For a taster of what losing power represents in the UK, the rail journey from London is a good measure.
Crowds assembled at train stations last week to go to Liverpool for the governing Labour party’s conference were reminiscent of spectators queuing up at turnstiles to attend a Premier League game. On the other hand, as I made my way to the station to get on a train to Birmingham for the Conservative party convention, I was the third passenger through with no sign of a stampede behind me.
In part this is because after 14 years in power, the Tory party is exhausted and has lost its way. There is also a huge dollop of truth in the observation that its ongoing leadership battle is providing few signs that it will be able to handle a conversation with the country any time soon.
The elephant in the room in Birmingham is that if the Conservatives make a bad choice, they may not even hold on to the role of main challenger to Labour when the next general election approaches in five years’ time. The most despairing Tory fears that the hard-right Reform UK party could seize on the volatile electorate to displace many more Conservatives next time.
No party would be happier about this than Labour. It won the best part of 400 out of the 650 seats after bagging just one third of the total votes. With almost a quarter of the vote share, the Tories were punished and ended up with just 119 seats.
This fragile ledge is not a comfortable place for an electoral beast that regards itself as the party of government. Add in the unknowable and intangible pressure to come from Reform UK and it is no surprise the party is shaken to its core.
It has a wide choice of roads to recovery on offer from the four candidates vying to become the new leader. Rishi Sunak, who is in his mid-forties and was prime minister until July, isn’t even making a proper speech. Instead, he is allowing space for the beauty parade to succeed him.
Members will be acutely aware that the man or woman chosen when the vote comes will not, in all likelihood, lead them back to Downing Street. The last three leaders to go from opposition back into power – Tony Blair, David Cameron and Keir Starmer – were not even MPs when their parties first lost power. A churn was under way in both parties until the right policies and personalities could be assembled.
This does not mean a total clear-out and reinvention are what the electorate wants. For example, in the government that took power in July, Ed Miliband and Douglas Alexander were given important ministerial posts they had held before 2010. But it does seem to mean that voters require some kind of purging process that ends up with a completely different image and agenda for running the country.
Tom Tugendhat, one of the four candidates vying to take the reins of the party, has made the point that he did not occupy any of the high-profile ministerial berths that at least two of the other candidates in the race have enjoyed. Yet he is the conventional candidate with the centrist prospectus.
James Cleverly is certainly the most experienced candidate, having held the big-beast jobs of home secretary and foreign secretary in the last government. Mr Cleverly’s main offer is to be a unifying leader who appeals to all wings of the degraded party.
The most despairing Tory fears that the hard-right Reform UK party could seize on the volatile electorate to displace many more Conservatives next time
Kemi Badenoch, also a former cabinet minister, was trade secretary in the previous government. She is the most challenging of candidates because she offers a root-and-branch clear-out of the party’s direction as a political force. Not one to tread lightly, she says she is the one that the party has been waiting for to take it to a new future.
The frontrunner, according to the press, is hardliner-in-chief Robert Jenrick, who is from the same tier as Mr Tugendhat. Mr Jenrick was migration minister while Mr Tugendhat was security minister. Both those jobs are still fundamental to their campaigns. Mr Jenrick quit well in advance of the election, something that gave him a launchpad to appeal to the grassroots.
The radical anti-migration policies he offers would certainly help shoot the fox that Nigel Farage’s Reform UK represents in British politics. By quitting the European Convention on Human Rights, Mr Jenrick would represent a radical alternative to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is a human rights lawyer.
It is Ms Badenoch’s campaign that offers the closest insight to the real pressure on the Conservatives over the coming years. This will not be on the developments in the Middle East as war stalks a number of countries (although Ms Badenoch will have plenty to say on this). When she talks of Elon Musk as a champion of free speech, she takes on the role of the true radical at the heart of the political system.
On Sunday, she spoke of how the entitlement to maternity pay had “gone too far” in the UK. It was striking that such a statement would come from a woman who has a young family and is known for taking time out of her working diary to be away with her children. While she partly retracted the pay comments, she doubled down on her position that government shouldn’t be interfering in people’s lives.
Undoubtedly her comments could help gather support from small businesses. But the true impact of her candidacy could be deeper, with Ms Badenoch also reflecting some of the far-right arguments that circulate most notably on Mr Musk’s X platform.
If the Conservatives want to step on the path that political impresarios from former US president Donald Trump to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and many others in between have mounted, Birmingham is the place where Ms Badenoch must make her mark.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:
- Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
- Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
- Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m; Winner: AF Al Baher, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m; Winner: Talento Puma, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,950m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Stakes Listed (TB) Dh500,000 1,950m; Winner: Mark Of Approval, Patrick Cosgrave, Mahmood Hussain.
4pm: Conditions (TB) Dh125,000 1,400m; Winner: Dead-heat Raakez, Jim Crowley, Nicholas Bachalard/Attribution, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Jebel Ali Sprint (TB) Dh500,000 1,000m; Winner: AlKaraama, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,400m; Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
%3Cp%3EElena%20Rybakina%20(Kazakhstan)%0D%3Cbr%3EOns%20Jabeur%20(Tunisia)%0D%3Cbr%3EMaria%20Sakkari%20(Greece)%0D%3Cbr%3EBarbora%20Krej%C4%8D%C3%ADkov%C3%A1%20(Czech%20Republic)%0D%3Cbr%3EBeatriz%20Haddad%20Maia%20(Brazil)%0D%3Cbr%3EJe%C4%BCena%20Ostapenko%20(Latvia)%0D%3Cbr%3ELiudmila%20Samsonova%0D%3Cbr%3EDaria%20Kasatkina%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3EVeronika%20Kudermetova%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3ECaroline%20Garcia%20(France)%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3EMagda%20Linette%20(Poland)%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3ESorana%20C%C3%AErstea%20(Romania)%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3EAnastasia%20Potapova%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3EAnhelina%20Kalinina%20(Ukraine)%E2%80%AF%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3EJasmine%20Paolini%20(Italy)%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Navarro%20(USA)%E2%80%AF%0D%3Cbr%3ELesia%20Tsurenko%20(Ukraine)%0D%3Cbr%3ENaomi%20Osaka%20(Japan)%20-%20wildcard%0D%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Raducanu%20(Great%20Britain)%20-%20wildcard%3Cbr%3EAlexandra%20Eala%20(Philippines)%20-%20wildcard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in May
Brief scoreline:
Wales 1
James 5'
Slovakia 0
Man of the Match: Dan James (Wales)
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Bawaal%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nitesh%20Tiwari%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Varun%20Dhawan%2C%20Janhvi%20Kapoor%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
