A number of Thursday’s newspapers lead with figures published by the Community Security Trust (CST) charity on a rise in antisemitism in the UK. The Times reports finding from the charity that Hamas attacks on Israel and their aftermath drove antisemitism in Britain “to its highest level in more than 40 years”. The paper carries a comment from Home Secretary James Cleverly, who decries “antisemitic hatred and abuse”. The paper also shows an image of the Queen surrounded by dames on Wednesday night at an event to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio.
The Daily Mail also reports that British Jews suffered an “explosion in hatred” in the wake of the Hamas attack. The paper says that for the first time, the CST recorded at least one antisemitic incident for every police force in the UK, with the majority – more than 2,400 – in London.
The Guardian reports that Keir Starmer is facing a fresh test of his authority as MPs prepare to vote on a second parliamentary motion calling for an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza next week. The Labour leader and his officials will spend the next few days deciding how to handle a Scottish National Party motion on the Middle East crisis, after the party’s abstention on a similar vote in November triggered a “huge split” in the party and 10 front-bench resignations, the paper adds.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Russia wants to put a nuclear weapon into space, US intelligence indicates, in what is described as a “serious national security threat”. The paper says Joe Biden was urged to declassify US intelligence on the military operation, which has been shared with every member of US Congress.
The Daily Mirror says that a “collapse” in nursing recruitment is risking the future of the NHS and will “put patients in danger”. It reports the concerns from the Royal College of Nursing that the number of applications for degree courses “plummeted” from 36,040 in 2021 to 31,100 this year. It quotes RCN boss Pat Cullen, who says: “We believe the situation poses a direct threat to the sustainability of the NHS and patient safety.”
Jeremy Hunt has been urged to be “bolder” in going for growth so he can take advantage of improved economic forecasts, the Daily Express writes. “Leading experts” told the paper that the Chancellor may have enough headroom to “knock £20bn off the collective tax bill” and should take “further measures” to boost the country.
The Financial Times reports that Jeremy Hunt is considering “slashing billions of pounds from public spending plans” to fund pre-election tax cuts if he is penned in by tight finances in next month’s budget. The paper writes that Treasury insiders said the chancellor was looking at “further spending restraint” after 2025, if official forecasts suggested he did not have enough fiscal headroom to pay for “smart tax cuts”. The paper also reports that billionaire British co-owners of supermarket Asda “borrowed millions more” from their petrol station company to repay debt taken on to buy two private jets.
The i newspaper reports that the Bank of England is expecting interest rates to start falling, and quotes governor Andrew Bailey as saying they are “not forecast to return to pre-Covid levels for years to come”.
Tiktok influencers will be “paid by the government” to urge migrants not to cross the Channel in small boats, the Metro reports. The papers writes that the Home Office says it will help counter human traffickers who use the video-sharing platform to sell the British lifestyle to people, “tempting them to make the potentially deadly crossing”.
The Sun says that radio legend Steve Wright “died of a broken heart” after being “dumped” by the BBC, according to “pals”. The presenter was last on air on the BBC on Sunday, hosting a pre-recorded special Valentine’s Day edition of his Love Songs programme.
And the Daily Star says that two million Brits insist they “adore the smell of the partners’ stinky feet”.
