Today’s news summary – Paper Talk

Wednesday’s front-pages report on various stories including the raw sewage crisis, Birmingham City announcing its bankruptcy and pictures from the National Television Awards.

Birmingham ‘bankrupt’

The Guardian leads on Labour-run Birmingham City Council’s announcement that it is essentially bankrupt. The paper looks at the financial crisis in local authorities and is likely to put pressure on the government over the legacy of 13 years of financial austerity.

The i newspaper warns that 26 other councils are at risk of going bust in the next two years. The Daily Mirror puts up an argument that the roots of this crisis will be found in Whitehall as well as Birmingham.

Newspapers traditionally opposed to Labour lead with very different perspectives.

The Daily Mail’s editorial says the situation in Birmingham offers a “chilling glimpse” of life under a Labour government.

The Telegraph says the city is a case study in what can happen when the Left is entrusted with power.

‘Back to work’

Several papers – mostly Conservative supporting newspapers – lead on the government’s plans to get more sickness and disability benefits claimants back to work.

The Times says ministers are arguing that people with anxiety and mobility issues now can work remotely. The Mail says the move could plug gaps in the Labour market, whilst the Telegraph focuses on the government’s admission that the changes won’t come in until 2025 at the earliest.

‘Crumbling concrete’ crisis

The Mirror’s lead story reports that an IT firm linked to the husband of the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, was awarded a £1m contract from the government’s fund for rebuilding unsafe schools.

The i newspaper reports cleaners at an NHS trust have been trained to spot warning signs that structures made with the crumbling concrete RAAC are deteriorating.

Away from the concrete issue, the Financial Times reports on a large increase in visitors from the US causing a boom in European tourism. It says figures in London are up 13%. In France, a worker in Provence is quoted as saying Americans “will pay 30 euros for a glass of wine, but if you did that for a French visitor they would leave.”