‘Chancellor backs Heathrow expansion’ & ‘English clubs in Champions League R16’ – Paper Talk 

‘Chancellor backs Heathrow expansion’ & ‘English clubs in Champions League R16’

Thursday’s front pages report on the chancellor’s backing of an expansion to Heathrow airport. Some editorials suggest the third runway will be an economic headache whilst others take a more optimistic tone, suggesting the chancellor is reviving the economy. 

Many of the front pages feature an image of US actress Renee Zellweger who was in London at the Premiere of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. 

The back pages lead on how the English clubs fared in last night’s Champions League matches. Liverpool lost but they still finish at the top of the table, Arsenal and Aston Villa are through to the last 16. 

Manchester City made a comeback after going 1-0 down and are through to the playoffs. 

‘Chancellor backs Heathrow expansion’ 

”Chancellor planning to create Britain’s Silicon Valley between Oxford and Cambridge,’ says Metro.

Metro says “boom or bust” reporting on the chancellor’s “plan for rapid growth”. Her plans include a third runway at Heathrow airport and creating “Britain’s Silicon Valley” between Oxford and Cambridge. The paper also says she has given the “green light” to Manchester United’s plans to build a 100,000-seat stadium. 

‘Chancellor’s vision to ignite UK economy includes tax rises later in the year,’ says the i.

The i newspaper splashes on the chancellor’s “vision to ignite” the UK economy. The paper says as well as tax rises later in the year, more public spending cuts cannot be ruled out. The paper says there are likely to be sickness benefit cuts and businesses “push to water down” a new workers’ rights law. 

‘Heathrow’s new runway won’t be ready until 2050,’ reports The Telegraph.

The Daily Telegraph says Heathrow’s new runway will not be ready until 2050, according to the CEO of Ryanair. The paper quotes him as saying the runway won’t be done in his lifetime and not in the chancellor’s political lifetime. He adds the project will likely be delayed for decades for a number of reasons including planning processes, engineering challenges and climate protests. 

‘Chancellor will face opposition from top Labour donor,’ says the Mail.

The Daily Mail reports on those opposing the new runway. The paper says Chancellor Rachel Reeves will face opposition from a “top Labour donor” and the Mayor of London who has condemned the proposal.

‘Reeves backing third runway facing furious backlash over climate concerns,’ says The Guardian. 

The Guardian calls the response to Reeves backing a third runway a “furious backlash” for reasons including climate concerns. But the paper says the chancellor says the government will write up a policy in the coming months to ensure the new runway is “in line with legal, environmental and climate obligations”. The paper says some Labour sources say the third runway will never happen because it will “trash” the government’s emissions targets. 

‘Reeves revolution sees a £78bn boost for UK’s battered economy,’ says the Mirror.

The Daily Mirror calls it the “Reeves Revolution” saying the chancellor laid out her “vision for growth” during her speech on Wednesday in which she pledged a £78bn boost for what the paper calls Britain’s “battered economy.” 

‘Mandelson backtracks on criticism of Trump’

‘Polls suggest Daily Express readers don’t trust Starmer with Brexit,’ polling leads the Express.

In other political news, the Daily Express leads on its own polling on the prime minister and Brexit – saying it suggests voters believe the PM “can’t be trusted.” The paper says when questioned on whether the PM would “maximise” on the UK’s departure from the EU, just 9% said they trust him “a lot” to do so. 

‘Mandelson says Trump criticism was ill-judged and wrong,’ highlights the Daily Star.

The Daily Star reports Lord Mandelson said his previous criticism of President Donald Trump was “ill-judged and wrong”. Mandelson has been nominated as the UK’s ambassador to the US. 

‘Assisted dying campaigners willing to back down,’ says The Times.

The Times leads on reports that assisted-dying campaigners are willing to back down on the requirement for a High Court judge to make the final call on whether people should be given medical help to end their lives. 

‘Police investigating Man Utd legend’s 50th birthday party,’ says The Sun.

The Sun leads on reports police are investigating an alleged assault at a former Man United footballer Nicky Butt’s 50th birthday party. The paper says a security guard was allegedly headbutted. Police are “questioning witnesses and scouring CCTV footage” from the venue.