The PM backs down on welfare cuts amid a growing Labour rebellion, and Donald Trump has been labelled “daddy” by Mart Rutte – in a moment of absolute cringe.
‘PM backs down on welfare cuts’ & ‘Daddy Trump loves NATO’
Thursday’s newspaper front pages continue their coverage of the Labour MP rebellion as the prime minister appears to be backing down, at least partially, over the highly controversial Bill. It is understood that the vote in the Commons on Tuesday is still expected to go ahead, but No 10 is drawing up a watered-down version. Critics say Starmer’s attempt to slash billions of pounds off the welfare bill is too harsh and risks pushing hundreds of thousands of already vulnerable people into poverty, including 50,000 children.
There are several stories focused on Donald Trump dominating the UK front pages with coverage of the Nato summit. The US president is jubilant over the news that Nato members have agreed to spend 5% of GDP on defence and security. He’s also basking in newfound glory: being labelled ‘daddy’ by the NATO chief Mark Rutte. The US government and media are lapping it up.
There’s a bit more coverage of the US-Iran crisis, as Trump lashes out at the unknown individual who leaked the US intel report suggesting the US strikes on Iran did little damage to Iran’s nuclear sites.
There is space on the front pages for some celebrity news too – Former England boss Gareth Southgate has been knighted, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom are heading for a divorce, and Jeff Bezos’ controversial Italian wedding is set to start.
The stories dominating UK news this morning
The three stories dominating the UK newspapers this morning
‘PM backs down on welfare cuts’
Many of the UK newspapers report on the whispers coming out of Westminster.
- The Guardian says the prime minister is “in denial” about the scale of the Labour rebellion. Some cabinet ministers “are now said to believe the welfare reform bill has no chance of passing in its current form”, it adds.
- The Daily Telegraph reports Starmer is “set to back down on benefits as Labour rebellion grows.” The paper says more than 120 Labour MPs have signed an amendment to block the cuts to disability and sickness-related payments. The paper goes on to report that the row could massively impact the next general election.
- The I also reports the PM is “ready to retreat on benefit cuts to end the rebellion”.
- The Times says the rebel Labour MPs want “regime change.” Speaking to the paper, a rebellion “ringleader” MP says they “hoped the revolt would lead to a clear-out of staff in Downing Street”. The unnamed source added they think the PM “needs fewer over-excitable boys on his team”.
- The Daily Express says Sir Keir Starmer is insisting that the row over benefits will not drive him from Number 10, saying he appeared to “shrug off” the mounting unrest over the proposed reforms, despite the fact that he could face a no-confidence vote.
‘Daddy Trump’ praises Nato spending pledges
There’s a handful of Trump-focused leads today, perhaps the most bizarre story is of the Nato chief Mark Rutte calling the US president “the daddy”,
- The Daily Mirror calls the decision for Rutte to call Trump “the daddy” as “toe-curling”, “bizarre”, and “cringe.” The paper says the comment “raised eyebrows across the world” with many worried about Rutte’s impartiality. Critics say his comments undermine NATO’s credibility and “highlighted a deeper shift in the alliance’s power dynamics.”
- The Times labels Rutte the “Trump-whisperer”. The paper says diplomats had “tailored the entirety of the Nato summit to Trump’s limited attention span” and have done all that is possible to keep him happy, avoid unscripted outbursts, and keep him at NATO.
‘Big win for Trump as NATO agrees defence target to rise’
Trump praises NATO for pledging a defence spending rise and now thinks the alliance is not a “rip-off” – a huge change in tune from the US President.
- The Guardian calls their relationship a “budding bromance”. Trump praises the 5% of spending on defence as a “big win” for the West. The boost in defence spending has led Trump to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to NATO.
- The FT reports that each country in the group has pledged to “meet Donald Trump’s demand” to spend 5% of its GDP on defence. The paper says Trump singled out Spain (which secured a deal to opt out of the 5%), calling the country “terrible” and threatening to “make it pay twice as much” in a future trade deal. As NATO commits to higher spending on defence, the US has committed to Article 5.”
- The Times notes Trump “hailed” the new target as a “great victory”. He left NATO, no longer believing the alliance was a “rip-off” after years of attacking the member states for not spending enough.
A look at stories on the front pages of the UK newspapers
Beyond the three main stories, the UK front pages leave room to report on a variety of other stories, from Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ wedding in Italy, which has sparked backlash, to the weight loss jabs leading to deaths in the UK.
The PM’s “denial” over the scale of rebellion he is facing over the benefit cuts.
Donald Trump and Mark Rutte are pictured on the front page, accompanied by a report that Trump has hailed NATO’s defence pledge as a “big win.”
There’s a report on the side that says one in 32 babies are now born after IVF. The paper says we’re also seeing more single patients and female same-sex couples having IVF.
Andy Murray gives an exclusive to the paper as he speaks about British tennis being in a good place.
The PM is set to U-turn on his benefit cuts as the rebellion grows.
A former CIA boss speaks to the paper, suggesting Donald Trump is making “scary mistakes.”
A few celebrity interviews feature on the front, a report on bats in the HS2 tunnels, Glastonbury kicking off this weekend.
England (U21S) made it to the final of the Euros after beating the Netherlands last night. They will face Germany in the final.
The Times says the rebel Labour MPs want to see a regime change as a backroom team of ‘overexcitable boys’ is blamed for the welfare row.
Trump and other NATO leaders are pictured on the front page as the US president celebrates a “big win” on defence spending.
US officials are set to visit Iran for talks on the country’s nuclear programme, after a leaked US intelligence document says the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites last week did little damage.
The Telegraph reports the prime minister is set to “back down” on the benefits cuts. The paper says the PM is ready to make a “face-saving” amendment to the welfare Bill as “Labour rebellion grows.”
US billionaire Jeff Bezos and his soon-to-be wife are pictured on the front page ahead of their controversial Italian wedding.
Trump has lashed out at the ‘scum’ who leaked the US report on the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites – which highlighted the attack failed.
The FT leads with an image of the Nato leaders in The Hague. The leaders have pledged to meet Trump’s demand for more spending on defence.
In other front page news, the paper says one “leftwinger’s bid to be New York mayor” has spurred a “Wall St hunt for a moderate rival”. Democratic candidate Zohan Mamdani has “unexpectedly clinched the party’s nomination”, and financiers were “discussing who to back as a centrist candidate” within hours.
The Daily Mirror is one of the few papers to lead with a story outside this morning’s top 3. The paper reports on a probe into weight loss jabs and their side effects after at least 10 people died. It comes after the jabs were made available for GPs to prescribe the injections for certain cases.
The front page pictures former England boss Gareth Southgate after being knighted by William.
Stamer and Trump are pictured looking at each other during the Nato summit, as Starmer opens up about Trump, Iran and the threats facing Britain.
Bias Exposed from UK newspapers
The front pages are packed with biased headlines and coverage of the prime minister’s apparent U-turn on the benefit cuts.
- The i headline “Starmer ready to retreat on benefit cuts to end rebellion” uses a concession framing tactic, suggesting Starmer is “ready to retreat” to manage dissent, implying weakness or loss of control. It portrays the decision as tactical damage control rather than principled compromise. By emphasising his response to internal rebellion, it personalises policy failure, focusing on optics and leadership over policy substance, a classic political narrative to shape perception.
- The Daily Telegraph headline “Starmer set to back down on benefits” uses concession framing, suggesting Starmer is “set to back down”, which implies weakness or loss of control rather than strategic compromise. It personalises the issue by focusing on him “backing down” instead of stressing policy adjustment. The phrasing subtly undermines his authority, turning a potential U-turn into a narrative of leadership faltering—classic media framing that prioritises drama and optics over nuance.
- The FT headline “Nato allies pledge to meet Trump’s demand for defence spending bump” uses strategic framing by positioning NATO’s decision as a response to Trump’s demands, emphasising his influence (“pledge to meet Trump’s demand”) and agency in shifting defence policy. It also suggests a reactive posture by allies, potentially diminishing their independent strategic reasoning. The phrasing drives a narrative of U.S. dominance and pressure, a common media tactic to frame complex alliance decisions as the result of one dominant actor.
