‘Judgment day is here’ and ‘lawyers fear for safety’
Coverage of the continued waves of unrest and violence across the UK appear on Wednesday’s front pages. “Judgment day is here” exclaims the Metro’s headline. The paper reports on the first of those to be convicted for their roles in the violence including self-employed builder Joshua Simpson who pleaded guilty to his part in rioting outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham – he admitted assaulting an emergency worker. The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has promised “swift justice” for offenders, the paper says.
Another angle is covered on the front of Wednesday’s Guardian as it says immigration lawyers are “at risk” amid far-right threats to target advice centres. The paper says police chiefs have announced the deployment of extra 2,200 riot officers as a list of 60 immigration centres circulated online suggests they could be the target of future protests. Elsewhere, there was shock in the Stade de France in Paris as US athlete Cole Hocker, snapped crossing the line with his hands in the air, nipped Team GB’s Josh Kerr to Olympic gold in the 1,500m final.
A stunning photo of Great Britain’s Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix catches the eye on the front of the Daily Telegraph as the paper reports on the 19-year-old missing out on claiming a second Olympic medal at Paris 2024 after finishing sixth in the women’s 10m platform final. The lead story focuses on comments from Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson who said anybody involved in the violence across the UK should know they will face the most severe possible criminal charges, including terrorism.
The Daily Mirror also leads with coverage of the riots which spread to Plymouth on Monday night – its main image shows Devon and Cornwall Police officers making one of many arrests as disorder erupted in the city. The picture is nestled next to the headline “10 years hard labour” – which stems from a warning from the government which has pledged to get tough ahead of fresh fears of more violence. Yvette Cooper is pictured at the bottom after she branded those involved as “cowardl thugs”.
Comments from Britain’s most senior prosecutor also make front-page headlines on Wednesday’s Daily Mail. The tabloid warns children as young as 11 have been involved in the violent scenes across the country. Meanwhile the spat between Elon Musk and Sir Keir Starmer continues after the X social media platform owner branded the PM as “two-tier” over riot policing, “suggesting police were treating far-Right protesters more harshly than Muslims”.
News of police being braced for a potentially busy day on Wednesday – as they monitor reports of at least 30 possible gatherings – also features on the front page of the Times. The paper says more than 6,000 riot police are on standby after locations across the UK were shared on social media. The paper features a photo of Britain’s Josh Kerr smiling after winning his silver in the men’s 1,500m final in Paris. In the US presidential race, the paper reports, Kamala Harris is bringing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz “to the election dance” as her running-mate for the Democrats.
The Financial Times leads on Kamala Harris choosing Tim Walz. The paper says it is hoped the pick will “draw in more working-class voters” for the Democrats. The FT also follows up on Monday’s turmoil on the world markets as share prices rose in New York during a quieter day’s trading.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is pictured on the front of the Daily Express warning the country is at a “quite perilous point” after the riots and urging Keir Starmer to “act on ‘dissatisfaction’ over mass immigration”.
Finally, the Daily Star carries a picture of two cats and a dog with pegs on their nose as the tabloid says the UK’s pets are stressed out by their owners passing wind – citing comments from professors.
