The Spectator

Portrait of the week: an election looms, Joe Biden crashes and England wins

issue 06 July 2024

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A general election shook the nation’s political snowglobe. Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, was able to stop stunts for the camera after making a bungee jump at Eastbourne. Before the election, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister for the time being, commented on Channel 4 footage of a Reform UK supporter talking of him in racially abusive language: ‘My two daughters have to see and hear Reform people who campaign for Nigel Farage calling me an effing Paki. It hurts and it makes me angry.’ Reform UK made an official complaint against Channel 4 to the Electoral Commission, claiming that the supporter filmed was an actor. England beat Slovakia 2-1 in the Euros to go into the quarter- finals against Switzerland; Uefa investigated a crotch-grabbing gesture made by the England midfielder Jude Bellingham after his late equaliser.

A new Ofgem price cap brought domestic energy bills down to their lowest for two years, but the usually reliable Cornwall Insight predicted that a typical household would see a 10 per cent increase between now and October.

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