The Papers: Labour suspends MP and a hot Halloween ahead
The Times features Sir Keir Starmer’s warning that Britain must face the “harsh light of reality”, ahead of Labour’s first budget in 14 years. The paper says the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is set to announce tax increases that could raise an additional £35bn, as the government prioritises investment in schools, hospitals and other public services. The Guardian says the prime minister will “bat away” concerns from some senior Labour figures – by insisting that working people need better public services more than lower taxes.
The Daily Telegraph highlights the criticism of the budget watchdog by the former Conservative chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, after he accused the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) of bias for preparing to publish a review of the public finances inherited from the Tories on the same day as the budget. The paper says Rachel Reeves is expected to seize on the document as she makes what it calls “raids” on National Insurance, inheritances and capital gains, while blaming the Conservatives. The OBR says its findings are limited to its relationship with the Treasury, and there will be no comment on the conduct or decisions of ministers.
The government’s plan to levy VAT on private school fees has sparked an international row, according to the Financial Times. It says France and Germany have both registered protests – warning the policy risks damaging relations with the UK. They’ve called for fee-paying international schools that are part-funded by overseas governments to be exempt from the levy, which is due to come into force in January. The Treasury says ending tax breaks on private schools will help to fund the government’s education priorities.
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Sir Keir Starmer has told the Daily Mirror that voters should judge him in 5 years, by whether they have more money in their pocket. Writing in the paper, the prime minister looks ahead to what he describes as a “landmark week” – saying this a moment to “reject austerity, chaos and decline, and choose a clear path of stability, investment and reform”.
The Daily Express isn’t convinced. It says there are fears the budget could “wreck” the economy – after analysts warned that changes to debt rules could “spook the City”.
The Sun says an unnamed TV soap star has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing five teenage boys. It reports that police seized computers and documents from the man’s home as part of their investigation into the claims, which date back to the 1990s. Officers are said to have acted after examining each of the allegations and finding similarities. The actor denies any wrongdoing and has been released on bail.
The Times says the cheese retailer, Neal’s Yard Dairy, has been “swamped” with displays of support, after announcing the theft of cheddar worth 300 thousand pounds. Fraudsters conned the company out of more than 22 tonnes of cheese by impersonating established buyers and distributors in Europe.
The paper says offers of financial help and orders for cheese from as far afield as America and Germany have flooded into Neal’s Yard since the fraud emerged. People have been warned that hundred of wheels of the stolen cheddar could soon be sold on the black market.
