King of the north searches for the hero inside himself to an Oasis backing track to change politics for the better

It must be exhausting being the king of the north. Just watching Andy Burnham’s four-minute campaign video released this week leaves you in need of a lie down. Andy can’t step outside his front door without people throwing themselves at his feet. Men throw palm leaves across the pavement and openly weep with joy. They can’t imagine a life without him and insist on buying him a pint. Women grab his hand and ask him to be the father of their babies. Shopkeepers beg him to come inside and cut the ribbon to open their new freezer cabinet.

Being the messiah is a very demanding occupation. But I guess someone’s got to do it. It must be annoying though to have to live your life to a soundtrack of Oasis playing in the background. Still, at least the sun is always shining. Which is not how I remember the city. When my daughter was at university there 15 years ago, I never went out without a coat. But maybe Andy is even in control of the weather. Saves him the bother of walking on water.

He made his name as a conman, but now Bob Odenkirk is on the right side of the law in Normal. He answers your questions about Henry Winkler, Bruce Dern and Shakespeare

You recently agreed in an interview that “life is a meaningless farce”. How come? benpendrey
Oh, I don’t know. You need to talk to God about that. I don’t know why he made it so ridiculous, but it is. I’m not done asking questions and trying to figure things out, but I do think we’re going to end up where Douglas Adams did.

Is biting satire more powerful than political hogwash? Twist27
I sure wish it was, but no. I do think political satire is helpful, but it is not as important as we all wished it was. I’m afraid political satire pales in comparison to political hogwash, as we’re witnessing in my country.

Secateurs, pizza ovens and sparkling rose in a tin … whatever your plans for the long weekend, here’s how to make the most of it

• Don’t get the Filter delivered to your inbox? Sign up here

Reasons to be cheerful #271: a warm, sunny bank holiday weekend. Here at the Filter, we need no excuse to kick off our shoes, grab a cold drink (and some SPF) and head outside.

To help you make the most of the long weekend, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite things. Whether it’s tools to spruce up your outdoor space, tipples to sip in the garden, a fake tan to jump-start your summer skin or fashion for warmer weather, summer starts here.

Although it might seem like a minor irritant, the consequences of email incivility can be far-reaching

Received a rude email at work? You’re not alone.

When I was weighing a move from full-time to freelance work, a terse email from a colleague – demanding I redo a task from scratch over a technicality – settled the matter instantly. I quit on the spot. Around the same time, thousands of US government workers received an email requiring them to justify their employment “with approx 5 bullets of what you accomplished this week” – or resign.

Clarissa Brincat is a freelance health and science journalist

Retreating from reality is a brittle way to feel better, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. Find people who feel as you do and then face these problems together

• Read more Leading questions

I’m 21, and all my life I’ve been anxious about the future. It’s not getting better. There are a lot of things that worry me – no job prospects even with a degree under my belt; I won’t be able to find a partner who will respect me; I’ll never own a house. And outside these, of course, I’m worried about climate change and global politics.

The advice I have been offered is to “not think about it” or “focus on what I personally can control”. But I have dreams and aspirations; I want to be a writer and an artist and I am working harder than ever to make those things happen, even if AI might make those fields even more competitive. So my question is: How do I balance my dreams and aspirations practically, and take care of myself, without living in a bubble?

The government is in thrall to the sunk-cost fallacy. Scrap the project, and use the money for a renaissance in urban transit

So it is official, as if that makes a difference. After a 15-month review by the new chief executive, the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, has revealed that HS2 will now cost up to £102.7bn and trains may not start until 2039. Alexander called the original design a “massively over-specced folly” and called the increase in time and costs “obscene”. Indeed it possibly ranks as the wildest white elephant in British history. In comparison, Donald Trump’s White House ballroom is a garden shed, and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa a mere sandcastle.

This week, Alexander, the ninth transport secretary since HS2 was proposed, admitted the project made her angry. As she dusted off her department’s latest defence of its appalling conduct of this fiasco, she tried to feign surprise. She has been in office 18 months. Don’t tell us she did not know.

Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Updated code of practice covering England, Wales and Scotland also relates to changing rooms and follows supreme court ruling

• What is the updated EHRC code of practice about and how does it apply?

Single-sex toilets and changing rooms in England, Wales and Scotland must exclude transgender men and women, according to a new code of practice from the equalities watchdog.

But the long-awaited guidance also says that businesses and service providers have to offer practical alternatives such as gender-neutral toilets for people who do not wish to use services for their biological sex.

Exclusive: Scotland Yard criticises London mayor’s decision as disappointing and warns it could hit policing

Sadiq Khan has blocked a £50m Metropolitan police deal with the controversial US tech company Palantir, sparking a bitter row between the London mayor and Scotland Yard.

After the UK’s largest police force had agreed to use Palantir’s AI technology to automate intelligence analysis in criminal investigations, Khan intervened, citing “serious concerns” about how the deal had been struck.

Charles conferred LVO after his US visit on James Roscoe who had been standing in for Peter Mandelson

A top diplomat who abruptly left his post at the British embassy in Washington earlier this week after standing in as interim ambassador for Peter Mandelson has been honoured by King Charles.

No reason has yet been given for James Roscoe’s departure. An investigation is now under way into the leak of discussions at a meeting of the UK’s national security council.

Exclusive: Move to establish board comes after criticism that Lammy’s plan to slash jury trials will lead to increase in racial and class bias

David Lammy and the most senior judge in England and Wales are drawing up plans to accelerate the recruitment of minority ethnic and working-class solicitors into the judiciary.

A new judicial and legal diversity board, chaired by Lammy, who is the first black lord chancellor, and Sue Carr, the lady chief justice, has met for the first time to discuss removing barriers for diverse candidates attempting to join the judiciary.