Labour Party steps up call for fresh election

Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell has called on unions and opposition groups to hold a million-person protest to oust Theresa May.

Speaking to trade union bosses at an annual conference of food workers, he said Labour needs "every union mobilised" and people to "get out on the streets" in support of the party's anti-austerity message.

"We need people doing everything they can to ensure the election comes as early as possible," he said.

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Left-wing groups are planning a mass protest in London on 1 July, aiming to pile pressure on "Theresa and the terrorists" – meaning the Prime Minister and Northern Ireland's DUP – to hold another election this year, says the Daily Mirror.

Amid the suggestion that her government will struggle to achieve its domestic or Brexit agenda, May confirmed the Queen's Speech will go ahead next Wednesday, three days later than originally planned.

A source told The Independent the government was "confident there will be sufficient support across the House for the Queen's Speech", but admitted a deal may not be finalised with the DUP until after the speech has been delivered.

With growing criticism of the government's Brexit strategy ahead of the formal start of talks next week, Jeremy Corbyn's approval ratings have soared since the election to their highest level ever.

A new poll by YouGov says he is viewed more favourably than unfavourably for the first time since taking over the leadership of the party almost two years ago.

Meanwhile, May's popularity has plummeted from +10 in April to -34 following her failure to win a majority. She is almost as unpopular now as Corbyn was last November, when he scored -35.

With a Survation poll earlier this week showing Labour with a five-point lead over the Conservatives, the surge in personal support for Corbyn "highlights a dramatic turnaround in both leaders' fortunes following their wildly different campaigns", says the London Evening Standard.

He used his renewed authority to conduct a post-election reshuffle in which he "snubbed Labour moderates", the Daily Telegraph reports. "Yvette Cooper and Chuka Umunna had both suggested they would be willing to return to the frontbench but neither were invited back."