Third of councils affected by overhaul from two-tier to unitary authorities ask for postponementUK politics live – latest updatesMore than a third of local authorities in England have asked to postpone their elections in May, saying they are unable to deliver them effectively during an overhaul of local government, according to administrators.The requested postponements have sparked unrest and fierce criticism in some councils, with police being called to a council meeting in Redditch this […]

Exclusive: Pilot schemes for bodycams, knife arches and metal detectors in probation offices also approved after attacks in Oxford and PrestonProbation officers will be given self-defence training, bleed kits and body-worn cameras for the first time under plans before ministers in the wake of two stabbings, the Guardian has learned.Knife arches and handheld metal-detecting wands, which can be used to search people for weapons, have been approved for pilot schemes in selected offices. Continue […]

John Cowen, who has schizophrenia, to remain in hospital for ‘indefinite duration’ after attack on player at tournamentA former Countdown champion has been detained in a hospital for treatment after attacking a rival player with a knife during a tournament.Preston crown court heard that John Cowen, 31, ran across a room in Blackpool to attack a fellow player, Thomas Carey, before being restrained by attenders. The space had been hosting a Focal Countdown Group event, where former Countdown […]

Lurking at the fringes of electronic music, artists such as Richie Culver, Rainy Miller and Iceboy Violet are confronting the alienation and deprivation of the UK’s north‘What kind of god builds a world on this forgotten town?” Richie Culver seethes on Curse, closing out his dark, cinematic album I Trust Pain. He’s referring to Withernsea, a faded seaside resort near Hull, where he grew up and then desperately wanted to leave. “I remember feeling so resentful,” he says. “I heard […]