of because i think that s a very pressing issue. next week s elections in england are about who runs local services, but they ll also show which parties are on their way up and which could be losing grip there. the first widespread test of opinion since the war in ukraine, since prices really started to climb and of course, since news of lockdown parties in downing street. i think that will probably contribute to the way a lot of people vote. if belief is shaken in a party, then that will will change the way that people kind of see them in the both on the local and large scale. in terms of covid and obviously we ve had a recent party gate thing. i do follow that kind of stuff because it s obviously all over the media. but i think overall i would care more about the local elections because your councillor can make a change for you. southampton s just one place where these elections will test the political water, notjust for the larger parties, but the greens and a host of others too. wh
of lockdown parties in downing street. i think that will probably contribute to the way a lot of people vote. if belief is shaken in a party, then that will will change the way that people kind of see them in the both on the local and large scale. in terms of covid and obviously we ve had a recent party gate thing. i do follow that kind of stuff because it s obviously all over the media. but i think overall i would care more about the local elections because your councillor can make a change for you. southampton s just one place where these elections will test the political water, notjust for the larger parties, but the greens and a host of others too. what happens in these elections will be seen as the public s view of the political parties nationally. for the conservatives, is borisjohnson still a vote winner? for labour is keir starmer rebuilding support where he needs to? are the lib dems broadening their base? but remember these elections will decide who runs local services. so fo
who is looking into all of this. and you can see people moving from camp to camp based on events. but i think my feeling is that last week, with the big apology that the prime minister did in front of the tv cameras at chequers, and with parliament being away, it felt that there whole party gate thing was being a bit contained. but then yesterday, you realise once parliament comes back and there are new claims and there are political incentives come in, actually partygate is not contained. it is going to be there for quite some time, and it is going to be pushing against that government attempt to try move on. attempt to try and move on. china has reported just under 20 thousand new coronavirus cases. the major steel city of tung shun in eastern china, with a population of eight million, has followed shanghai in returning to a full covid lockdown. shanghai itself has reported covid i9 deaths for three days in a row. these are the first officially acknowledged deaths since 2020 but chin
let s get the latest now from our chief political correspondent adam fleming. adam, we have been talking about the pressure on borisjohnson for days now, where does this sit in all the other allegations we know about so far? i other allegations we know about so far? ~ , , other allegations we know about so far? ~ , , , . ., far? i think the biggest piece of breakin: far? i think the biggest piece of breaking news far? i think the biggest piece of breaking news in far? i think the biggest piece of breaking news in the far? i think the biggest piece of breaking news in the report - far? i think the biggest piece of| breaking news in the report that far? i think the biggest piece of - breaking news in the report that was that it breaking news in the report that was thatitis breaking news in the report that was that it is only tuesday! i think the thing about this revelation about the birthday party is the symbolic effects and the symbolic value of it because it reminds everybody wh