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Newspaper headlines: Starmer ‘prioritises growth’ and ‘election flutter’ – BBC News

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6 months ago

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Newspaper headlines: Starmer ‘prioritises growth’ and ‘election flutter’ – BBC News

Image caption, Several front pages are leading with Labour’s manifesto roll-out. The i reports that the party is due to announce “significant spending cuts” in many government departments. The paper says this decision comes after Labour has repeatedly said taxes will not rise if it enters government, adding that the party’s key election document will “not include new spending promises”.
Image caption, Sir Keir Starmer is to say the Labour Party will place economic growth and prosperity as their “number one priority” in government, according to the Times. As part of the manifesto launch, Starmer will promise to take on the “blockers of aspiration” and usher in a boom in housebuilding, the paper says.
Image caption, The Daily Telegraph has a contrasting take on Labour’s plans, reporting that Starmer refused to rule out increases in council tax, fuel duty and capital gains tax in a Sky News election programme. The paper notes Labour’s leader instead promised “no tax rises for working people”, which it says leaves the door open for increasing wealth taxes.
Image caption, A “wipeout” of the Conservative Party at the election risks voters “sleepwalking into a one-party socialist state” under Labour, senior Tories have told the Daily Mail. The paper says this “shift in strategy” from senior Conservatives is designed to convince Tory voters “flirting” with Reform UK to stick with the party.
Image caption, The Guardian’s front page carries an exclusive that Rishi Sunak’s top aide placed a £100 bet on the general election date, three days before the prime minister called it. The paper says it understands the Gambling Commission is investigating Craig Williams, who said in a statement he would co-operate with “routine enquiries” and acknowledged: “I should have thought how it looks.”
Image caption, Around 3.6 million people are at risk of developing diabetes, according to the Daily Express. The paper says this record number of people at risk comes as the UK is battling an “obesity epidemic”, which health officials are blaming on cheap junk food.
Image caption, The Metro leads with a father’s calls for urgent safety measures to tackle the dangers of e-bikes, after his family died in an explosion. Scott Penden bought a battery for his bike online and left it charging overnight, but the paper reports it blew up and caused a fire – leaving his four-year-old son, eight-year-old daughter and partner dead.
Image caption, The mother of Nottingham stabbing victim Barnaby Webber has spoken to the Daily Mirror, describing her family’s “year of hell” since he was killed. Emma Webber told the paper that their lives had been “blown apart” and that she still turned on his bedroom light every evening.
Image caption, The amount of oil being pumped out of the ground by companies in the Middle East and US means the world is facing a “staggering” surplus by 2030, according to the Financial Times. Demand for oil is expected to peak in 2030, but experts tell the paper that the sheer volume being produced means efforts to keep oil prices high by many energy-producing nations are likely to fail.
Image caption, Breaking with often strongly held German conventions, England’s football stars have been given special permission to cover up when using a naked spa in Germany, the Daily Star says. In a somewhat unique scoop, the paper reports that any shier members of the “Three Loins” will be able to “cover up their tackle” when using their hotel’s facilities during the Euros.

A number of papers turn their attention towards Keir Starmer’s plans for government in Labour’s election manifesto.

The Guardian calls it a business-friendly manifesto targeted at former Tory voters, which prioritises economic stability over what it calls the Conservatives’ more policy-heavy offering on Tuesday.

The Daily Mirror sees today as a huge opportunity for the Labour leader to seal the deal with voters. It says he must not just offer change, but provide hope for a better tomorrow.

The Daily Mail reports on what it calls a shift in strategy from the Conservatives, with a warning from one senior Tory urging voters not to risk “sleepwalking into a one-party socialist state”. The paper says the new approach is aimed at convincing Conservative voters, who are considering supporting Reform, that they risk helping Starmer to a landslide victory.

Analysis in the Financial Times claims Labour has avoided campaigning deep in Britain’s Conservative heartlands, in what the paper speculates could be a sign of Starmer’s “caution”. It says the party’s activists and finances have been focused on 186 seats where less than a 15-point swing is required, despite polling suggesting it could inflict “catastrophic defeat on the Tories”.

The Guardian also has an exclusive report that Sunak’s closest parliamentary aide Craig Williams placed a bet on the general election being called for July – only three days before the PM made the surprise announcement. The paper says Williams has acknowledged that he “should have thought how it looked”.

The Daily Express warns of what it calls a ticking obesity time bomb – saying 3.6 million people are at high risk of diabetes.

The paper says the number considered to be pre-diabetic had doubled since 2019 with health chiefs blaming cheap junk food. It says the NHS is buckling under the strain of caring for 5.6 million people already known to have diabetes.

At the top of its forecasts is the political satirist Armando Iannucci – whose work includes TV comedy The Thick of It. The paper says he’ll be elevated from an OBE to a CBE. Also on the list is Gordon Brown, who the paper believes will be made a Companion of Honour.

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