This outdated system is destroying trust in politics. But there’s still time for Labour to follow Wales and Scotland’s example and introduce PR in the UK

Before a vote is counted, this much we know. More results than ever will involve the winning party getting a disproportionate amount of power, considering the number of votes cast for it; fewer people will get what they voted for. The ever more random roulette wheel of our voting system will produce wildly odd winners and losers.

Our never-fit-for-purpose first-past-the-post system breaks apart under the strain of having five or sometimes six parties bunched together with no more than 11 percentage points between them in the polls.

Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist

The actor on dealing with disruptive drinkers in his pub, what he’d ask Shakespeare, and being urged by Alec Guinness to withdraw from Stonewall

In more than six decades of acting, what has changed the most? eamonmcc
My first job, in 1961, was at the Belgrade theatre in Coventry, the first British civic theatre built after the second world war, with public funds and a subsequent Arts Council grant. My weekly wage was £8, enough to pay for my flat, which cost three guineas, and to eat well enough. Every city of similar size had a repertory company, presenting a new production every two weeks, and crucially providing employment for tyro actors in need of a prolonged apprenticeship in the company of senior players. You learned what you could and couldn’t do and what you could aspire to. Today, alas, there is not a single rep company in the UK and no comparable system for training new talent.

My Belgrade flat, built to house a member of the disbanded company, now holds the council’s office of outreach and education. What is unchanged since 1961 is the enthusiasm of audiences for lively theatre, classic or newly written. Going to live theatre is still one of the principal amusements in the UK.

From building an online community to losing long-term friendships, micro-influencer couples explain their experiences in age-gap relationships

When it comes to relationships with extreme power imbalances – say, professional hierarchies or underage participants – there is broad consensus on what’s acceptable. But a relationship between people whose ages differ by a decade or so confuses and intrigues people endlessly.

Generally, the wider the age gap and the younger one partner is, the greater the skepticism. Older men have long been side-eyed for dating substantially younger women. The reverse – older women with younger men – also remains somewhat subversive. But the latter dynamic is increasingly celebrated – last year, the Cut covered the trend of older women seeking younger partners, and last month, the New York Times released a podcast episode titled “Older Women Are in Demand by Younger Men”.

The Australian pharmacy chain is coming to the United Kingdom. With its hectic and chaotic aesthetic, there’s no mistaking it for a Boots

We’ve all been there. You feel a slight headache coming on and decide to pop into the nearest chemist to pick up some Panadol. Chances are, if you’re in Australia, it’s a Chemist Warehouse – and the experience of shopping for the cure is about to make you feel sicker.

Outside, the stores give a hint about the chaos within. Signs scream “DISCOUNT” and “Australia’s Cheapest Chemist!!” The exteriors are painted with bright red, yellow and blue signage, and, for anyone confused, enormous arrows point towards the door.

A new show of this Welsh-born artist’s mesmerising portraits is worth visiting for one nude alone: a painting of an eyes-closed, long-legged, elegant brunette, inspired by Sleeping Venus

Sylvia Sleigh wouldn’t paint people if she didn’t find them interesting – and by interesting, I mean attractive. She didn’t idealise nudes like the old masters. Instead, the naked bodies she depicted were really, truly beautiful. Many were friends, among them artists and critics. Others were paid models. Scrolling through images of her radical, realist artworks online, I find myself humming along to the REM song: “Shiny happy people …”

It was surely part of the appeal of Johanna Lawrenson, the elegant brunette with enviably long legs who posed for the 1963 painting The Bridge. Few exhibitions are worth visiting for a single artwork alone, but this monumental canvas is special. Sleigh kept it until her death in 2010, at which point it was donated to a not-for-profit theatre company in New York. Now it’s for sale, and before it’s snapped up there’s a rare chance to see it on show at Malarkey, a small space overlooking Russell Square in London.

Stansted passengers disagree that stopping airports serving alcohol before early flights will reduce bad behaviour

For most people, the idea of a pint with breakfast is pretty grim. But at the Wetherspoons in Stansted’s departure lounge on Thursday morning, it appeared to be the beverage of choice.

“It’s a holiday ritual,” said Dee Wood, 60, a waste policy officer, who was enjoying a pint while waiting to board her Alicante-bound morning flight. “It’s like the start of holiday,” said her friend Rachel Almond, 59, a community planner, who was treating herself to a lager. “We don’t get drunk, we just have a pint, say cheers and off we go.”

English council results starting to arrive, while Scottish and Welsh parliament results are due from midday

• 2026 election results: latest from local, Scottish and Welsh votes

We’re getting statements from some of the political parties now as we wait for results.

For the Conservatives, party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said:

We have run an energetic and positive campaign, showcasing that we have a clear plan to get Britain working again and that we have the team to deliver it... We know that so soon after a historic general election defeat and contesting wards won during the Party’s polling highs, that this will be a difficult set of elections for us. But we will continue to rebuild and to show the public that we have changed, to demonstrate that only this new Conservative party is a credible alternative.

People are deeply disappointed with a Labour government that has been too timid to fix the country, but they are also appalled by the rise of Reform and Nigel Farage’s Trump-style politics. While those on the extremes of the right and the left want to burn everything down, Liberal Democrats want to fix what’s broken. Every Liberal Democrat local champion elected today will fight tirelessly for the communities they serve.

I’ve travelled across England and Wales and I’m hearing the same everywhere I go – confidence that we will win more councillors than ever before. The news from the doorstep is that we will be taking seats from not just Labour but the Tories and Lib Dems too, from all across the country. Voters are responding to the fact that Greens are the only party taking the cost-of-living crisis seriously, with real plans to cut bills, reduce rents and provide genuinely affordable homes, as well as tackling the climate and nature crisis.

Throughout this election, we have heard a clear appetite for change. People want a government that will stand up for Wales and focus relentlessly on the key issues affecting their lives. People have told us they have been inspired by Rhun ap Iorwerth’s leadership and driven by a desire for a positive alternative to Reform UK’s chaos and division.

From devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales to councils and mayoralties in England, find out what happened in your area

• Latest news updates and analysis from election night

Candidates from across spectrum report abuse online and in person before local and devolved elections in England, Wales and Scotland

• 2026 election results: latest from local, Scottish and Welsh votes

Candidates and political parties have described a climate of abuse in this year’s local and devolved elections, including death threats and intimidation while campaigning.

Politicians from a range of parties have reported abuse and harassment in the lead-up to the elections in England, Scotland and Wales, with the Green party describing this year’s campaign as the worst in memory.

Trump says truce ‘is going’ despite exchanges of fire but threatens to hit Iran ‘a lot more violently’ if it doesn’t quickly agree to deal; Iran accuses US of violating ceasefire

The European Union is set to tell airlines the impact from the Iran war on tourism is not yet severe enough to justify emergency measures for the sector, draft EU guidelines seen by Reuters showed.

“The current situation does not point to the need for dedicated measures for the tourism sector, unlike during the COVID-19 crisis,” said the draft EU guidelines, which the European Commission is due to publish on Friday.