Newspaper headlines: England’s golden boy, time to pay fair and stories spanning football to AI
Budget pay and care proposals
The Times reports that Healey plans to raise the national living wage by 3.9% for people aged 21 and over. It also says the national minimum wage for those aged 18 to 21 will rise by the same amount.
A later account in the Times says the increase will apply to workers aged 21 and over, but not those aged 18 to 21. It says this would mean Labour’s pledge to bring younger workers’ minimum wage in line with older workers is effectively ending.
Hospices seek annual funding
The Daily Express reports that end-of-life care organisations want the Budget to provide £200m a year for their services. Marie Curie, Sue Ryder and Hospice UK are among the groups calling for the funding.
The paper says almost six in 10 hospices in England have made, or are considering, cuts to frontline services. The Mirror also highlights the reported minimum-wage rise and urges the chancellor to introduce a windfall tax.
Brexit debate and defence claims
The i Paper reports a backlash among senior ministers after the prime minister called for debate about restoring freedom of movement with the EU. The Independent says Andy Burnham blames Brexit for the small boats crisis and has warned that the UK has weaker control over immigration since leaving the EU.
The Independent also reports that the prime minister ruled out a return to free movement without another referendum. The Daily Telegraph says former defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace accused the government of inflating defence spending by counting billions in intelligence expenditure.
Other stories on the front pages
Harry Kane appears in the Times holding the men’s Ballon d’Or award, under the description “England’s golden boy.” The Sun reports that former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson will not appear in the next series of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, as she wants to spend time caring for her twin daughters.
The Metro reports that US singer Chris Brown avoided jail after striking a man with a glass tequila bottle in a London nightclub. The Financial Times focuses on Anthropic’s planned initial public offering, while the Daily Telegraph reports on guidance for teachers to identify possible AI-written essays.
Key points
- The Times gives conflicting accounts of whether workers aged 18 to 21 will receive a minimum-wage rise.
- Hospice organisations are asking for £200m in annual Budget funding.
- Papers report disagreement over the prime minister’s comments about EU freedom of movement.
- Harry Kane, Jesy Nelson and Chris Brown appear in other front-page coverage.