid wages, harassment or forced labour conditions.
"FLA to issue new guidance on responsible purchasing practices" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand.

#labour #responsible

By Ankur Banerjee and Harry Robertson
SINGAPORE/LONDON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar rose slightly on Tuesday but remained near multi-month lows against its peers as traders reduced their bets on rate hikes, although the threat of an escalation in the Middle East war left ‌sentiment fragile.
The euro eased away from two-month highs of $1.161 touched on Monday and was last little changed at $1.157.
Sterling was at $1.352, dipping 0.1% on ‌weak UK labour market data, just shy of the three-month peak it hit in the previous session.
Data in the past few weeks have pointed to a softer U.S. economy, including unexpected job losses last month and mild inflation readings, leading investors to scale back expectations of a rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

#rate #robertson

By Samuel Indyk and Jiaxing Li
LONDON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar steadied at a near two-month low on Monday following Friday's soft jobs data, as investors awaited this week's inflation data for more clues on the Federal ‌Reserve's rate path.
Data on Friday showed the U.S. economy unexpectedly shed jobs in July while job gains for the ‌prior two months were revised sharply lower, cooling expectations for a Fed rate hike next month.
The soft labour market data adds extra weight to Wednesday's CPI report as investors look for clues on the path of Fed policy.
"It (the labour market data) was a negative event for the dollar," said Francesco Pesole, FX strategist at ING.

#dollar #path

A rush to beat Labour's death tax has triggered a boom in life insurance sales.
Unused pension savings and death benefits will be subject to inheritance tax from April next year.
The changes, announced by Rachel Reeves, the former chancellor, in her 2024 Budget, have already triggered a rush of people looking for ways to cover the steep tax bills their pensions could now leave behind.
Barry O'Dwyer, the chief executive of Royal London, Britain's biggest life and pensions mutual, said more customers were looking to take out life insurance specifically to offset the liability.
"It doesn't take that much, if you're a small-business owner and you have a pension pot built up, to be tipped over the thresholds," Mr O'Dwyer said.

#life #insurance

New Bayer Leverkusen coach Carles Martínez is a true football addict which didn't even stop at his wedding.
"The invitation said: Don't forgot your football boots," Martínez said in an interview with Thursday edition of daily Süddeutsche Zeitung.
"We set up a small pitch and organized matches. Five v five, for a few minutes. I was wearing a suit and tie, captain's armband - and football boots," he recalled.
Martínez, 42, said he also missed the birth of his first child in 2024 because he was in Metz with his then French club Toulouse for a match while his wife was in labour in their native Spain.
He left Toulouse after three years to sign a two-year contract in Leverkusen in succession of Kasper Hjulmand, two years after compatriot Xabi Alonso led the German club to a historic unbeaten Bundesliga and German Cup double.

#five #club #bayer

The number of wealthy non-dom taxpayers shrank by 1,200 last year amid warnings that Labour's tax rises could push even more rich people offshore.
New figures from HMRC reveal that 9,000 non-doms – foreign investors living in Britain – left the country or changed their tax status in the financial year ending April 2025.
Meanwhile, the number of non-doms arriving in the country dropped 14pc to 8,600. A further 800 "deemed-domicile" taxpayers – former non-doms who have since become British tax residents – also quit the UK, for an overall net reduction of 1,200.
Leslie MacLeod-Miller, the chief executive of Foreign Investors for Britain, a pressure group, warned that government inaction could push more investors and entrepreneurs to leave, reducing their £13.6bn annual tax contribution to the public finances.
"Britain is losing internationally mobile wealth at an accelerating pace," he said. "The exodus of wealth will only get worse if the Government does not introduce a competitive tax regime to restore Britain's place in the world."

#investors #government

The U.S. dollar, euro and British pound enter a pivotal week as investors prepare for the Federal Reserve's July 29 to 30 meeting and the ECB's decision last week while new data comes through. Most **** ysts expect that the Fed will leave rates where they are, although the market will be watching out for clues from Chair Jerome Powell given that the latest US data has confirmed the strength of the economy.
June retail sales were up by 0.2% on the month, while the control group increased by 0.4%, and initial claims for unemployment benefits dropped to 208,000, a three-month low, underlining the strength of the consumer and the labour market. This week brings out the second-quarter GDP, the PCE inflation print for June and July non-farm payrolls which could alter thinking around the second half of the year.
The ECB decided to keep its deposit rate at 2.25% as it sees inflation edging toward its 2% target while remaining data-dependent. ECB President Christine Lagarde said growth remains weak, with members continuing to **** s the impact of the economic effect of trade and higher energy costs on the economic environment.
Sterling remains supported by expectations that the Bank of England will proceed cautiously after it kept Bank Rate at 3.75%, and it sees the UK policymakers juggle between curbing inflation and a steady wage-growth and a cooling labour market. UK mortgage approvals, consumer credit and business surveys are released this week as they provide evidence for the economy ahead of the next Bank of England meeting.
The U.S. Dollar Index is maintaining a healthy uptrend after bouncing off support in the 100.50 zone along the uptrend line. Currently, the index trades at 101.28, keeping the 50-day EMA (101.12) and 100-day EMA (101.01) beneath the index level. The RSI is sitting at 53.

#market #inflation #england

The supervisory board of VW Group-owned Porsche has approved another phase of restructuring, a company spokesperson told Reuters.
German media reports said the total number of planned job cuts could reach about 9,000.
The company spokesperson declined to discuss the contents of the new package agreed with labour representatives.
The spokesperson said only that the supervisory board had backed the measures.
"Now it's time to finalise the last steps," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

#spokesperson #reuters #group #porsche

ZURICH, July 24 (Reuters) - Switzerland takes note of the announced additional U.S. tariffs but ‌rejects allegations underlying the forced labour investigation, ‌the government said on Friday.
With tariffs of up to 12.5% on Swiss imports, effective July 24, the United States is still adhering to a joint statement of November 2025, the Swiss statement added.
The decision ‌to impose tariffs ⁠on Swiss imports based on allegedly insufficient measures against forced labour is ⁠neither understandable nor justified, Swiss business **** ociation Economiesuisse said.
"There is no evidence that Swiss supply chains are being used to smuggle goods produced through forced ‌labour into the U.S. market," the group added, calling allegations of forced labor unfounded.
"Forced labour is already prohibited in Switzerland under constitutional, civil and criminal law."

#imports #added

Bristol Gate Capital Partners, an investment management company, published its Q2 2026 investor letter for the "US Equity Strategy". A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The Strategy lagged the S&P 500 Total Return Index in the quarter in terms of returns, but outperformed in dividend growth. Despite debate over capital cycle returns, AI remained the dominant market theme, expanding from early adoption to broader enterprise adoption. The firm continues to focus on high-dividend-growth companies while maintaining discipline around valuation and earnings durability. In addition, please check the Fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Bristol US Equity Strategy highlighted Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN). Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN), a professional services company that focuses on consulting, technology, and outsourcing. On July 22, 2026, Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) closed at $140.09 per share. One-month return of Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) was 9.41%, and its shares lost 51.13% over the past 52 weeks. Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) has a market capitalization of $84.17 billion.
Bristol US Equity Strategy stated the following regarding Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) in its Q2 2026 investor update:
"We liquidated our stakes in Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) and Intuit due to overlapping thematic headwinds. Both companies face intensifying market scrutiny regarding the potential for generative AI to disrupt their core business models. Accenture's labour-intensive consulting framework and Intuit's legacy software franchise. Because these structural debates will take considerable time to resolve, the near-term visibility on earnings durability has diminished. More critically, our forward-looking model signaled a material deterioration in their projected dividend-growth trajectories. Consequently, we redeployed this capital into higher-conviction opportunities with what we believe are superior risk adjusted return profiles."
Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 64 hedge fund portfolios held Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 71 in the previous quarter. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) reported revenues of $18.7 billion, reflecting a 5% increase in local currency. While we acknowledge the potential of Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

#Equity #quarter #investor #letter

Bristol Gate Capital Partners, an investment management company, published its Q2 2026 investor letter for the "US Equity Strategy". A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The Strategy lagged the S&P 500 Total Return Index in the quarter in terms of returns, but outperformed in dividend growth. Despite debate over capital cycle returns, AI remained the dominant market theme, expanding from early adoption to broader enterprise adoption. The firm continues to focus on high-dividend-growth companies while maintaining discipline around valuation and earnings durability. In addition, please check the Fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Bristol US Equity Strategy highlighted Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU). Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) is a financial software company offering products and services for financial management, payments, capital, compliance, and marketing. Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) is facing AI disruption concerns in a rapidly changing software land scape. On July 22, 2026, Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) closed at $284.47 per share. One-month return of Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) was 11.53%, and its shares lost 63.59% over the past 52 weeks. Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) has a market capitalization of $77.81 billion.
Bristol US Equity Strategy stated the following regarding Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) in its Q2 2026 investor update:
"Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) was the largest detractor with the share price down significantly after its quarterly report disappointed investors. We liquidated our stakes in Accenture and Intuit due to overlapping thematic headwinds. Both companies face intensifying market scrutiny regarding the potential for generative AI to disrupt their core business models. Accenture's labour-intensive consulting framework and Intuit's legacy software franchise. Because these structural debates will take considerable time to resolve, the near-term visibility on earnings durability has diminished. More critically, our forward-looking model signaled a material deterioration in their projected dividend-growth trajectories. Consequently, we redeployed this capital into higher-conviction opportunities with what we believe are superior risk adjusted return profiles."
Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 92 hedge fund portfolios held Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 91 in the previous quarter. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) reported revenue of $8.6 billion, reflecting a 10% year-over-year growth. While we acknowledge the potential of Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report

Plans to transform and regenerate the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, which had become a "boarded-up relic of the past", have been approved by Bromley Council.
The centre, which first opened in 1964, will undergo a £130m overhaul, including a full refurbishment and upgrade of the Grade II*-listed hub.
Liam Conlon, Labour MP for Beckenham and Penge, also wishes to bring the Diamond League track and field series back to Crystal Palace and expand para-sport provision at the site.
He said it was a massive moment for south London and described it as "the spiritual home of UK athletics, with 28 world records set here, and household names like Usain Bolt and Mo Farah having raced here".
The Diamond League left Crystal Palace in 2012 and the main 50-metre pool closed in 2020.

#palace #centre

Plans to transform and regenerate the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, which had become a "boarded-up relic of the past", have been approved by Bromley Council.
The centre, which first opened in 1964, will undergo a £130m major revamp of its athletics stadium, indoor arena, and swimming and diving facilities.
Liam Conlon, Labour MP for Beckenham and Penge, also wishes to bring the Diamond League track and field series back to Crystal Palace and expand para-sport provision at the site.
He said it was a massive moment for south London and described it as "the spiritual home of UK athletics, with 28 world records set here, and household names like Usain Bolt and Mo Farah having raced here".
The Diamond League left Crystal Palace in 2012 and the main 50-metre pool closed in 2020.

#diamond #national

There is a difference between holding a manager to account and turning him into a punchbag. That line was crossed far too often in the final weeks of Arne Slot's reign at Liverpool, and it is hard to argue with Paul Ince when he described some of the treatment aimed at the Dutchman as "bang out of order".
Speaking to Empire of the Kop, Ince's defence of Slot cuts through a lot of the noise that built around Anfield before the axe finally fell at the end of May. The facts of the season were ugly enough without the need for the sniping, the ridicule and the online bile. Liverpool had gone from Premier League winners to a side limping over the line in fifth. That collapse invited scrutiny. It did not justify the nastier edge that followed.
Slot's second season unravelled in grim fashion. Results dried up, performances became laboured, and the football often felt like a chore to sit through. Liverpool looked blunt, passive and oddly joyless. The possession-heavy approach rarely carried any real threat, and there were too many afternoons when Anfield's frustration was plain to hear.
That frustration was understandable. Liverpool supporters are not fools, and they know when a team is drifting. A **** le-winning glow can fade quickly when standards crash. Yet it is still worth remembering what Slot walked into. Replacing a transformative figure was always going to be a brutal task, and winning the Premier League in his first campaign bought him a place in club history that should not be brushed aside because the next year went sour.
Ince made that point clearly when he said: "I actually felt for Slot. I really, really did. You know, I thought the way he was treated was bang out of order." It is a fair observation. Criticism of his tactics, team selection and game management was part of the job. Personal abuse was not.

#order

New U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham rose through the ranks of the Labour party to become Prime Minister without winning a single General Election. So how did he do it?

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has branded Andy Burnham a "people pleaser" and warned his plans for government are "airy fairy" ahead of him becoming prime minister on Monday.
Speaking in an interview for Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch accused Burnham of not being aware of "what the country's priorities are".
After being elected as Labour leader, Burnham gave a speech at the Trade Union Congress headquarters in London on Friday, saying he would deliver "significant change".
Burnham will take over from Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister on Monday, following a reception with King Charles III.
Ruthless plotter? Flip-flopper? Dad dancer? Insiders reveal the real Andy Burnham

By Andrew MacAskill and Elizabeth Piper
LONDON, July 17 (Reuters) - After enduring one of the worst moments of his career when he lost his second bid for the Labour leadership in 2015, Andy Burnham spoke of the pain of being "rejected by people you know" and left for Manchester to escape London politics.
Just over a decade later, the man whose stint ‌as Greater Manchester mayor saw him dubbed 'the King of the North' has taken over as Labour leader unopposed and, next week, will become Britain's seventh prime minister in that period.
The defeat ‌and self-imposed exile that appeared to end his chances of ever becoming prime minister instead helped propel him to the most powerful job in Britain.
After being elected Labour leader on Friday, Burnham promised the biggest change in four decades to the way Britain was governed, arguing that centralised government in London had ignored the needs of local communities.