Once the underdog of British politics, Reform UK has arrived as a serious force. Nigel Farage's right-wing populist party not only won its fifth seat in Parliament last week, it took two mayoralties and 100s of county council seats. Its runaway success has had many progressives asking: where is a serious left-wing populist alternative?

What did the commentators say?
Keir Starmer's welcoming of the Supreme Court's clarification of the definition of a woman revealed that he "doesn't fear the left", said UnHerd. Rather, he is adopting a "defensive position out of fear of the populist right – and specifically Reform". But the PM could lean so far in that direction that he alienates Labour's "anti-populist supporters". His "tricky balancing act is made much easier by one of the most underrated features of British politics: the sheer weakness of the left-wing opposition to Labour".

As Labour's leadership "shifts rightwards", a few alternative left-wing movements "are beginning to fill the void left behind", said Brian McDaid for Yorkshire Bylines. The Green Party, the most significant of these alternative left movements, gained 43 seats in the local elections. Its platform, which is focused on tackling climate change, social justice and the redistribution of wealth, "aligns closely with the left-wing populism that Labour abandoned under Starmer". Ignore progressive voters at your "peril", John McTernan, a political strategist who served as a key aide to Tony Blair, warned Labour.

When it comes to economic policy, it is Reform, surprisingly, that appears to be most in tune with left-leaning voters, said James Kirkup in The Spectator. More than two-thirds of Reform voters support the public ownership of the water, rail and energy sectors. Almost 70% believe that foreign ownership of British firms is bad for the country, and 68% agree that big companies don't pay enough tax. Indeed, Reform voters are "further left on those questions than the typical British voter". "An economic cocktail of Donald Trump and Jeremy Corbyn might sound unlikely but it's notable that Farage is happy to praise both men as he sketches out Reform's new economic agenda."

What next?
For the left, the "choice is obvious", said politics lecturer David Jeffery on The Conversation: it should "resist the urge to ape the populist radical right" but openly ignoring the issues that Reform campaigns on "will not work".

Meghan Markle has revealed how she's making memories for her children by creating them each a "time capsule". She has set up "secret" email accounts for Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, and, "almost every night", she mails them a message.

Her messages could include a photo from that day, a little anecdote or a note of something funny that child said. "I used to have scrapbooks and photo albums but we're past that generation now," the Duchess of Sussex explained on "The Jamie Kern Lima Show" podcast. Archie and Lilibet don't have access to their accounts, so won't see the emails until "maybe when they're 16 or 18", and can look back on them "and go, 'Oh my gosh, she has loved us so much!'"

'Small, everyday moments'
The Duchess' nightly ritual is "particularly meaningful", said Daniella Gray in Newsweek, because, unlike so much parental memory-making, "it doesn't focus exclusively on milestones or achievements". Instead, Markle is collecting a treasure trove of the "small, everyday moments which can typically get lost in fast-paced family life".

Her emails will become a "breadcrumb trail of identity" for her children, Dorcy Porter, founder of the Conscious Co-Parenting Institute, told Newsweek's Gray. They will be "a reminder that they were always loved, always witnessed. That's not just emotional; it's foundational."

'Unrealistic parenting standards'
The social-media "cult of making memories" is one of the "more nauseating phrases to emerge from social media", said Claire Cohen in Vogue. We all do our best to preserve memories for our kids but there's a "huge difference between Pritt Sticking a few pictures into a notebook" and having them wake up on their 16th birthday to "somewhere north of 4,000 emails to read".

This could be the best parenting idea Meghan's ever had, said Charlotte Cripps in The Independent. But there's a danger it could set "unrealistic parenting standards" for others. One "photo dump in one email once a year" is more attainable for the average parent. "At the end of the day, it's a wonderful gift" to your children, "and it's never too late".

The first Sunday of May is International Dawn Chorus Day, when "nature's avian orchestra is in full voice", said The Times. With the arrival of spring, winter's visitors depart for their breeding grounds, migratory species return and native birds begin nesting. Here are some of the best spots in the UK to hole up with a pair of binoculars and catch the action.

Rathlin Island, County Antrim
Thousands of puffins (pictured above) descend on Rathlin Island each April – and thousands of twitchers arrive to see them, and the black guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes that nest in the rugged cliffs. During the summer, you might even glimpse the red-billed chough.

Mersea Island, Essex
It's well worth booking a stay at the "peacefully remote" Samphire cabin, said The Times. It's located on the banks of a tidal estuary near the often-submerged causeway to Mersea Island, and there's "rich" bird life to spot throughout the year, from oystercatchers and curlews to marsh harriers, shelducks and reed buntings.

Rutland Water, East Midlands
This "wide and open" reservoir is home to an "array of lagoons, wetlands and meadows" that make it a "wonderful" bird habitat, said Country Living. It's one of the best places in the country to spot previously endangered ospreys.

North Uist, Outer Hebrides
Situated between Harris and Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, North Uist is a great place to spot white-tailed eagles (Britain's biggest bird) and goldcrests (Britain's smallest bird). In May, keep an eye out for cuckoos, short-eared owls and hen harriers.

Romney Marsh, Kent
Although numbers have plummeted, it's still possible to catch a glimpse of a crimson-chested male linnet on Romney Marsh. In spring, reed buntings, corn buntings and lapwings arrive to breed, and you might catch a glimpse of a honey buzzard or purple heron.

Too much peace can bring its own dangers
James Marriott in The Times
For most of us, the Second World War's "distant age of fire and fury" is "alien almost beyond imagining", writes James Marriott. Yes, the world has "grown darker" recently, but most of our present-day problems are "not those of war" but of "extended peace", which breeds "disunity, inequality" and political "incompetence". It's a "dangerous privilege to live" in times when the "terrible lessons" of global bloodshed are "slipping out of memory".

Look at how Reform speaks about minorities. Why would Labour want to mimic this nasty party?
Frances Ryan in The Guardian
An "ugliness" is "infecting our politics", writes Frances Ryan. Reform UK, a party that recently fielded candidates who "compared black people to 'savages' and praised Hitler", is celebrating "staggering local election wins". This rise of right-wing populism reflects a "deeply disillusioned" electorate, but polling "consistently shows" Britons to be "progressive" on many issues. Labour should "tell a story" that "reflects this", rather than "tacking" to the right and "trying to beat populism by mimicking it".

Know what the conclave needs? A woman's touch…
Catherine Pepinster in The Independent
Today, more than 100 male cardinals will enter the Sistine Chapel and "won't be seen again" until they have chosen "one among them as the next pope", writes Catherine Pepinster. There's "more female input" in the Catholic Church than "outsiders might think", including women appointed by Pope Francis to a host of senior Vatican positions, and they can "exert quite nuanced influence". But it would be even better if they were "right there" taking part in the conclave.