There was a sea of empty chairs and but a smattering of supporters in a huge, near-deserted room.

Seasoned operators - be it Nigel Farage, Sir Keir Starmer or Ed Davey - would have had the placards lifted and the activists cheering, but Polanski and his new MP, Hannah Spencer, enjoyed just a smattering of applause as they took to the stage.

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But, make no mistake, if the celebration was muted in the moment, the implications of the result are absolutely mega.

The Green Party went from third in this seat at the 2024 General Election to winning by 4,400 votes over Reform UK, and overturning Labour's 13,000 majority with a whopping 26 percentage point swing.

It was only the 18th time in 100 years that a party had come from third to take a seat, and the Greens clocked up 40% of the vote.

It was a stunning victory that proved the Polanski surge is real and that the Greens are a serious threat to Labour's left flank.

Starmer ran a campaign claiming that only Labour could beat Reform. This by-election proved that wrong.

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Greens can argue they can beat Reform in working-class Britain

Now the Greens can argue that they are the party that can beat Reform in working-class Britain as Polanski positions the party firmly on Labour's left.

It is a nightmare for Labour as it finds itself fighting on two fronts.

Starmer's stony face as he addressed the country on Friday said more than a thousand words could: the Greens, like Reform, are emerging as a serious, seat-winning electoral force.

Had Reform won, Starmer could have used it as proof that voting for the Greens was a waste of time. Instead, he now has to try to prove to Labour voters why they should stick with him rather than tack to the left with the Greens.

Starmer recriminated after results

In the hours after the results, the recriminations began.

Angela Rayner, the former deputy leader, said the result was a "wake-up call" that showed the party needed to be "braver" as she seemed to voice what many MPs think: that Labour needs to move more to the left.

The unions also piled in with Sharon Graham of Unite saying Labour needed to "stop listening to rich mates and listen to everyday people" while Fire Brigades Union general secretary Steve Wright said Labour has to change course and its "us versus Reform" strategy "is in tatters", with the core vote collapsing.

Starmer, who looked shell-shocked, didn't answer these criticisms as he addressed the cameras. Instead he reiterated his position that only Labour could unite the country and he would continue to "fight against extremes in politics" on both the left and the right that "want to tear our country apart".

The two-party system has shifted to a multi-party one

It is important to say here that by-election results are in general not indicative of national elections, and - as Labour will be arguing - when it comes to a general election, people are picking a prime minister and government rather than registering, in some cases, a protest vote.

But this result does tell us something about the shape of our politics in this country.

It reinforces the idea that the two-party system has shifted to a multi-party one.

Voters are looking for alternatives on the left and right

The Green Party and Reform UK took 70% of the vote in this by-election as Labour came in third in its once 38th safest seat, and the Conservatives lost their deposit.

It is a reminder that voters are impatient for change, have decided that Starmer's government is not it, and are looking at alternatives on the left and the right of the two governing parties.

Starmer has spent much of his first 18 months facing out towards Reform, but this result shows that the Greens, positioning as the progressive left, can mobilise ethnic minority voters who have long been staunch Labour, younger voters, and more left-wing Labour voters who flocked to Corbyn's Labour but feel politically homeless in Starmer's Labour.

Polanski hails 'seismic victory'

"Labour's electoral stranglehold is over. This is a seismic victory. We have torn the roof off British politics, and that's because people now recognise there is an alternative," said Polanski at his news conference, telling me that, just as Reform are replacing the Conservatives, the Greens are beginning to do the same to Labour.

Starmer's approach, and hope, is that as these insurgent parties become more successful at the ballot box and their policies and people become more scrutinised, voters may think twice about voting for them in a general election.

On Friday, Labour again took aim at the Green Party's policy to legalise all drugs or withdraw from NATO as proof that Polanski doesn't have a "serious programme for government".

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Voters want a full-fat version of progressive politics

But what we saw on Friday is that voters don't want, as pollster Luke Tryl told us on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, a "Macron" strategy in which progressives are asked to compromise in the middle ground for fear of something worse (in this case Reform). They want a full-fat version of progressive politics instead.

What inspired a huge swathe of voters to Corbyn's Labour seems to be now pushing them into the arms of Polanski's Greens.

For Starmer, it is the stuff of nightmares as he contemplates attacks on both flanks.

The squeeze that broke the Conservatives at the last general election - Reform to the right and Labour/the Lib Dems to the left - now threatens to sink Labour too. It makes the May local elections all the more daunting and consequential for Starmer's premiership.

The Bolivian Air Force Hercules aircraft was transporting ‌new banknotes to the interior of the country, media ​station Unitel said, citing the Bolivian Ministry of Defence.

The plane had ​departed from the city of Santa Cruz and crashed after landing and skidding off the runway ​on to a neighbouring street, according to ⁠local authorities.

Reuters news agency reports that social media footage showed chaotic scenes of ​people appearing ⁠to pick up money that lay strewn on the ground following ‌the crash.

Local authorities on the scene were warding off people using water hoses.

Reuters, however, has not been able to verify the images.

Video broadcast on local media showed ⁠the aircraft was severely damaged, as ​were a number of vehicles along ​the road where the crash took place.

Authorities have not yet confirmed injuries or fatalities.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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The Number 9 tram was supposed to have continued straight along the central Vittorio Veneto avenue, but it suddenly swerved at a switch track that is used by another tram line, according to a video of the crash broadcast by Sky TG24.

The video shows the tram nearly flipping onto its side as it takes the curve before crashing.

Milan mayor Beppe Sala suggested human error was to blame, saying the driver had apparently failed to switch tracks to keep the tram going straight.

He described the driver as an experienced employee who had only been on his shift for an hour.

However, he said the driver had skipped a stop before the crash and would be questioned from the hospital where he was being treated for his injuries.

Emergency services said two people had been killed. Mr Sala said one passenger had died on the tram and one on the street.

He said none of the other injured were in a life-threatening condition.

Dozens of ambulances, fire engines and police cars responded to the crash, with crews escorting passengers in thermal blankets away from the scene.

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ATM, the Milan public transport company, said it was cooperating with prosecutors "to precisely establish the cause and dynamic of the incident".

The incident came as the city is hosting its seasonal fashion shows and is in the interim between hosting the Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.

The deal was struck after Netflix walked away from a bidding war for the company.

Netflix had declined to match Paramount's latest $31-per-share offer on Thursday - having offered a $27.75-per-share agreement for its studio and streaming assets.

Paramount, which is led by billionaire Larry Ellison's son, David, has deep political connections to Donald Trump's administration.

The takeover means Paramount Skydance will own the news channels CNN and CBS News.

The deal brings together two of Hollywood's five legacy studios, potentially reshaping the US film industry.

It means films such as Harry Potter, Superman and Barbie, as well as hit TV series such as Succession, will join Paramount's content library.

Paramount's titles include Top Gun and The Godfather, as well as the Paramount+ streaming service.

David Ellison, chair and CEO of Paramount, said: "From the very beginning, our pursuit of Warner Bros Discovery has been guided by a clear purpose: to honour the legacy of two iconic companies while accelerating our vision of building a next-generation media and entertainment company.

"By bringing together these world-class studios, our complementary streaming platforms, and the extraordinary talent behind them, we will create even greater value for audiences, partners and shareholders - and we couldn't be more excited for what's ahead."

Regulators in California are preparing a vigorous review of the deal.

Both Democrat and Republican politicians in the US have raised concerns any deal to acquire Warner Bros could result in higher prices and fewer choices for customers.

Robert Easom, 57, was found guilty of wounding with intent, following a trial at Preston Crown Court.

He had previously admitted to engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour between 2017 and 2025 and two charges of actual bodily harm.

Lancashire Police said Easom waged a "relentless campaign of coercive and controlling behaviour" against his former partner, Trudi Burgess, including physical assault and verbal abuse.

When Ms Burgess told Easom she was leaving the relationship on 17 February 2025, he launched a "brutal assault" on her, severing her spinal cord and leaving her paralysed.

Ms Burgess, who now requires specialist care, documented Easom's abuse in the notes section of her phone.

Lancashire Police said Easom would subject her to a cycle of verbal and physical abuse followed by apologetic and affectionate behaviour.

In one incident in 2019, Easom dragged Ms Burgess upstairs by the head, banging her against each step.

In 2021, Easom placed a sheet over her head and strangled her, leaving her terrified for her life.

The next day, he claimed he was "just trying to teach her a lesson", police said.

Sentencing Easom at Preston Crown Court, Judge Robert Altham said: "No sentence I can pass upon you could begin to equal the harm that you have caused.

"I must pass the sentence which I consider to be just and lawful. But the fact remains that even with the lengthy sentence I am about to impose, you will have a prospect of a future which you have denied to your victim.

"This is not a case where a life sentence is called for, however I am satisfied that an extended determinate sentence is required in order to protect the public from you."

Easom was sentenced to 16 years in prison, followed by a four-year extended licence period, for wounding with intent, two charges of actual bodily harm and coercive and controlling behaviour.

In a statement read by her brother Charlie outside court, Ms Burgess said: "I believe today's sentence reflects the seriousness of the harm done and the lasting impact of this abuse.

"While it can't change what I've been through, it sends an important message that this kind of violence will be taken seriously.

"This, however, is not the end of my story. What happened to me will always be a part of my life, but it will not be the thing that defines the rest of it.

"From this point forward, I choose to look ahead with purpose, with strength, and the desire to make people aware of the signs of coercive, controlling behaviour and abuse.

"The injuries inflicted on me are life-changing. They have brought enormous challenges and every day I'm learning how to rebuild my life in ways I never expected. However, the love I have in my life is far greater than any injury I have sustained or any pain I will endure."

Ms Burgess' family have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her round-the-clock care. You can donate here.