It’s been a protracted day already, so right here’s some gentle aid – a powerful contender for greatest #dogsatpollingstations pic but?
Until livestock are extra your vibe, in fact – right here’s one thing to raise your moood [sic].
Commenters on Twitter have been referencing the proximity of meals banks to polling stations as proof of the Conservative’s file on supporting native folks.
In Wandsworth, a meals financial institution that normally operates in St Andrew’s church has been relocated outdoors to create space for a polling station for in the present day’s native election.
Rachel Corridor right here taking on the weblog – please do ship any pics, ideas or ideas to rachel.corridor@theguardian.com.
Andrew Sparrow
That is from the BBC’s Jayne McCormack in Northern Eire.
Electoral Workplace says returns from 88% of polling stations after noon signifies 13% turnout by then – warning that this isn’t a definitive determine, merely indicative & may comprise some errors – nonetheless being instructed it appears busy at many polling stations #AE22
— Jayne McCormack (@BBCJayneMcC) May 5, 2022
I’m handing over to my colleague Rachel Corridor for a bit. I might be again later.
{Photograph}: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Photos
Lisa O’Carroll
DUP claims that the Northern Eire protocol has straight brought about meals costs in Northern Eire to change into costlier than the remainder of the UK can’t be substantiated publicly as a result of the occasion chief was quoting from a non-public report, it has emerged.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson instructed the BBC’s management debate on Tuesday {that a} Kantar survey confirmed the protocol had meant meals costs had been now “on common 4% greater than they’re in GB, with dairy merchandise 8% costlier and chilled comfort meals 19%.”
A spokesperson for analysis agency Kantar confirmed it did the analysis however mentioned it was commissioned by Northern Eire’s Division for the Economic system and was “not publicly out there”.
Main economist Esmond Birnie instructed the Belfast Telegraph it might be unattainable to make that causal hyperlink between costs and the protocol. He mentioned:
I feel at this stage it’s in all probability virtually unattainable to quantify how massive the protocol’s impact is [on food prices].
I feel it’s prone to be substantial, however in all probability not as massive as all the different components which are affecting inflation in the intervening time – the influence of excessive power costs, the conflict in Ukraine.
From a Northern Eire standpoint, a whole lot of the inflation that we’re experiencing, it’s imported from the world degree.
Final evening Brandon Lewis, the Northern Eire secretary, hinted {that a} invoice to permit the federal government to overtake the Northern Eire protocol, floated by ministers, wouldn’t be within the Queen’s speech. (See 10.25am.)
However, in keeping with a report within the Instances, based mostly on info from “a senior authorities supply”, though the invoice is not going to be within the Queen’s speech subsequent week, it might be introduced shortly afterwards if no progress is made in talks with Brussels on amending the protocol.
In his report, Oliver Wright says the invoice would give the federal government the facility to guard the Good Friday settlement. Wright says:
The invoice would in impact give Johnson the facility to override any facet of the protocol’s operation if, within the view of ministers, it was jeopardising the peace settlement.
Nevertheless, it’s prone to face sturdy opposition within the Home of Lords and result in accusations that Johnson is reneging on an settlement that he signed with a view to agree a deal to go away the EU in 2019.
Wright’s story builds on a report by James Forsyth for the Spectator. Forsyth says the invoice might be seen as “a coded risk to the European Union that the UK is ready to unilaterally tear up components of the Brexit deal referring to Northern Eire”.
Forsyth says the invoice will certainly be within the Queen’s speech. His article was written earlier than Lewis gave his interview final evening, and Wright says the invoice is not going to be within the Queen’s speech, simply held in reserve. However in different respects the Forsyth and Wright tales are constant.
Forsyth additionally says the federal government will argue that its new invoice is lawful. He explains:
The lawyer common, Suella Braverman, has but to ship her verdict, however ministers are satisfied by the argument that there is no such thing as a breach of worldwide legislation as a result of they’re transferring to guard the pre-existing Good Friday settlement. Johnson can argue that each one three strands of that deal at the moment are in bother. There isn’t a energy sharing, no north-south ministerial collaboration, and the protocol disrupts east-west relations. The federal government argues that the widespread think about all that is the protocol, although EU officers reply that the actual root of the issue is Brexit.
Colum Eastwood, chief of the nationalist SDLP, mentioned he was “assured we’ll do properly” as he arrived to vote in in his residence metropolis of Derry.
After a leaders’ debate this week, a ballot declared Eastwood the clear winner. However voter intention polls (like this one, and this one) recommend the SDLP isn’t selecting up as a lot assist as in 2017, when it acquired 11.9% of the vote.
Celebration leaders have been utilizing Twitter in the present day to induce folks to vote. Listed below are a few of their messages.
From Boris Johnson, the Conservative chief:
From Keir Starmer, the Labour chief:
From Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP chief:
From Ed Davey, the Lib Dem chief:
Boris Johnson’s refusal to tax the file earnings of power firms like Shell is totally unforgivable when persons are too terrified to warmth their properties.
At present ship the Conservatives a message they cannot ignore. Vote Liberal Democrat.
— Ed Davey MP 🔶 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@EdwardJDavey) May 5, 2022
From Carla Denyer, the Inexperienced occasion co-leader:
From Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP chief:
At present, you could have a alternative between the DUP’s coverage plan to ease price of dwelling pressures or Sinn Fein’s plan for a divisive border ballot.
Your vote will determine which plan Stormont adopts. pic.twitter.com/BmW87vLxhq— DUP (@duponline) May 5, 2022
From Michelle O’Neill, the Sinn Féin chief in Northern Eire:
On my technique to forged my vote for Sinn Féin, and for a First Minister who will work to ship actual change.
I’m encouraging you to vote Sinn Féin, and to grab this really historic second.
The polling stations are open to 10pm, and all you want is your ID.
Let’s make historical past! pic.twitter.com/RSB5h0lB4H
— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) May 5, 2022
In his interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, Boris Johnson mentioned inflation may attain 10% this yr. Now the Financial institution of England is predicting inflation will hit about 10%. My colleague Graeme Wearden has the small print on his enterprise dwell weblog, which additionally covers the financial institution’s choice to lift rates of interest to 1%.
It’s in all probability time for a blast of #dogsatpollingstations.
That is from my colleague Libby Brooks.
That is from Mark Pack, the Lib Dem president.
That is from the author and someday Labour activist John O’Farrell.
That is from the Telegraph’s Christopher Hope.
Councils are getting in on the act too. That is from Southampton metropolis council.
That is from Liam Thorp from the Liverpool Echo, who has tailored the style with a #dogsnotatpollingstations pic.
In Harrogate it’s not simply canine …
And that is from a reader known as Carl as a result of, though I don’t usually play requests, why not for as soon as?
Rory Carroll
If the scale of the press pack ready at her polling station in Coalisland, County Tyrone, is any indicator, Michelle O’Neill is on observe to be Northern Eire’s subsequent first minister. About 20 photographers and TV digicam operators greeted Sinn Féin’s chief within the north when she turned as much as vote this morning.
Requested by the Guardian concerning the significance of Northern Eire probably getting its first nationalist first minister, O’Neill made no point out of a border ballot for a united Eire and centered on bread-and-butter points. She mentioned:
It’s a massively historic election and persons are very in tune to that. What we’re asking for folks in the present day is come out … and to vote for a primary minister that may get up for everyone, that may flip up on day one for everyone, somebody that may spend money on folks when it comes to getting them via the price of dwelling disaster and that may work to repair the well being service.
O’Neill declined to be drawn on the timing of Brandon Lewis’s trace that the federal government was rowing again from a risk to disapply components of the Northern Eire protocol within the Queen’s speech subsequent week. (See 10.25am.) “I’m not going to take a position. The protocol is right here to remain, it’s our greatest defence in opposition to the toughest Brexit that the DUP and the Tories delivered to us.”
“I feel persons are decided to see unionism profitable on this election,” Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP chief, mentioned as he voted in Northern Eire this morning.
That isn’t what the polls say. The DUP has been the biggest occasion within the Northern Eire meeting after each set of elections since 2003. However now Sinn Féin has been forward of the DUP within the polls for months, and one ballot this week had Donaldson’s occasion neck and neck with the Alliance occasion, implying it would even come third.
Talking to reporters outdoors the polling station, Donaldson restated his name for the UK authorities to behave over the Northern Eire protocol.
