Image caption, Labour’s manifesto release has been front-page news in several newspapers, with the i reporting that the party will announce “significant spending cuts” across many government departments. The decision comes after Labour has repeatedly said taxes would not rise if it comes to power, the paper said, adding that the party’s key election pledges “will not include any new spending commitments”. Image caption, Chancellor Sir Keir Starmer is expected to say Labour will make economic growth and prosperity his “top priority” for his government, according to The New York Times. As part of his manifesto announcement, Starmer will promise to tackle “blockers to ambition” and lead a house-building boom, the paper reports. Image caption, The Daily Telegraph took a contrasting view of Labour’s plans, reporting that Starmer did not rule out increases to council tax, fuel duty or capital gains tax on Sky News’ election programme. The paper noted that the Labour leader had promised “no tax rises for workers”, leaving room for a wealth tax hike.Image caption, A senior Conservative leader told the Daily Mail that a “devastating” election for the Conservatives risked voters “straying into a one-party socialist state” under a Labour government. The paper said the “strategic shift” by senior Conservative leaders was aimed at persuading Conservative voters who were “interested” in Reform UK to stay in the party. Image caption, The Guardian ran an exclusive front page story claiming that a close aide to Chancellor Rishi Sunak had bet £100 on election day, three days before the Prime Minister declared the election. The paper reports that it understands the Gambling Commission is investigating Craig Williams. In a statement, Williams said he would cooperate with any “normal investigation” and acknowledged that “I should have considered how it would look”.Image caption, According to the Daily Express, around 3.6 million people are at risk of developing diabetes – and this record number is at risk as the UK battles an “obesity epidemic” which health officials blame on cheap junk food. Image caption, The Metro ran a front-page story calling for urgent safety measures to address the dangers of electric bikes after a father whose family was killed in an explosion. Scott Penden bought a bike battery online and left it charging overnight when it exploded, starting a fire that killed his four-year-old son, eight-year-old daughter and partner, the paper reported.Image caption, The mother of Nottingham stabbing victim Barnaby Webber has spoken to the Daily Mirror about the “year of hell” her family have endured since Mr Webber was killed. Emma Webber told the paper that her family’s lives have been “shattered” and she still switches the light on in Mr Webber’s bedroom every night. Image caption, According to the Financial Times, the amount of oil that Middle Eastern and US companies are pumping out of the ground means the world will face a “staggering” surplus by 2030. Oil demand is expected to peak in 2030, but experts told the paper that with so much oil being produced, efforts by many energy-producing countries to keep oil prices high are likely to fail.Image caption, Breaking with a tradition often strongly held in Germany, England’s football stars have been given special permission to cover up when using nude spas in Germany, according to the Daily Star. In a somewhat unique scoop, the paper reports that the shy members of the “Three Loins” will be able to “hide their tackles” when using hotel facilities during the Euros.
Many newspapers have focused on Keir Starmer’s vision for government in the Labour election manifesto.
The Guardian said it was a pro-business manifesto targeted at former Conservative voters, prioritising economic stability over the policy-focused platform announced by the Conservatives on Tuesday.
The Daily Mirror sees today as a golden opportunity for the Labour leader to seal the deal with voters, saying he must not only propose change but also offer hope for a better tomorrow.
The Daily Mail reported on what it described as a shift in Conservative strategy, with a senior Conservative leader warning voters not to risk “sleepwalking into a one-party socialist state.” The new approach, the paper said, is aimed at persuading Conservative voters considering backing the reformists that they would be running the risk of helping Starmer win a landslide victory.
A Financial Times analysis suggests that Labour is avoiding campaigning in Britain’s Conservative heartland, a sign of Starmer’s “caution”. Despite opinion polls suggesting a “devastating defeat for the Conservatives”, Labour’s activists and funding are concentrated in the 186 seats where they will need less than 15 points to win, the paper said.
The Guardian also exclusively reported that Sunak’s close aide, Craig Williams, had bet that a general election would be called in July, just three days before the Prime Minister made his surprise announcement, citing Mr Sunak’s admission that he “should have thought about what it would look like”.
The Daily Express says 3.6 million people are at high risk of diabetes and warns of a looming obesity time bomb.
The paper said the number of people thought to have pre-diabetes has doubled since 2019, with health officials blaming cheap junk food, and that the NHS is struggling to cope with the strain of caring for the 5.6 million people with known diabetes.
Topping the list is political satirist Armando Iannucci, whose work includes TV comedy “The Thick of It.” Iannucci will be promoted from an Order of the British Empire (OBE) to a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), according to the paper. Also on the list is Gordon Brown, who the paper believes will receive an honorary medal.
