Today’s news summary – Paper Talk: ‘Will Suella survive the reshuffle?’
Monday’s newspapers continue their coverage of the latest from UK politics – as it looks to be a busy week ahead for Westminster.
Several of the newspapers give details of the new powers which the government is considering to deal with protests.
Many of the front pages feature an image of Princess Kate attending, along with other members of the royal family, the Remembrance Sunday gathering at the Cenotaph.
‘New police powers’
The Sun says PM Sunak wants to make it easier for police to ban marches and demonstrations, after Saturday’s Armistice Day. The paper says clambering on statues” and using fireworks at protests could be prohibited, while laws on “glorifying terrorists” would be hardened.
The Daily Telegraph has a similar tone to the latest words from Suella Braverman, saying the government aims to toughen laws to prevent protests that – in Braverman’s words – “pollute” the streets. It reports the PM wants to remove any doubt that the police can and should intervene on hate speech.
The Times says Sunak will meet the Met Police boss Mark Rowley, early in the week, and is expected to ask why more arrests weren’t made, dispute images of marchers waving swastikas and wearing “Hamas-style’ headbands. The paper says Sir Mark will make it clear the Met quelled a lot of disorder amid violence aimed at them – mostly from the right-wing extremists.
The Daily Mirror leads on calls to sack Braverman. The paper asks the home secretary “Have you no shame?” and suggests she helped incite the violence seen on Armistice Day.
But the Daily Mail backs Braverman, suggesting she id defying critics who want her sacked. The paper claims she is “fighting” for her job as she condemned the “ugly scenes” at the weekend, despite her being directly blamed for stoking tensions and inciting those ‘ugly scenes.’
The Daily Express asks the question on most people’s lips this week: “Will Suella survive PM’s reshuffle?”. The paper reports the PM is set to shake up his top team this week, and Braverman is “clinging on to her job.”
‘Pre-Xmas cuts’
The i newspaper reports Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is considering pre-Christmas cuts to inheritance tax and stamp duty, to – as the paper puts it – “lift Tory gloom”.
The paper says Tory MPs believe such a move is key to defeating Labour at the next general election. The chancellor has previously said he won’t cut taxes while inflation remains high. But the paper suggests that figures out this week could show inflation has fallen below five per cent.
Elsewhere, the Guardian leads on a completely different story. The paper reports that “thousands of babies and toddlers are being admitted to hospital in England each year with lung conditions” linked to where they live.
‘Warnings over attacking Gaza hospitals’
The latest from the crisis in the Middle East is splashed on several of the paper’s front pages.
The Guardian features an image of premature babies in a Gaza hospital – that’s run out of fuel, water and oxygen – under fire from IDF. The incubators at the hospital shut down yesterday, so the babies have been put together to keep them warm.
The Financial Times leads on Washington’s warning to Israel over attacking the hospital. US officials told their Israeli counterparts to avoid bombing hospitals amid “alarm at dire conditions for patients”.