Five reasons Keir Starmer's summer holiday can't come soon enough

With Keir Starmer's credibility melting away quicker than an ice cream on a hot day, tomorrow's parliamentary summer recess can't come quickly enough for him. The hot months of June and July have certainly proved sticky for Keir.

His backbenchers have grown ever more ungovernable and fractious, climaxing in 127 of them flexing their muscles to bring down his welfare reforms, leaving the Prime Minister with a serious authority problem and Rachel Reeves in tears wondering where she'll find the £5billion hole left by the collapse of their flagship policy on benefits.

Come September, however, I suspect even worse is in store for Starmer, with another welfare showdown looming over the two-child benefit cap - which could force some Labour MPs into the arms of other parties like the new Corbyn party, Collective, should he actually get it up and running.

On top of that, should the proposal to repeal the law that granted Troubles-era servicemen immunity from prosecution go ahead, Labour Veterans Minister, Alistair Carns - a former Royal Marines commando himself - is reportedly ready to step down, and is on "resignation watch" by the whips. And that's why "Operation Save Starmer" has been launched.

The first part of the jigsaw is to create a new "Department for Downing Street". It is seen as an office that could protect the PM and boost his authority. It isn't an original idea. It was last tried by Boris Johnson just before he was ousted from office - the fact that this idea is being resurrected shows Starmer's desperation.

The second step is to boost his popularity with the country. Starmer is said to be very upset with Whitehall's lacklustre interaction with the public, and he wants to use TikTok more (where Reform is doing particularly well and attracting younger voters) rather than X.

His plan is said to include the creation of a new civil service communication post, and the man he is eyeing up for the role is Blair's former No.10 director of communications - and close friend of Alastair Campbell - Tim Allen, who is considered to be well connected and a smooth operator.

Finally, there'll be a government reshuffle, to promote loyalty and punish troublemakers. The latter part of that equation has already started with the suspension of the main welfare rebel ringleaders and Diane Abbott - who I expect to defect to Corbyn's party soon. Operation Save Starmer is the desperate act of a rudderless leader.

The PM's problems stem from him being a weak man who doesn't believe in anything, and any number of relaunches or reshuffles won't solve those basic problems. Starmer talks about growth, but hasn't the first idea how to deliver it.

He still seems unable to grasp that it isn't by taxing the life out of people and businesses. He talks about reducing illegal immigration, but scrapped the Rwanda scheme without any alternative, and refuses to get us out of the ECHR and junk the Human Rights Act - essential to making any difference at all.

The only people who really want to save Starmer are his political opponents. We all know how toxic he is with the public and his remaining as PM is the best way to finish off Labour once and for all.

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Former weather girl and morning TV sweetheart Ulrika Jonsson shocked fans when she went makeup free and spoke candidly about her relationship with drink and sex on a podcast. Rather than getting support for her honesty she was trolled for how she looked after being ravaged by alcohol and the sun.

She warned that people were not going to see the woman they woke up to nearly 40 years ago. What's the problem? Like everyone else I've aged and changed. Why are women always judged more by their looks than their words and abilities?

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Cumbria Police has been told by a judge to remove all diversity-based symbols from their cars and vans because it showed a lack of impartiality. I don't really know why it needed a court case to tell police what should be blindingly obvious.

Sadly, for too long senior police officers appear to have been promoted based on their devotion to politically-correct causes rather than on merit - pushing all manner of lanyards and wristbands, taking the knee and adhering to the latest political wokery.

The police should leave their political beliefs at the door. Their job is to serve everyone in their communities equally without fear or favour. This court case was a small and rare victory for common sense and one I shall celebrate.

Let's hope that it is the first of many.

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Singer turned campaigner campaigner Feargal Sharkey - who went out of his way to support the Labour Party at the 2024 General Election - was spitting feathers at the weekend. On Sunday he tweeted: "Labour govt trumpeting a long list of stuff they have done to deal with the water companies. Tories say they have just nicked their old policies, thing is, the Tories are right."

From sewage monitors, to discharge reduction plans and fines for underinvestment: all were policies announced by the previous Conservative government. As Sharkey, below, himself asked, how on earth did this government think they could get away with passing-off other people's work as their own? Even previously loyal Labour supporters like Sharkey know this government is a complete let-down.

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Ducking for cover and creating a scene is clearly what you don't do when you're caught on the kiss-cam at a Coldplay concert - as CEO of tech company Astronomer, Andy Byron, found out last week. Talk about attracting attention to yourself.

What might have passed unnoticed, if they'd just smiled and acted normally, turned instead into a cringey viral video getting more than 30 million views (and counting). It also turned out to be the most expensive night ever.

Coldplay tickets £1,000, dinner £300, job gone and possible settlement of up to £30m. Message to self: just smile or better still, go with your spouse.