Polls have predicted an in depth race between Mr Avenue and Labour’s Richard Parker.

Regardless of votes not being counted till Saturday, it is being forecast that the Tory candidate will win a 3rd successive time period following victories in 2017 and 2021.

Six candidates have stood to be the subsequent West Midlands Mayor, however it’s the unbiased, Akhmed Yakoob, who might have an effect on the results of the race.

Talking to BBC information, Taj Ali, co-editor of Tribune defined that Labour was polling badly in areas with a sizeable Muslim group, with folks abandoning the celebration on account of Keir Starmer’s feedback in October final yr about Israel being justified in chopping off water and electrical energy to Palestinians within the warfare with Hamas.

He mentioned: “I believe it’ll price them within the West Midlands Mayoral election the place you have received an unbiased candidate, Akhmed Yakoob, who’s basically mentioned ‘do not vote for Labour as a result of they’re supportive of what Israel is doing in Gaza. He most likely will not ballot greater than three per cent however which may simply be sufficient for the Tories to maintain that place.”

This sentiment was echoed by John McTernan, Labour celebration advisor, who additionally mentioned to the BBC: “Labour handed a vote in Parliament for a ceasefire and pressure the Authorities to vote for a ceasefire on the United Nations Safety Council. Labour has modified its place on Gaza, our voters want to listen to that loud and clear. It is clear they’ve not heard that and the Gaza situation could price us the West Midlands (Mayoral) election.”

“Folks have to know we’re going for peace in Gaza.”

In Tees Valley, one other mayoral race anticipated to be shut, Tory incumbent Ben Houchen received with an 18,000 majority. He attracted 81,930 votes in comparison with 63,141 which went to his Labour rival, Chris McEwan.

Like Mr Avenue, Mr Houchen was additionally going for a 3rd successive time period. Regardless of successful, his successful margin was slashed from the 76,000 majority he loved in 2021 when he obtained 121,964 votes and Labour attracted 45,641.

Election skilled, Professor John Curtice, mentioned mayoral election had been about “massive personalities”, and mentioned each Mr Avenue and Mr Houchen match that standards.

He additionally described mayoral elections because the “least dependable” with regards to predicting what it means for a normal election.

The outcomes aren’t anticipated till Saturday afternoon with the ultimate rely, alongside the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner vote, being performed in Coventry.

I truthfully don’t know what to say, however I’m going to attempt.

Final 12 months was devastating. That is embarrassing. To have a group on the ropes after which put out the hassle the Bruins have proven is reprehensible. Two photographs on aim in half an hour of play? They awakened partially, however to what avail? We are able to gripe about missed calls (particularly Lohrei being ragolled by Pontus Holmberg that ought to have been a boarding 100%), however ultimately, that is on the highest 6. Pastrnak, Marchand, Zacha, and so forth., and so forth., they give the impression of being similar to final 12 months. Going by the motions, no emotion, no effort. How about Zacha and Coyle trying horrible within the face-off dot?

The ghosts of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci are haunting me proper now and ought to be shaming their “top-6 facilities”.

DeBrusk was semi-lively, however that’s about it for the forwards. Geekie wants new skates for now a lot he was slipping and sliding tonight. It’s improper for Brandon Carlo to have the third most photographs of any Bruin on this collection. Charlie McAvoy and Mason Lohrei tried their darndest, however that’s about it for the skaters. None of this falls ought to fall on Jeremy Swayman’s shoulders, who’s genuinely taking part in lights out hockey. I’d be screaming at my teammates for not supporting that sort of play with such a scarcity of goalscoring.

I really feel even worse for Jack Edwards. To ship a New England icon out with that fart of a sport—love him or hate him—is simply improper.

Sport 7 Saturday night time, 8pm, TD Backyard. One thing HAS to vary. Monty’s job feels prefer it’s on the road. As Jack so fittingly made his final line, “Love Stay the Boston Bruins.” That’s what it’s going to need to be, or else it’s a really, very lengthy summer time in Beantown. The aim highlights are under, if you wish to be a masochist, however I wouldn’t blame you for those who didn’t.

Evaluation for Sky Information by Prof Will Jennings, an elections skilled, confirmed Labour has misplaced votes throughout the nation in areas with excessive Muslim populations.

In neighbourhoods with a Muslim inhabitants smaller than two per cent, its common vote share has gone up by a mean of 1.5 per cent in contrast with final yr.

In council wards the place greater than 5 per cent of the inhabitants identifies as Muslim, the get together has suffered reverses, seeing its help decline by 2.2 per cent.

Momentum, the Left-wing group that supported Jeremy Corbyn, stated it confirmed Muslim voters have been punishing Labour for its strategy to the battle in Gaza.

A Momentum spokesman stated: “These losses ought to set alarm bells ringing in Labour HQ. Any get together which takes its core vote as a right dangers catastrophe ultimately.

“Starmer ought to reply by getting off the fence and calling for a suspension of arms gross sales to Israel, as different events have carried out, and unreservedly condemning Israel’s ongoing battle crimes in Gaza and the West Financial institution.”

It comes after Mr Parker’s marketing campaign was rocked by the eve-of-election revelation that police have been claims he wrongly put down the place he was residing to get on the poll paper.

West Midlands Police stated it was “assessing” allegations that the Labour candidate could have breached electoral regulation after receiving a criticism from an area Conservative MP.

Official nomination papers present that Mr Parker declared a rented flat in central Birmingham as his tackle for the election. However he has publicly admitted that his household house is located in a village 1 / 4 of a mile exterior the West Midlands Mixed Authority space.

A spokesman for Mr Parker dismissed the claims as “shameful political game-playing”.

[Editor’s note: The following post contains spoilers for the end of “The Idea of You.”]

Ask any fan about their favourite e book, and they’re in all probability just a little nervous when Hollywood comes calling with that very query. Streamers are plagued by e book variations that may by no means dwell as much as the world created in a single’s personal head.

That’s why it’s such a deal with, then, that the Anne Hathaway-starring adaptation of “The Thought of You,” which hit Prime Video on Might 2, is such a steamy, enjoyable delight that truly improves upon its supply materials.

It stays loyal to the e book’s fantasy-driven plot: Hathaway portrays Solène, a newly-single mother of a young person who — after assembly backstage at a live performance in a pinch-me second of serendipity — falls right into a whirlwind, sex-forward romance with the lead singer of a global boy band, Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine). (Of notice: The movie‘s screenwriters, Jennifer Westfeldt and director Michael Showalter, make the very good option to age up by a couple of years each Solène’s daughter and Hayes himself from their e book variations.)

However regardless of the fluffy rom-com premise, within the authentic 2017 e book by Robinne Lee, Solène and Hayes don’t find yourself collectively. After their last breakup chat — mainly a model of what’s within the film, with Solène realizing that finally her life, and her daughter’s, simply gained’t mesh with worldwide fame — she tearfully lets him go. The novel’s last pages discover Solène telling Hayes she doesn’t love him (lie) and that she simply liked “the concept of [him].” Hayes texts and texts and texts, begging her to rethink after which at some point … he doesn’t anymore. He’s moved on. However we all know that Solène nonetheless loves him.

Are you kidding me? I like an excellent tearjerker as a lot as the following individual, however once I initially learn the e book, I’ve to confess: it felt a bit just like the rug was pulled out from underneath me. It simply didn’t really feel like the place the story was going, you recognize? I’m attempting to take pleasure in a steamy examine two hotties overcoming all logic and sense to bang into the sundown, not ponder the difficulties of grownup life and fame within the fashionable period.

Fortunately, director Showalter agreed that the unique downer ending needs to be readjusted.

“For me, there’s this aspect of this can be a style film,” Showalter advised IndieWire throughout a current interview. “This can be a Hollywood movie. That is one thing that I would like audiences to take pleasure in and have enjoyable with, and there’s numerous want success right here. And it’s simply extra enjoyable. It’s simply extra satisfying to see them be collectively.”

Completely right.

Within the film model, throughout the breakup scene, Hayes tells Solène to vow to name him in 5 years, when her daughter shall be in faculty and issues will seemingly be simpler. The movie then jumps ahead 5 years: Solène remains to be fortunately working at her artwork gallery, and Hayes has moved on to a profitable solo recording profession.

However whereas showing on a chat present, Hayes mentions he’s about to take a touring break and go to LA as a result of there’s “somebody [he] desires to see there.” Solène wonders … after which he exhibits up at her gallery and she or he bursts into joyful tears, the type that promise that love conquers all! Perpetually is feasible! You possibly can have nice intercourse with a boy bander and he’ll nonetheless be head over heels in love with you, even years later! Now that is a Hollywood ending.

“If this was a extra type of romantic tragedy, like a ‘Howard’s Finish’ or one thing, then I might’ve been extra open to the unhappy ending,” Showalter advised IndieWire. “However I wish to see them collectively on the finish of the film, or at the least I wish to really feel like that’s a chance.”

Mission: achieved.

Further reporting by Kate Erbland.

A Prime Video launch, “The Thought of You” is streaming now.

Everton journey to Luton City on Friday night time (8pm BST) – and you may get pleasure from complete protection of the sport right here on evertonfc.com.

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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favorite tales on this weekly e-newsletter.

Conservative Lord Ben Houchen has held on to the Tees Valley mayoralty, offering a glimmer of hope for the prime minister in an in any other case grim set of native election outcomes.

Houchen, who has been mayor of the north-east area since 2017, beat Labour rival Chris McEwan with about 54 per cent of the vote on Friday to win a 3rd time period in workplace.

Talking on the depend in Stockton-on-Tees, Houchen stated he was “completely humbled”.

“To be re-elected for a 3rd time period in my own residence group is completely the best honour that anyone might ever give me,” he stated, including that he had fought a “very optimistic marketing campaign” with a “clear imaginative and prescient for the world”.

“I’m not sat right here pretending it’s good, however we’re making progress,” Houchen stated of the influence of his tenure within the Tees Valley.

Houchen’s majority was slashed on his earlier margin in 2021, when he stormed to victory with 73 per cent of the vote.

However his victory, even on a lowered margin, was a boon to the Conservative social gathering nationally, as native election outcomes elsewhere thus far point out heavy Tory losses in councils throughout the nation.

Labour additionally comfortably received the Blackpool South constituency from the Tories on Thursday night time in a separate by-election.

A loss to Labour within the Tees Valley would have piled strain on Sunak from Tory backbench MPs.

McEwan stated he had nonetheless achieved a 17 per cent swing, arguing that was significantly greater than the opposition social gathering would want nationally to safe a basic election majority.

“I used to be combating an incumbent,” McEwan added of the explanations for his loss, “and somebody who was portraying himself as an unbiased.”

Since first profitable the Tees Valley mayoralty unexpectedly in 2017, Houchen has efficiently carved out a model distinct from the nationwide Tory social gathering.

He continued in that vein throughout this 12 months’s marketing campaign, in opposition to the backdrop of a nationally unpopular Conservative social gathering. At Friday’s depend Houchen claimed he “forgot” his blue rosette and denied “making an attempt to fake I’m not Conservative”.

“Folks know spherical right here that I’m a Conservative, however fortunately what we’ve seen at present is additionally they know that I’m a Teessider, and I’ll put Teesside first, I’ll put native individuals first and I’ll do what’s greatest for the native space,” he added.

Houchen’s seven-year time period thus far has been characterised by vital state intervention and subsidy, at odds with the more moderen Conservative philosophy in Westminster underneath Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

His choice in 2019 to nationalise the world’s airport proved immensely standard and stays so, regardless of the necessity for repeated taxpayer bailouts.

Nonetheless questions on monetary transparency on the Teesworks metal website, an enormous regeneration mission overseen by the mayor and closely criticised by an unbiased report in January, forged a shadow over his marketing campaign.

A vocal grassroots on-line anti-Houchen marketing campaign sprang up in opposition to him in consequence, whereas commercials selling him have been additionally daubed with graffiti, reflecting a extremely polarised native political local weather.

Within the marketing campaign’s closing week, two businessmen concerned in organising Teesworks previous to Houchen’s first election, Middlesbrough Soccer Membership proprietor Steve Gibson and former SABIC UK chair Paul Sales space, additionally launched a scathing assault on the mayor.

Regardless of the controversy, Labour had considered a win within the Tees Valley as bold.

Whereas some within the native social gathering machine privately imagine Labour headquarters had not taken the race significantly sufficient, McEwan stated there had been “an ideal crew effort regionally and nationally”.

In the spring of 2014, after I got down to write the novel that may turn out to be The Concept Of You, I didn’t plan on writing one thing that was revolutionary or controversial. I wished to write down a narrative about Solène Marchand, a girl on the cusp of 40 who rediscovers and redefines herself via an surprising love with a a lot youthful man who occurs to be a world-famous celeb. As somebody who was in that age vary and who ought to have simply been hitting my stride in my skilled life as an actor, I used to be seeing the sudden shift in elements accessible to me. The characters had turn out to be extra staid, the alternatives fewer and additional between. I used to be studying the exhausting method that in Hollywood, after 40, ladies are a lot much less fascinating. The idea was that we ceased to be sexual beings and had been thus much less beneficial. I used to be wanting to show the trade—and our tradition at massive—flawed, in my very own little method.

Shortly after the guide’s publication in 2017, I noticed I used to be additionally bumping up towards one thing else. Some readers had been viewing this story about ageism, sexism, the double normal, motherhood, feminine friendship, company, and the darkish facet of celeb as nothing greater than “fluff.” They centered on the love story and the intercourse to the exclusion of the opposite pertinent themes of the guide. They referred to as it a romance. It was not. Romance novels have particular guidelines, and my guide didn’t observe them. However it was labeled and categorized as such.

Was it as a result of it centered on a girl’s love story? As a result of the primary characters, Solène  and Hayes Campbell, two consenting adults, had a wholesome sexual urge for food? Or perhaps it was the quilt and the writer’s advertising and marketing marketing campaign? I’ll by no means know. However I began receiving messages from ladies that started with self-conscious and belittling openings like, “This isn’t the kind of guide I usually learn, nonetheless…” and “I didn’t suppose I used to be going to love this guide, however…” Then they’d proceed to debate all of the themes I’d got down to grapple with in writing the novel. It was clear that they had made assumptions. They didn’t suppose a narrative a couple of lady’s midlife sexual awakening may include one thing deeper. They couldn’t think about it is perhaps each tantalizing and sophisticated. 

I’m a lover of literary fiction. I admire tales with characters who usually are not essentially like me, who expose me to new worlds and new methods of pondering via elegant prose. I crave tales which might be multilayered and have one thing profound to say. However I additionally take pleasure in tales that entertain, that present levity and occasional escapism. And I’ve at all times tried to write down in an area encompassing each.

Learn Extra: The Most Anticipated Motion pictures of 2024

There’s a scene in The Concept Of You when Hayes, a member of the chart-topping British boy band August Moon, is disparaging his work because the group’s founder, and Solène, a classy artwork supplier, is imploring him to not discredit what he and his bandmates do.

“It’s artwork. And it makes individuals completely happy,” she says. “And that’s an excellent factor. We now have this drawback in our tradition. We take artwork that appeals to ladies—movie, books, music—and we undervalue it. We assume it could actually’t be excessive artwork. Particularly if it’s not darkish and tortured and wailing. And it follows that a lot of that artwork is created by different ladies, and so we undervalue them as effectively. We wrap it up in a fairly pink bundle and resist calling it artwork.” 

That sentiment has resonated with me extra within the years since I wrote this line of dialogue than ever earlier than. I considered it when Barbie turned the most important box-office hit of 2023 and the highest-grossing movie ever directed by a girl, but Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie weren’t nominated for Greatest Director or Greatest Actress, respectively, on the Oscars. I considered it after I revisited critics’ resistance to Taylor Swift and the dismissal of her fandom for the primary decade of her profession, writing each off as juvenile and unserious. Everyone knows who acquired the final chortle there. In April, Swift was named to the Forbes billionaire listing, turning into the primary musician whose earnings stem solely from her songs and performances to take action. Not so unserious now, is she?

In no different case does Solène’s description of that sentiment really feel extra private than with the responses to her story. Labeling it as “fluff” or “fanfiction”—notably when carried out by those that haven’t learn it—is each reductive and dismissive. And this isn’t one thing that occurs to male authors. It’s dangerous sufficient that so many novels with feminine protagonists are labeled ladies’s fiction, whereas these with male protagonists are merely fiction, and that these categorizations exist no matter the truth that fiction readers throughout the board are disproportionately ladies. However assuming a novel with a fictional celeb in a relationship have to be primarily based on an present celeb—on this case, the web has determined, Harry Types—is unimaginative at finest and sexist at worst.

There are some good, beloved writers of fanfic on the market, however fanfiction is simply not what I do. Hayes Campbell, like Solène Marchand and the myriad different characters on this guide, was impressed partially by individuals I’ve encountered and by artwork I’ve consumed, and he got here to life because of a wholesome dose of my creativeness. It’s how most writers I do know, no matter gender, create their characters and their worlds.

Learn Extra: The Concept of You Is In regards to the Final Center-Aged-Girl Fantasy—Being Seen

My case is only one symptom of the bigger illness within the broader literary world, the place comparable works by ladies and men are given inequitable weight. “First-person narrative by males remains to be revealed and reviewed as extra severe and will get much more cash and protection,” writer and educational Kate Zambreno mentioned in a current New York Instances interview. “It’s additionally often not dismissed as merely autofiction or memoir, as an alternative learn as literature encompassing psychogeography, philosophy, artwork criticism. Even when a girl is doing precisely that, she’s often nonetheless marketed as merely writing a girl’s expertise or, worse, a mother memoir, if she has kids.”

What’s it about artwork made by ladies and marketed towards ladies that makes us view it as lower than—that makes us suppose they will’t be advanced and vital? We don’t wrap male writers’ books in pink and inform readers they’re nice for the seaside. We don’t frown upon customers of male fiction as juvenile. We don’t cut back their writing to fanfiction and fix a celeb’s identify for clickbait. Backside line: we don’t undervalue them and their work. 

I by no means got down to write a novel that may spark this type of debate. Hayes and Solène’s story has made readers take into consideration their company and ambition, about love and ageing and the that means of human connection—and it’s made them chortle, cry, wallow, and sigh within the course of. Maybe it’s artwork, in spite of everything.

The Conservatives held on to their high-profile Tees Valley mayoralty with a diminished majority for Ben Houchen within the mayoral elections, however Labour received three different contests, within the East Midlands, North East and Rishi Sunak’s personal patch of North Yorkshire.

Houchen was re-elected with a 16.5 proportion level swing to Labour. He received 81,930 votes (53.6%) towards 63,141 (41.3%) for Labour and seven,679 (5%) for the Liberal Democrats. On the final election he received 73% of the votes.

Houchen bucked the prevailing anti-Tory development by being elected for a 3rd time period in a area that was as soon as a strong Labour heartland. Labour stated Houchen had primarily campaigned as an unbiased and that voters weren’t giving the nationwide Conservative occasion their help.

Hours later the shine was considerably taken off Houchen’s victory when Labour received the inaugural mayoral election in York and North Yorkshire – a area that features Sunak’s Richmond constituency – with a majority of just about 15,000 over the Conservatives. David Skaith polled 66,761 votes (35.06%), with Keane Duncan (Conservative) on 51,967, the Lib Dems third, Greens fourth and two independents in fifth and sixth.

Within the East Midlands, the Labour candidate and former Watford MP Claire Ward noticed off competitors from the Conservative MP and Nottinghamshire council chief, Ben Bradley, to take the mayoralty by greater than 50,000 votes.

Ward stated she was “humbled” to have been elected into the brand new function, and that voters had not solely endorsed her but additionally “a modified Labour occasion that may now confidently and with conviction say we’re prepared to guide”.

“You got here out and also you grasped the chance to take the decision-making out of the palms of strangers in Whitehall, and produce them nearer to dwelling,” she informed voters in her victory speech.

Ward acquired 181,040 votes, in contrast with 129,332 for Bradley. The Inexperienced occasion got here third with 50,666 votes, simply forward of Reform UK.

A Labour supply described the area as “the beating coronary heart of the final election battleground”, suggesting the occasion’s snug win there is without doubt one of the largest indicators but it might be on monitor for nationwide victory.

The area encompasses quite a few bellwether areas, in addition to many former “purple wall” seats, together with Bolsover and Bassetlaw.

Labour additionally took the North East mayoralty from the unbiased, former Labour mayor Jamie Driscoll, with Kim McGuinness successful 41% of the vote, in contrast with the incumbent’s 25%.

The mayoral votes have been a number of the most keenly watched of all Thursday’s native election contests. Campaigners had predicted that the end in Tees Valley and the West Midlands, which can be introduced on Saturday, would outline how UK politics performed out for the remainder of 2024.

Each Labour and Conservative sources stated they had been anticipating the Conservative incumbent, Andy Road, to maintain his West Midlands mayoralty. In addition they predicted that Labour’s Sadiq Khan in London might be run nearer than anybody had been anticipating by the Conservative candidate, Susan Corridor.

If the Conservatives had misplaced each Tees Valley and the West Midlands, it may have spurred Tory rebels to maneuver towards their chief, however Houchen’s win permits Sunak loyalists to assert the occasion can nonetheless win seats below his management.

In his acceptance speech, Houchen made no reference to the Conservatives or to Sunak. “To be re-elected for a 3rd time period in my dwelling, in my neighborhood, is totally the best honour,” he stated. He thanked voters for getting into his imaginative and prescient for the following 4 years, including: “There’s a nonetheless lengthy strategy to go.”

The swing to Labour in Tees Valley was vital. Whereas not sufficient for victory it was greater than sufficient for regional wins at a basic election, stated the defeated candidate Chris McEwan. “It should take a 12% swing to deliver these parliamentary seats again to Labour,” he stated. “There’s a recognition on the doorstep that the Labour occasion has modified and it’s time for a change after 14 years of Conservative authorities.”

McEwan stated he had been up towards somebody who was, in impact, an unbiased. “I’ve clearly been combating an incumbent who’s been nicely resourced and who has sought to behave as an unbiased and distance himself from Rishi Sunak.”