Inside Politics: Labour triumphant in battle for Batley

Relief for Keir Starmer as Kim Leadbeater holds onto ‘red wall’ seat, writes Matt Mathers

(PA)

We’ve got a bombshell update for you this morning. Yes, there will be a recoupling on tonight’s episode of Love Island. Phew! Could Keir Starmer begin patching up his relationship with Labour MPs? There is light relief for the leader this morning after the impressive Kim Leadbeater held Batley and Spen against the odds. Leadership challenge chatter is likely to subside now...until the next by-election, at least. Elsewhere, the master of fudge has been up to his old tricks again. Boris Johnson has promised that double jabs will be a “liberator” for foreign travel. But in almost the same breath, he said holidays would not be “hassle free”. Give us a break, prime minister?

Inside the bubble

Policy correspondent Jon Stone on what to look out for today: