内容摘要：Despite having stood to be an MP unsuccessfully seven times, he is more of a household name than some Conservative ministers. Many Conservative campaigners and strategists feared him standing for Reform UK, worried that he might split the vote in some seats that the Conservatives are trying to hold on to - or even ones where they’ve previously enjoyed a pretty safe majority.

Despite having stood to be an MP unsuccessfully seven times, he is more of a household name than some Conservative ministers. Many Conservative campaigners and strategists feared him standing for Reform UK, worried that he might split the vote in some seats that the Conservatives are trying to hold on to - or even ones where they’ve previously enjoyed a pretty safe majority.

The 10 acts who succeeded in Thursday's public vote were:Which means the six countries eliminated were Australia, Czechia, Georgia, Ireland, Montenegro and Serbia.

Australia's elimination was the biggest shock. Their innuendo-laden pop anthem Milkshake Man had received a warm reception ahead of the contest but, on the night, viewers proved to be lactose intolerant.Ireland also crashed out, a year after Bambie Thug earned the country a sixth-place finish.The country has now failed to qualify on eight of their last 10 attempts. The continuation of that losing streak will cause much soul-searching in the nation that's tied with Sweden for the most Eurovision victories of all time: Seven in total.

The second semi-final also gave viewers their first chance to see the UK's act, Remember Monday.The girl band delivered a whimsical staging of their song, What The Hell Just Happened? - dancing around a fallen chandelier in Bridgerton-inspired outfits, as they sang about a messy night on the tiles.

With effortless three-part harmonies, they put to rest the dodgy vocal performances that plagued Olly Alexander and Mae Muller in 2024 and 2023.

And they were spared the public vote, for now. The UK automatically qualifies for the final as one of the "Big Five" countries who make outsized financial contributions to Eurovision.David Henwood is the party’s candidate for Oxford East in the general election.

"They create longer car journeys, more pollution and more congestion," he says.It has been a big local issue in recent years, but this is the first opportunity since LTNs were introduced that the issue could be brought up at a national level.

Oxford East’s Labour candidate, Anneliese Dodds, thinks that bus services should be improved first as "not everyone in Oxford can cycle or walk".Louise Brown is the Conservative party candidate. She says that East Oxford does not have enough cycle lanes or regular buses, making LTNs "unworkable".