Monday’s papers mostly focus on England’s football results and the election campaign. Jude Bellingham is pictured on many of the front pages – celebrating his winning header for England.
Labour’s plans, if they are elected to office in July, are another popular lead for the morning papers.
‘Bellingham gets England off to a winning start’
The Daily Express calls Bellingham “head boy Jude” and notes England’s performance was nervy – a term used by several papers. The Mirror plays on Bellingham’s shirt number, calling him a “perfect ten.”
Several of the papers use puns inspired by The Beatles. “Hey Jude,” says the Daily Telegraph. “Yay, Jude,” says the Sun. The Daily Star says “Wahey Jude.”
The Daily Mail describes the match as a “nerve jangler” but says the result gave us “all something to cheer about.” And the Daily Star reports on football fans “pulling a sickie” after England beat Serbia 1-0. The paper says more than one million people are expected to call in sick to work on Monday morning “after downing 30 million pints”.
‘Go for the jugular’
Politics is the lead for many of the papers, as the general election draws closer, the papers dig their heels into their camps – and the mudslinging is in full swing.
The Times says “Go for the jugular” as ministers urge Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to get personal with his attacks against Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. One minister is quoted as saying: “I don’t think that there are any other options left.”
The Telegraph leads with the Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho who has attacked Labour’s net zero plans. Coutinho writes in the paper that Labour’s policy of blocking new oil and gas exploration would take Britain “back to the dark ages”. She said the proposal would “destroy jobs, raise taxes and hike up your bills”. Labour dismissed the claim as “desperate nonsense”.
The i newspaper says Labour has been accused of “watering down” its pledges on housing, The paper says the party has ditched specific targets on ownership and affordable homes that featured in its national policy forum document last year. Labour sources tell the i that the policies were never officially presented to the public.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves is interviewed by the Financial Times. It says she has pledged to “tear down trade barriers” with the EU if Labour wins the election but she stressed there would be no rejoining of the single market or the Customs Unions.
The Guardian looks at the topic of assisted dying. The paper reports the PM is “not opposed” to changing the law on assisted dying. The PM is quoted as saying “he’s not against it in principle.” The paper says Starmer supports changing the law and has set aside time for a vote on the issue should he win the election.