Ex-Special Forces colonel tipped for PM claimed £36,000 from taxpayer for PR and comms
An ex-Special Forces colonel tipped as a future prime minister has claimed almost £36,000 in taxpayer money for communications and PR services since he was elected in 2024 — more than all other ministers combined.
Al Carns, the Armed Forces minister who has been talked up as a possible candidate in any future Labour leadership race, has filmed a string of promotional videos showing off his constituency work, including one of himself in a pull-ups competition with a local firefighter.
The MP for Birmingham Selly Oak claimed £20,900 for communications and media expenses in 2024-25 and £14,900 in 2025-26, according to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa).
Everything you need to know on day 88 of the Iran war
The best ways to sleep well during a heatwave
All the candidates announced for Makerfield by-election
Putin has his back against the wall – and he’s bolder than ever
Cars, iPads and Fifa: What Murrell bought with embezzled funds
Is social media as bad as smoking? Why top doctors think so
Ozzy Osbourne to return as an AI-powered avatar
Jeffrey Donaldson sex abuse trial begins – what we know
Iran war – what you need to know on day 88
Washington has launched new strikes on Iran in “self-defence”, prompting a warning from Tehran that it had a right to respond to any breaches of the existing ceaseflre.The American attacks came despite claims from Donald Trump and other senior US figures of progress towards a peace deal. Iran acknowledged the two sides had reached a “framework” for a negotiated settlement.
What you need to know
Washington said missile launch sites and Iranian fast boats attempting to lay mines were targeted on Monday night.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had a right to “reciprocal response” despite US claims of self-defence.
Oil price rises again
After dropping below $100 a barrel following hints of a peace deal, Brent crude rose by 1.5 per cent on Tuesday.
What it means for peace talks
Tehran on Tuesday accused Washington of a “blatant violation” of the Iran war ceasefire after American attacks in the region that includes the Strait of Hormuz. Iran vowed to leave “no act of aggression unanswered”.
The hostilities cast fresh doubt on peace talks, despite Trump’s insistence over the weekend that the “final details” of an agreement were being discussed. Tehran said a deal is not finalised and must include the release of its $100bn in frozen assets.
How to sleep well during a heatwave
The heatwave has seen not only new record day time temperatures but also the hottest-ever nights for May. In one part of south London the temperature did not fall below 21.3°C on Monday night.A common result of such “tropical nights” is difficulty sleeping. But there are ways of maximising the potential to get some decent rest despite the sweltering conditions.
What you need to know
Keep your home as cool as possible during the day by shutting curtains and blinds during the hottest hours.
A cool or lukewarm shower or bath before going to bed reduces skin temperature and cools the body directly.
Fans and ice cubes
Keep the bedroom door open when using a fan to increase air flow and place a try of ice cubes in front to cool the air.
Keep hydrated – and avoid booze
Drinking plenty of water during the day will help keep the body hydrated and cool while sleeping. Conversely, cut back on alcohol and caffeine because they increase dehydration. Eating foods which replace salts and minerals lost through sweating, such as bananas or spinach, can also help.
Tips for sleeping in hot weather with heatwave set to continue into next week
Have separate beds and eat bananas – how the experts sleep in a heatwave
All the candidates for Makerfield by-election
The Green Party has announced a charity director from Manchester as its candidate for the Makerfield by-election, bringing the total of those standing so far to 10.Sarah Wakefield, who is also a councillor on Manchester City Council, will be among those hoping to stop Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from winning the seat as he seeks to return to Westminster.
What you need to know
Wakefield is the second candidate announced by the Greens for the Makerfield by-election. The party’s first choice withdrew hours after being unveiled, citing personal reasons.
Alongside Labour’s Burnham, the other candidates are Robert Kenyon (Reform UK), Michael Winstanley (Conservative) and Jake Austin (Liberal Democrats).
Also standing are Alan “Howlin” Laud Hope (Monster Raving Loony Party), Rebecca Shepherd (Restore Britain), Peter Ward (Rejoin EU), Dan Clarke (Libertarian Party) and Robert Pownall (Independent).
The by-election everyone is watching
The Makerfield by-election is being scrutinised like few others because of its role in the Labour Party’s leadership struggles. Sitting MP Josh Simons has stood down to open the way for Burnham to return to Parliament and challenge Sir Keir Starmer with a view to entering No 10.
But the race has drawn an array of other candidates. Reform’s Kenyon will be hoping to block Burnham’s progress to Westminster at the first obstacle. There are also candidates advocating the reversal of Brexit and an animal rights activist planning to wear a fox costume while campaigning.
Putin’s in trouble – and he’s bolder than ever
Author of The Return of Russia
Despite suffering battlefield setbacks in a war that sometimes feels closer to home, Russian President Vladimir Putin remains defiant – and, perhaps, increasingly unpredictable.Ukraine’s progress in striking targets inside Russia, including the Moscow region, shows ordinary Russians that, after all, the Kremlin does not have everything under control when it comes to its “special military operation”.
What you need to know
Britain occupies a special place in Putin’s loathing of the West and Russia sees the UK as its greatest foe. As the Kremlin’s chances of victory in Ukraine recede, the risk that Moscow lashes out rises.
The jamming of a RAF plane carrying Defence Secretary John Healey back from Estonia this weekend is likely to have been an attempt to show that Russia can still menace and disrupt.
At the same time, the effects of the Ukraine war are coming ever closer to the walls of the Kremlin. A scaled-down Victory Day parade on 9 May and internet blackouts are signs of unease in Moscow.
Putin hates one thing above all: a lack of control
Several recent events have served to show the Russian President that he does not have his hands on the levers of geopolitical power that he might hope for. His recent visit to China served to underline Moscow’s reliance on Beijing, rather than the partnership of equals that he craves. But Putin is far from being a spent force and may well look to displays of hostile activity to underline that.
Putin has his back against wall – and he's bolder than ever
Putin’s cruise missiles are operating 30 miles off the UK. And Russia won’t move them
Cars, iPads and Fifa: What Murrell bought
Disgraced ex-SNP chief Peter Murrell is awaiting sentencing after admitting embezzling £400,310 from the party he once headed. The list of luxury items he bought using the stolen funds runs to about 100 pages and ranges from luxury watches and a Jaguar to a robotic lawnmower and a £3,500 silver wine coaster. He also bought computers and games including Fifa 14.
Everything you need to know
Cars and a motorhome
Murrell, 61, bought a Jaguar iPace luxury SUV partly using party funds, as well as a £125,000 motorhome.
He splurged £9,350 on Bremont watches and £1,407 on Montblanc pens. £2,618 went on salt and pepper grinders.
Murrell enjoyed coffee, including a £3,233 espresso machine. He also spent £50 on a Le Creuset wine pourer.
A 12-year spending splurge
The former SNP chief executive stole from his party at a jaw-dropping scale between 2010 and 2022. Using funds earmarked for campaigning, Murrell’s spending ranged from box sets of Sherlock Holmes DVDs to a £2,495 jewellery box and £165 musical advent calendar.
Murrell’s estranged wife, former SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, has insisted she had “no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever” that her husband was using party funds for personal purposes. She said she was unaware of many of the items he bought, including the campervan he parked on his mother’s driveway.
Social media as bad as smoking, medics warn
The UK’s most senior doctors have warned that social media use ranks alongside smoking as a threat to the health of young people.A submission to a Government consultation cites evidence of physical and mental health problems caused by watching extreme violence online as one reason why there should be curbs in social media use for under-16s.
What you need to know
The report by the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges warns of an epidemic of harms to children caused by exposure to “hateful, addictive and grossly distressing content” via social media.
Clinicians warn of a “wave of radicalised children” driven to actions including killing family pets and joining suicide pacts after watching online material.
While the submission will increase the pressure on Keir Starmer to commit to a ban on social media for under-16s, there is not yet a consensus that screen time overall damages young people.
Demands grow for partial social media ban for under-16s
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has called for teenagers to be barred from accessing some social media platforms, arguing tech giants are borrowing from the “big tobacco playbook” to avoid regulation.
Streeting told The Guardian a ban of under-16s “must be the start, not the end” of measures to curb social media’s influence on young peole. A Government consultation on an age limit closes shortly, with a decision expected within weeks.
Ozzy Osboure to return as an AI avatar
Ozzy Osbourne is to be resurrected as a life-sized AI avatar capable of communicating with his fans and admirers around the world, the late British-born rocker’s family have announced.Some fans have, however, expressed dismay and said they are unconvinced that the former Black Sabbath frontman would have wanted his image used in posthumous advertising.
What you need to know
A year after his death at the age of 76, Osbourne is to be relaunched as an interactive digital clone via touchscreens placed at locations in the UK and US.
His son Jack and widow Sharon, who are working with two tech companies, said it was “scary” how accurate the Ozzy avatar is. Sharon said she wanted take the product around the world.
The avatar’s developers said it would “have conversations with fans and move, speak, and respond as Ozzy would”.
‘It’s gonna be so tasteful’
Jack Osbourne rejected claims that the avatar risks being distasteful. He said: “It’s gonna be so tasteful what we’re doing. This isn’t just hooking up an image of my dad to ChatGPT.”
The Birmingham-born singer is not the first music legend to receive the hologram treatment. Roy Orbison, Tupac Shakur and Maria Callas have all been recreated as 3D avatars. Meanwhile, thousands gather each week to watch Sweden’s most famous band perform as holograms at London’s ABBA Voyage.
Jeffrey Donaldson sex abuse trial begins – what we know
Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Ireland, arrived at court in Newry for the start of his trial on historical sexual abuse charges today.The 63-year-old has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences, including rape and indecent assault, over a 23-year period starting in 1985.
What you need to know
Donaldson has been a key figure in Ulster politics, serving as DUP leader at the time of his arrest in 2024. His subsequent resignation came weeks after he led his party back into devolved government.
The charges against him include a single count of rape and allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency between 1985 and 2008. They involve two alleged victims.
The opening day of the trial at Newry Courthouse in County Down is expected to be focused on jury selection. Donaldson, the former MP for Lagan Valley, arrived just after 9am.
Trial of facts for Donaldson’s wife
The former DUP leader’s wife, Lady Eleanor, 60, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending. Rather than facing a full criminal trial, she will face a trial of facts which cannot result in a criminal conviction.
This is because the judge, Paul Ramsey, has ruled that Lady Eleanor is unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds. The jury trying Donaldson will simultaneoulsy hear the trial of facts to test the evidence against her. Lady Eleanor will not attend court.
According to The i Paper‘s analysis, his spending on communications is the second highest of any MP in the country — and is far ahead of his ministerial colleagues at all levels of Government.
A former Royal Marine colonel who served multiple tours in Afghanistan, Carns is understood to have commanded the Special Boat Service — the Special Forces unit of the Royal Navy — though he has neither confirmed nor denied this.
He was awarded an OBE in 2022, and since entering Parliament, he has climbed Everest in five days without acclimatising on the mountain and undertaken reserve training with British Commando Forces in the Arctic.
Within Westminster, Carns’s profile is rising fast, and there has been increasing speculation over whether or not he could run for the Labour leadership if a race was triggered. He penned a 1,000-word piece for The New Statesman, published on Wednesday, titled: “How Labour can win again”. Carns argued that “too many people in this country work hard and still feel like they’re losing”.
“Working-class voters have not simply left Labour,” he wrote. “Many feel Labour stopped understanding their lives, and so they looked elsewhere.”
Reports in The Times previously suggested Carns has been in conversation with Angela Rayner about defence policy, with one ally touting him as a potential “defence or foreign [secretary]”.
The same paper reported on Thursday that Carns was planning to join the race should a contest begin. A parliamentary source told The Times: “Al Carns has said ‘he is getting on with doing his job, but if someone fires the starting gun, he isn’t afraid of gunfire’.”
They added that the implication was Carns “would throw his hat in the ring should someone trigger a race”.
Speaking to The i Paper, allies described him as a potential “antidote to Reform” and one of the few frontbenchers capable of reconnecting with “Red Wall” voters.
‘Constituency engagement, not personal promoton’
Carns told The i Paper the claims were “made in full compliance with Ipsa rules” and that the work related to constituency engagement rather than personal promotion.
A series of professionally produced constituency films — funded through his Ipsa expenses — have included a pull-up challenge with firefighters at Kings Norton Fire Station, and a visit to a local brewery where he discussed the importance of government support for small businesses.
It was great to visit Northfield & Kings Norton Fire Station and meet the team. Our emergency services are the backbone of our communities 🚒Dedicated, skilled, and there when we need them most. We owe them huge thanks for the work they do. pic.twitter.com/Fsm2j8bXsW— Al Carns (@AlistairCarns) January 28, 2026
It was great to visit Northfield & Kings Norton Fire Station and meet the team. Our emergency services are the backbone of our communities 🚒Dedicated, skilled, and there when we need them most. We owe them huge thanks for the work they do. pic.twitter.com/Fsm2j8bXsW
It is not unusual for MPs to use their Ipsa allowance to fund independent contractors who do communications and constituency engagement work.
The allowance exists to help members communicate with constituents, independently of their ministerial or party political roles — unlike government communications budgets, which are funded separately and used for official announcements and policy campaigns.
But the scale of Carns’s spending goes significantly beyond what his colleagues are doing. In 2024-25, every other minister on the Ipsa register — spanning Cabinet and junior ministerial level — combined spent £24,600 on communications and media, only £3,700 more than Carns claimed alone.
In 2025-26, he spent more than all six other ministers who made claims for communications work combined, who together claimed £9,600. The average MP claims around £4,251 a year.
Of the ministers who claimed for communications and media expenses in 2024-25, five claimed less than £2,000 for the entire year, less than Carns spent in a single month.
Since April 2024, his claims for communications and media expenses have been the second-highest of any MP, coming behind independent MP Rupert Lowe, who claimed around £39,200 over the same period.
Carns’s spending funded a monthly fee paid to a Birmingham-based PR specialist and a series of professionally produced constituency short films made with a videographer, who was paid around £4,000.
The films — at least 24 in total across 22 months — covered visits to local businesses, community hubs, a hospital liver care unit, a fire station and a school democracy day.
What would our communities look like without independent businesses?Great to visit @atticbrewc in Stirchley and see firsthand the passion and hard work that goes into running a successful local brewery.Independent businesses like this create great products, create jobs, bring… pic.twitter.com/Xu7H1N4Hlu— Al Carns (@AlistairCarns) March 16, 2026
What would our communities look like without independent businesses?Great to visit @atticbrewc in Stirchley and see firsthand the passion and hard work that goes into running a successful local brewery.Independent businesses like this create great products, create jobs, bring… pic.twitter.com/Xu7H1N4Hlu
The PR specialist’s past clients include an internationally renowned ballet company, a Michelin-starred restaurant and multiple arts organisations.
Carns said the majority of her work related to “day-to-day constituency office support, including diary and administrative work, engagement with local organisations and outreach on behalf of myself and constituents” – and that this was listed under communications and media work due to Ipsa rules.
He said his overall staffing spend of £111,000 in 2024-25 was “significantly below typical levels for MPs” and that the video content “very clearly focuses on engagement and transparency, not personal promotion”.
The PR specialist’s LinkedIn profile lists her occupation as a “Communications, Media and PR Consultant” with more than 20 years of experience in media, PR and marketing.
The i Paper understands that under the Ipsa rules, bought-in services categorised under communications and media can include work to update constituents on parliamentary work, and that each MP has flexibility in the day-to-day responsibilities assigned to individual workers.