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    Theresa May was warned by campaign guru Sir Lynton Crosby that her gamble of calling a snap general election carried a lot of risk, a leaked memo has revealed. The memo written in April, just days before May announced her surprise decision, said voters did not want the uncertainty an election would cause. The document, obtained by the Mail on Sunday, warned there was a risk the Tory vote share would end up broadly similar to that achieved by David Cameron in 2015 when he won a narrow victory, rather than the landslide sought by May. When told about the plan to call the June 8 election by Tory campaign chief Lord Gilbert, according to the newspaper Australian Lynton responded by saying: I’m not sure that’s a smart idea, mate. The leaked Election Strategic Note – April 2017 ...

    Theresa May faced a growing Tory revolt over her leadership as it emerged that Remain-supporting Conservative MPs are being told by party whips that they will be seen as “supporting Jeremy Corbyn” if they attempt to soften the Brexit bill. Furious Conservatives, including former ministers, said such threats and arm-twisting from the whips’ office would “backfire” spectacularly, making it more likely the prime minister would face a leadership challenge this autumn. Tory tensions over Brexit, coupled with dismay over May’s insistence last week that she wants to lead the party into a 2022 general election, reached new heights as MPs prepared to debate the European Union (withdrawal) bill when parliament returns after the summer break on Tuesday. Related: Brexit 'costing too m...

    A five-year-old girl who wrote to the Queen to ask if she could borrow a swan for the weekend has received an unexpected reply from Buckingham Palace. Lyndsay Simpson penned the letter after being informed by her mum Jennifer Bax that the Queen owns all the swans in Britain. The little girl told Her Majesty of her love of swans, promising she would take good care of one by keeping it in the bath, the Times reported. In a kind reply, Jennie Vine, deputy correspondence co-ordinator at the Palace, thanked the little girl for the request and said that the Queen had taken “careful note” of her comments. She also explained that the Queen does not own every swan in the land, and added the idea is nothing more than a centuries-old urban myth. She added: Her Majesty owns mute swans...

    Footage is said to show officers mocking and assaulting detainees at centre near Gatwick. The private security contractor G4S has suspended nine staff from an immigration centre near Gatwick after fresh claims of abuse and assaults against detainees, prompting calls for the government to stop awarding it contracts. An investigation has also been launched into allegations by the BBC’s Panorama of “chaos, incompetence and abuse” at Brook House immigration removal centre. The programme claims to have undercover footage showing officers “mocking, abusing and even assaulting detainees” at the facility, where drugs are allegedly rife. G4S said nine staff had been suspended pending further investigation in the latest scandal to hit the controversial firm. Jerry Petherick, the man...