Wes Streeting has denied plotting a leadership bid against Keir Starmer after allies of the PM warned of a potential attempt to oust him. The health secretary accused No 10 of launching a “self-destructive” campaign against him and said: “Whoever has been briefing this has been watching too much Celebrity Traitors.” Britain’s spy agencies and military have stopped sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean, over fears the Trump administration’s lethal strikes on alleged smugglers are breaching international law. “We don’t just target the vessel and kill people,” a UK military source tells The Times. “We would arrest them.” Stargazers in Britain were treated to a rare display of the Northern Lights last night and can expect to enjoy them again this evening. The aurora will be best across the northern half of the UK, but should also be visible in clear skies as far south as Sussex.

There’s only one way to stop the boats

Of all Labour’s election promises, says William Hague in The Times, the one with the least chance of working was its commitment to stop illegal immigration by “smashing the gangs”. History has repeatedly shown – from the abolition of slavery to America’s ongoing war on drugs – that the only way to suppress a trade is to remove demand. As long as Britain remains an attractive place for asylum seekers, every smuggling gang smashed will swiftly be replaced by another. So what a relief to hear that the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has sought inspiration for her immigration overhaul in one of the few countries to successfully deal with the issue: Denmark.

Under strict rules mostly implemented by centre-left PM Mette Frederiksen, illegal immigration and asylum claims in Denmark have fallen “dramatically”. Those fleeing conflict are given temporary residence only until the war they are escaping is over. Settling fully takes eight years and requires you to have worked for three and a half of the previous four years. For an immigrant to bring in a partner, both people have to be at least 24 and to pass language tests, and the person already in Denmark has to have not claimed benefits for three years. Any loopholes, such as a tenfold increase in student applications from Bangladesh and Nepal discovered last year, are “rapidly closed”. Not all of Frederiksen’s uncompromising policies will work here, such as the forced demolition of housing in areas where migrants aren’t fully integrated. But Mahmood has an opportunity to show that mainstream politicians – not the populists biting at their heels – can get a grip on this “intractable” problem. Let’s hope she can seize it.