White House denies reports president is assessing candidacy. Plus, UK expected to elect Labour in landslideDon’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.President Joe Biden has struck a defiant tone and insisted to his campaign team that “I’m in this race to the end”, according to reports, despite the increasing pressure to step down as the Democratic nominee amid concerns over his competence.Governors in show of qualified support. Democratic governors have rallied around Biden after a closed-door meeting yesterday but admitted they shared voters’ concerns about his performance, as a fresh poll shows Trump has a six-point advantage, 49-43%, over Biden among likely voters.Stepping out. For three and a half years, Biden was wrapped in a metaphorical ball of cotton wool by an anxious White House staff eager to protect him from the worst of himself.Waving the white flag? Senior Tories including one of Sunak’s closest cabinet allies were effectively conceding defeat yesterday. Starmer accused the Conservatives of trying to suppress voter turnout by presenting the election result as a done deal. Continue reading...