Gus Carter

The world of criminal trials is slowly catching up with the modern era. The Ministry of Justice has announced it will partially overturn a 100-year-old law and allow cameras into English and Welsh courtrooms for the first time. The press will now be able to apply for video footage of a judge passing sentence over convicted defendants. This has been lauded by some (mainly broadcasters) as a landmark moment for judicial transparency. And it is certainly an improvement. But given how murky the system still is, the decision is hardly the 'radical' change that some are suggesting. The public's understanding of the criminal justice system – the most invasive, coercive arm of the state – is mediated almost entirely by journalists.

Boris Johnson has just given a wide-ranging interview to BBC Breakfast in which he signalled support for a new Trump nuclear agreement with Iran and promised to bring forward plans for social care by the end year. Here are the six things we learnt from the interview: 1. Boris backs Trump's Iran strategy The Prime Minister told viewers that the US had been right not to notify the UK before the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, saying 'This was not our operation. There was no reason for us to be involved.' Addressing the nuclear deal negotiated by Obama, the PM said: 'If we're going to get rid of it, let's replace it - and let's replace it with the Trump deal. That's what we need to see and I think that would be a great way forward.' 2.

Last week's election saw 140 new MPs joining the House of Commons, along with 15 former parliamentarians who have managed to regain a place. 2019 has seen a record number of women entering parliament as well as the most ethnically diverse set of MPs yet elected. Many of the new intake have impressive CVs and some could well find themselves on the front benches of their respective parties before too long.

In 2016, it was Sunderland that signalled what was to come. The North-Eastern town voted for Brexit by a margin of 61 to 39 per cent. That announcement was seen as a turning point on the night of the EU referendum - if a town as reliant on foreign manufacturing (namely the Nissan plant) could vote so decisively for Brexit then surely the rest of the country could well follow suit. The pound duly dropped three per cent in the minutes after the result, those cheering Leave supporters seared into the memories of those who stayed up to watch the count. This time around, will Blyth Valley become that symbolic vote? Another heavy Leave-voting constituency in the North East that has been Labour since its creation in 1950.

Election campaigning has changed in recent years. While the Saturday morning door knock is here to stay, the battle for hearts and minds is increasingly fought on social media. As Katy Balls recently wrote in The Spectator, there's a whole other conversation happening online: one that consumers of traditional media just don't see. Here's a rundown of the 15 biggest viral videos from this year's election campaign: 15. https://twitter.com/Conservatives/status/1197439107460485120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw The misleading Jess Phillips video 240,000 views The Conservatives made a bit of a stink earlier on in the campaign when they shared a misleading video of backbench Labour rebel Jess Phillips.

Stump speeches and battle bus stop-offs are a staple of political campaigning. And while much of the battle for votes now happens online, as Katy Balls points out in this week's Spectator, the constituency fly-by remains a central element of any party's election schedule. So what can we learn about the Conservative strategy from Boris Johnson's tour across the country? It could reveal that the Tories are starting to panic. The Prime Minister's campaign machine has shifted into a surprisingly defensive gear over the last week or so. Rather than descending on top target seats, Johnson is now focusing on Conservative held marginals.