A variety of stories lead Friday’s papers. Writing in the Daily Mail, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says he has an “unshakeable” belief in the UK’s nuclear deterrent and that he is “utterly committed to our nation’s defences”. The paper describes Sir Keir’s stance as a “major shift” from that of his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn.
In an interview for the i, Sir Keir says Labour would increase military spending to 2.5% of GDP if it wins the next general election and that defence would be the “number one issue” for his government. The paper says he has also committed to building four new nuclear submarines at the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard in Cumbria.
The Guardian reports that Labour has been told it is at risk of losing as many as a dozen of its main targets seats because of previously loyal voters in urban areas turning away from the party. The paper says pollsters have warned that some Muslims have been angered by the party’s stance on Gaza, while younger progressive voters feel it is not focusing enough on climate change. One senior adviser tells the paper: “At the moment it looks like it doesn’t matter as our poll lead is so wide, but it could hurt if they narrow and those voters don’t come back.”
Traders have scaled back expectations of interest rate cuts this year after figures showed US inflation stayed unexpectedly high, delivering a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s hopes of going into the election on the back of cheaper mortgages and lower taxes, according to the Financial Times. The paper says the government had been hoping the Bank of England would start cutting rates well before an election and quotes Conservative officials admitting that the US data could impact the party’s election strategy.
The Daily Express leads with a call for an end to what it describes as a “triple lock pension injustice for millions”. The paper says less than one third of pensioners received an 8.5% hike on their incomes that had been due this week.
Royal Mail has said Border Force is to blame for the number of counterfeit stamps entering the UK from China and accused the government of not doing enough to tackle the issue, according to the Daily Telegraph. It comes after a report in the paper said four major Chinese suppliers were offering to print and deliver up to one million stamps a week for as little as 4p each. Royal Mail executive David Gold tells the paper: “If these stamps are coming in from abroad, people’s obvious question will be ‘Shouldn’t Border Force just be stopping them?'”.
The Daily Mirror leads on the death of OJ Simpson from cancer at the age of 76. Simpson, a former American football star, was controversially cleared of the 1994 murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman. The paper says the acquittal came “despite the overwhelming evidence against him” and that “few were last night mourning” him.
The Sun’s headline quotes a social media post reacting to the death from reality star Cailyn Jenner, who at the time of the killings was married to Brown’s best friend, Kris Jenner. “Good riddance,” it reads.
Author JK Rowling has said she cannot forgive the stars of the Harry Potter films for their support of the trans rights movement, the Metro reports. It comes after a landmark review found children accessing gender care services had been let down by a lack of research and medical interventions performed on the basis of “remarkably weak” evidence. Actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have all publicly criticised Rowling’s comments on the issue. Responding to a fan on social media who suggested the stars might apologise “safe in the knowledge you will forgive them”, Rowling responded: “Not safe, I’m afraid”.
The Times reports that a whistleblower has claimed a group of senior hospital consultants suppressed warnings about patient safety years before police were called in to investigate alleged medical negligence. The paper says neurosurgeon Mansoor Foroughi was fired from Royal Sussex County Hospital – where police are now investigating 105 cases of alleged negligence, including 40 deaths – after blowing the whistle 17 times between 2018 and 2021. It quotes him claiming his warnings were “ignored and/ or deliberately concealed”.
And the Daily Star says former Grand National winner Ruby Walsh has revealed his top secret tips that could help a reporter at the paper win the race for himself.
A variety of stories feature on Friday’s front pages.
The Times reports that teachers, MPs and campaigners have accused technology company Meta of taking a “highly irresponsible” approach to child safety after it lowered the minimum age for WhatsApp from 16 to 13. A member of the Commons Education Select Committee describes the decision as reckless. The paper says there are concerns the messaging app is fostering cyberbullying, sleep deprivation, and the spread of harmful content among children.
Comments by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer feature in two papers. He’s told the i that he would increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP if he becomes prime minister. He said a more dangerous world made it necessary to spend more on the military.
In an article for the Daily Mail, Sir Keir promises what he calls a “triple lock” on the UK’s nuclear weapons – to build at least four new nuclear submarines in Barrow-in-Furness, to maintain a continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent and to deliver all future upgrades needed. In a separate editorial, the paper says defence has historically been Labour’s weak spot, but not today. It points to a recent poll showing that the party is now more trusted to keep the country safe than the Tories.
Image source, PA Media
Tech giant Meta has been accused of being irresponsible with child safety after it lowered the minimum age for WhatsApp from 16 to 13
According to the Guardian, Labour is at risk of losing a number of its target seats at the next general election because Muslims and progressive voters are turning away from the party, angered by its stances on Gaza and the climate. The paper says polls currently suggest Labour is on track to win by a landslide but that some insiders fear that, if the margins narrow, the loss of some of the party’s core vote could prove the difference between a hung parliament and an outright majority.
The Financial Times says Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s hopes of going into the election on the back of lower taxes and cheaper mortgages have suffered a blow because of higher-than-expected inflation in the US. Financial markets now expect the Bank of England to cut interest rates just twice this year, rather than six times as had been anticipated in January. The paper says that’s pushing up the cost of government borrowing, potentially reducing the government’s scope for pre-election tax cuts in the autumn.
Image source, PA Media
OJ Simpson, the American football star who was controversially cleared of killing his ex-wife and her friend, has died aged 76
On its front page the Daily Express decries what it calls a “triple lock pension injustice for millions”. Writing in the paper, former minister Baroness Altman explains that fewer than one third of pensioners have received the full 8.5% increase in their retirement income this week. She says that is because men aged 73 and over, and women older than 71 are on the old basic state pension and have received a smaller rise, leaving them £200 a year worse off.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Royal Mail has accused Border Force of failing to prevent counterfeit stamps being brought into Britain from China. An executive said the government should put pressure on law enforcement to stop the fakes coming into the country.
And finally a number of the front pages feature OJ Simpson, the American football star who has died almost 30 years after he was cleared of murdering his former wife and her friend. The Daily Mirror says he was “infamous” while the Sun calls him “disgraced.”
