Year: 2024

The London business paper CITY AM says the UK slipped into a recession at the end of last year after a poor performance from the dominant service sector pushed the economy into contraction, new figures show.

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 Independent leads with its investigation into allegations of sex assaults and harassment on wards in mental hospitals. The paper urges its readers to back their campaign demanding the NHS tackle the failures to protect the most vulnerable.

According to the paper, the Labour leader and his officials will spend the next few days deciding what to do after the party’s decision to abstain from a similar vote in November triggered 10 resignations from the Labour front-bench.

Various TikTok influencers will be paid by the government to persuade migrants not to cross the Channel in small boats, the Metro reports. The Home Office hopes the move will combat human traffickers who use the app to coax people to make the dangerous crossing.

The Daily Express reports Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has been urged to cut £20bn off the collective tax bill in light of an improvement in economic forecasts.

The Daily Mirror says the Royal College of Nursing union boss, Pat Cullen, has said a collapse in nursing recruitment is putting the future of the NHS at risk and will cause patient safety to suffer too.

The Sun leads with radio DJ Steve Wright who died on Monday at the age of 69. It reports that he “died of a broken heart” after the BBC sacked him from a long-running show, his friends said.

Several of Thursday’s front pages report on the findings of an annual report on antisemitism in the UK, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. 

Elsewhere, the UK economy and other domestic stories make the front page.

Police have apprehended three suspects in connection to the shooting.