A variety of stories lead Friday’s papers. The Daily Mirror says that energy firms are facing “fresh fury” after Shell posted record profits of £7.6bn in three months. The paper brands the profits “obscene” and says the government’s decision not to increase windfall taxes further is to blame.
Shell also forcibly installed prepayment meters in some 4,145 homes during 2022, according to the i. The practice has been criticised because it is typically used where a household has run up debt, meaning those affected are disproportionately on lower incomes and less able to pay in advance. The i says the installations came in a year many of the company’s customers had to choose whether to “heat or eat”.
The Guardian leads with the launch on Thursday of a review by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority into the race by tech firms to develop ever more powerful artificial intelligence. It notes that the launch came on the same day that the US government published a statement saying that the firms had a “fundamental responsibility to make sure their products are safe before they are deployed or made public”.
Thousands more prisoners could be let out on day release to fill labour shortages under plans intended to reduce reoffending and boost the economy, the Times reports. It comes after the Budget in March, which identified labour shortages as a key impediment to growth. The paper says that only a quarter of those leaving prison have a job within six months, and that inmates will be encouraged to take up apprenticeships in areas including construction, haulage and hospitality.
The Express carries comments from the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, who has said that the King remains “relaxed” despite the “huge burden” of the Coronation. “Whilst… there’s a lot for him to do, he doesn’t give the sense of a man who’s really anxious,” the dean said.
Lord Lloyd-Webber, who has composed an anthem to be played during the Coronation ceremony, tells the Daily Telegraph that the King asked him to write something that would be “hummable” and stand the test of time. “He wants the anthem sung in churches,” Lord Lloyd-Webber says. The piece will also be released as a single to raise money for the Royal British Legion and Age UK.
A visit by the Prince and Princess of Wales to Soho’s Dog And Duck pub leads the Metro. The paper says the prince “pulled a rather foamy pint” of ale and “hinted at more boozy celebrations” to come. “I love a cocktail!” it quotes him as saying, “[But] best not to do it before the Coronation.”
The Sun carries a picture of the prince and princess with a pint each and says the visit came the same day it was revealed that 400,000 frontline workers – including from the emergency services, Armed Forces and royal staff – would receive a “thank you” medal from the King to mark the Coronation.
The King has just one more sleep before his Coronation, according to the Daily Star. The paper says that if he proves half as good at his job as Sam Allardyce – the veteran football manager recently appointed to head up Leeds United – then “he’ll be a lucky man”.
The Mail leads on a “furious row” about a decision by the Chinese government to send Vice-President Han Zheng to the Coronation in place of President Xi Jinping. The paper says Mr Han has overseen Beijing’s recent crackdown on political freedoms in Hong Kong and quotes Lord Patten, the last British governor of the territory, saying the move shows China doesn’t give “two hoots” about the UK.
And the Financial Times reports on the decision by the European Central Bank to raise interest rates by 0.25% to 3.25%. The paper says the president of the Bank, Christine Lagarde, has signalled the rate rise will not be the last such move this year, though adds that “with price pressures down from their peak and a credit crunch looming, many economists think the rate-tightening cycle is nearing its end”.
