Good afternoon,

Sir Keir Starmer may well have breathed a sigh of relief last night as the Labour Party’s narrow victory in Batley and Spen was announced. The West Yorkshire constituency’s new MP, Kim Leadbeater, won the by-election with the thinnest of margins, just 323 votes. Nigel Morris, i’s Political Editor, writes on why the election result is far from a triumph for the party’s leader, Keir Starmer. Her new constituents have been talking to Dean Kirby, i’s Northern Correspondent, about their relief that the divisive by-election campaign has now reached its conclusion.

A major study has suggested that school closures during lockdowns have caused “considerable harm” to the physical and mental health of children, with as many as 60 per cent of boys and 47 per cent of girls experiencing anxiety. The analysis, published by University College London, comes as debate continues over whether children should be offered the vaccine.

Adding to their investigation on criminal gangs organising migrant crossings, Cahal Milmoand Dean Kirby write on the deadly smuggling routes they promote on Facebook and the terror of migrants left for dead by people smugglers in the English Channel.

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Three essential stories to read today

• Delta variant cases rise 46% in a week leaving scientists fearful a new strain could emerge. Public Health England figures show a total of 161,981 confirmed and probable cases of Delta variant have now been identified in the UK – up by 50,824 on the previous week. Click here to read.

• Wildfires destroy Canadian village following record-breaking temperatures. The blaze has burned down 90 per cent of the village and has left close to 1,000 people homeless. Click here to read.

• Billionaire space race heats up with Richard Branson set to launch nine days before Jeff Bezos. Bezos’ hopes of becoming the first billionaire in space have been thwarted after the announcement by Branson’s company Virgin Galactic. Click to read.

And three more stories that get behind the headlines

• Why UK travellers could be blocked from the EU if they had batch of Covid jab made in India. The batches – which are just as effective and safe as every other AstraZeneca jab – are a version of the AstraZeneca jab known as Covishield, which is not yet recognised by the EU. Click here to read.

• If we are to learn to ‘live with Covid’ the way we hear about daily cases needs to change. The daily figures of Covid cases, deaths and vaccinations made us conform, but now risk losing their effect. Click here to read.

• ‘I had an affair, and know as a woman, Gina Coladangelo will be judged more than Matt Hancock’. Both Williams and Adrian Mannarino were forced to retire from play on Centre Court on Tuesday after slipping on the lush court. Click here to read. 

NEW: Culture Matrix

What to watch, read and listen to today, chosen by i’s Deputy Arts Editor

Watch: Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story

“Noel kissed me madly on both cheeks. Joan says Noel just wants to get banged.” One of Jackie Collins’ diary entries from 1954, revealed for the first time in this new documentary about the author’s glamorous life, trailblazing work, and – contested – feminist legacy. Read our interview with the film’s director Laura Fairries, and Collins’ daughter Tiffany Lerman. In cinemas now.

Listen: Laura Mvula – Pink Noise

After a five-year break, Laura Mvula has released her superb 80s-inspired third album Pink Noise. I interviewed her about being dropped by her record label, her crisis of confidence, and feeling trapped and pigeonholed early in her career – read it here. Streaming now.

Read: Everyone Is Still Alive by Cathy Rentzenbrink

Georgia Pritchett has been a comedy writer for television for 30 years, most recently on Veep and Succession. In this episodic and unsurprisingly very funny, memoir, she talks about her life through the prism of anxiety, from her fear of school, to breaking into the male-dominated world of comedy and becoming a mother to two non-neurotypical boys. Published today.

Book now: Arlo Parks at Manchester International Festival

Twenty-year-old Parks released her debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams back in January and it remains one of the records of the year. Next week she makes her return to live performing (after a few streaming shows) with two dates at the Manchester International Festival. Read our interview with her here and book tickets here.

And finally, something to brighten your day…

Skateboarder, 12, to become Britain’s youngest ever Olympian one year after horrific accident. Skateboarder to become Britain’s youngest ever summer Olympian just 12 months on from a crash that could have ended her life. Click here to read.

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Today’s talking points 

• A new statue of Diana, Princess of Wales was unveiled by her sons yesterday. Art critic Florence Hallett gives her verdict. Click here to read.

• There have been calls for the Government to stop releasing Covid case numbers. Behavioural scientist Professor Benjamin Voyer argues that the way they’re reported should evolve as the pandemic goes on. Click here to read.

More from our writers 

• “From ‘clamping koala’ to ‘Ladies Delight’, sex manuals throughout history have taught us how to be better lovers.” Historian Kate Lister on a Norwegian public broadcaster’s guide to good sex. Click here to read.

• “‘It put us in a pressure cooker’: How no travel, sex-life shifts, and anxiety shaped relationships in lockdown.” Rachel Mantock speaks to couples about how the pandemic has affected their sex lives. Click here to read.

Views from elsewhere

• For the Guardian, Science Editor Ian Semple writes that the UK is the “petri dish” of the world when it comes to the Delta variant. Click here to read.

• For the Independent, Shaparak Khorsandi writes about her changing relationship with football, and why she feels able to celebrate England’s success this time round. Click here to read.

Readers’ corner

Diana Rhodes from Pembrokeshire wasn’t a fan of the Diana statue:

“I was so disappointed in the portrayal of Diana, Princess of Wales. It would have been much nicer to see her portrayed sitting like a loving mother on a bench watching as the children played in the park around her instead of the stiff figure with a little girl holding her hand to her face almost pleading for Diana’s attention.

“For inspiration, they could have looked at the statue of Roy O Disney at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom in Florida, sitting on a bench quietly watching the children come in to enjoy a day at the park.”

And Bill Ridley from Kent comments on the by-election result:

“This would appear a particularly bad result for the Tories as, without George Galloway’s intervention, Labour would likely have increased it’s majority.”

i ask you

What did you think of the new statue of Princess Dia