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Gareth Southgate will stay on as England manager and will lead the Three Lions at the 2024 Euros, the Football Association has confirmed.

The 52-year-old had been mulling his future following the national side’s 2-1 quarter-final defeat to France at the World Cup.

Southgate had a contract until the 2024 European Championship, but admitted to feeling “conflicted” about staying on given what has often been a difficult 18 months.

But the former England defender will now remain in charge for a fourth major tournament.

In a statement on Sunday, the FA said: “We are delighted to confirm that Gareth Southgate is continuing as England manager, and will lead our Euro 2024 campaign.

“Gareth and Steve Holland have always had our full support, and our planning for the Euros starts now.”

Southgate led England to the World Cup semi-finals in Russia in 2018 and the final of last summer’s European Championship, before reaching the last eight in Qatar.

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In the build-up to this year’s tournament there had been significant criticism of Southgate following a run of poor results.

Relegation to League B of the Nations League after losing twice to Hungary, drawing two against Germany and a draw and defeat to Italy led to serious questions being asked about his future.

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Heartbreak for fans as England lose

But even after a positive response to the team’s World Cup run, Southgate stressed he needed a period of reflection to decide on the best course of action.

“I think, whenever I finish these tournaments, I’ve needed time to make correct decisions,” he said immediately after their exit.

“Emotionally you go through so many different feelings.

“The energy it takes through these tournaments is enormous.

“I want to make the right decision, whatever that is, for the team, for England, for the FA.

I’ve got to be sure whatever decision I make is the right one.”

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Former England defender Gary Neville welcomed the news Southgate was staying.

“I think it’s the right decision,” he told Sky Sports News.

“When I saw early last week it was going to be discussed in the new year I didn’t think that would work, letting it hang for so long.

“The fact it has come out is welcome, it puts it to bed and allows everyone to focus on the next 18 months.

“It means a succession plan can be put in place.”

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The story of the Qatar World Cup

Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett: said: “The fact Southgate has decided, just eight days after England were knocked out by France, is significant.

“He’s recovered pretty quickly and there are a number of key factors which have convinced him it would be wrong to walk away now.

“Firstly, the players have all been hugely supportive of him. They were all adamant they wanted him to stay on.

“He also thinks England can win something. And that this squad, with the young players coming through, has a real chance of challenging in Germany in 18 months’ time for a European Championship. If he was to walk away now and someone else was to take that glory, I think he’d be pretty bitter about it and maybe regret it for the rest of his career.

“He spoke with his family about it and his assistant Steve Holland and he decided he needed to, he wanted to, and had the energy and desire to stay on as England’s boss until after Euro 2024.”

Southgate has won 49 of his 81 games as England manager, with 18 draws and 14 defeats, while England have scored 174 goals and conceded 57.

Only two previous managers have reached a half-century in the win column – World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey with 69 and England’s longest-serving manager Sir Walter Winterbottom on 78.

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Protesters throw powder on Tower Bridge during London Marathon

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Protesters throw powder on Tower Bridge during London Marathon

Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.

The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.

A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.

The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.

Pic: LNP
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Pic: LNP

They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.

A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.

Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.

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There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.

More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.

Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.

Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.

Read more:
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Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform

Pic: LNP
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Pic: LNP

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.

“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”

The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.

The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.

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Kemi Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform after next week’s council elections

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Kemi Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform after next week's council elections

Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out forming coalitions at a local level with Reform after the council elections next week.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, the Conservative leader did however categorically rule out a pact with Nigel Farage’s party on a national level.

“I am not going into any coalition with Nigel Farage… read my lips,” she said.

However, she did not deny that deals could be struck with Reform at a local level, arguing that some councils might be under no overall control and in that case, “you have to do what is right for your local area”.

“You look at the moment, we are in coalition with Liberal Democrats, with independents,” she said. “We’ve been in coalition with Labour before at local government level.

“They [councillors] have to look at who the people are that they’re going into coalition with and see how they can deliver for local people.”

She added: “What I don’t want to hear is talks of stitch-ups or people planning things before the results are out. They have to do what is right for their communities.”

More on Electoral Dysfunction

A total of 23 councils are up for grabs when voters go to the polls on Thursday 1 May – mostly in places that were once deemed Tory shires, until last year’s general election.

It includes 14 county councils, all but two of which have been Conservative-controlled, as well as eight unitary authorities, all but one of which are Tory.

Ms Badenoch has set expectations low for the Tories, suggesting they could lose all the councils they are contesting.

The last time this set of councils were up for election was in 2021, when the Conservative Party was led by Boris Johnson who was riding high from the COVID vaccine bounce.

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Counter-terrorism police investigating after two women injured in Leeds

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Counter-terrorism police investigating after two women injured in Leeds

Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.

Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.

Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.

The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

Officers guard one of the crime scenes in Leeds
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Officers guard one of the crime scenes

Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
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Officers inside the cordon in Leeds

Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.

“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.

“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”

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