‘Chancellor’s tears spark market pain’ | Thursday’s newspapers 

The Chancellor’s tears spark market pain and huge £3bn panic sell-off, raising doubts over her future. 

Almost all of Thursday’s UK newspaper front pages feature an image of Chancellor Rachel Reeves crying during Prime Minister’s Questions. The cause of the tears is the subject of much speculation this morning as some papers expect the chancellor to be sacked, whilst other front pages look at the reaction the markets had to the tearful episode. 

Several of the papers look ahead to today’s NHS reforms, set to be announced by the prime minister. The 10-year plan is aimed at “rewiring the NHS” and improving services. 

Princess Kate and the latest Wimbledon action are also pictured on many of the front pages. 

For the tabloids, the P Diddy verdict is a hot topic as many were shocked at the mixed verdict. Diddy was acquitted of the most serious allegations but found guilty of prostitution. He is expected to still serve time behind bars. 

‘Chancellor’s tears spark market pain’ 

The Chancellor’s tears spark market pain and huge £3bn panic sell-off, raising doubts over her future. 

• The Sun says the markets panicked as the chancellor sobbed, saying the government is in meltdown. “I’m under so much pressure.” 
• The Daily Mail questions “what or who” caused the “tears that sparked turmoil in the markets?”. There are “claims of angry bust-up” with the deputy prime minister. At the top of the paper, Sarah Vine offers her own assessment. “Rachel needed a hug. Instead [Sir Keir] Starmer sucked her dry to shore up his own position”. The journalist calls the prime minister a “political vampire”.
• The Times features an image of Reeves with tears running down her face. The paper says she is battling doubters after the prime minister “spooks markets.” The paper says her show of emotion led to the “biggest jump in Britain’s borrowing costs since Liz Truss’s premiership.” 
• The Daily Telegraph reports on the drop in value of the pound following the chancellor’s tears. The paper quotes one financial expert who suggests more taxes are on the way. The paper’s Judith Woods questions the announcement that the chancellor’s emotional appearance was due to a personal matter. Woods asks, “If this was a personal matter, why did she have to sit there?”. 
• The Guardian reports the prime minister was forced to defend Reeves after the “welfare fiasco”. The chancellor “was accused of political misjudgement for trying to force through cuts in the face of deep backbench unhappiness”.
• The FT leads with the slump in gilts as well as the pound after the chancellor’s emotional appearance at PMQs. The paper notes that the PM “refused to say that the chancellor would remain in her post,” and that seems to have triggered her tears. It has since been denied by No 10, who claim the chancellor’s upset was due to a personal matter. 
• The i suggests the chancellor’s future is “in doubt” after her “tearful PMQs”. No. 10 later insisted the tears were a “personal matter”, and the prime minister later came out to defend his chancellor and say she will remain in her post for a long time. 
• Metro pictures an upset Reeves but focuses its attention on the prime minister. It says Starmer faced a “grilling” over his welfare reforms fiasco and failed to back the chancellor, who appears to have been thrown under the bus. 
• The Daily Express writes of a “day of drama” that “leaves Reeves on bink.” The PM is “desperately scrambling to contain a growing crisis” after the chancellor’s tears, it writes.

‘P Diddy jury delivers mixed verdict’ 

The music mogul Sean Combs, also known as P Diddy, has been cleared of the most serious accusations: racketeering and sex trafficking, but was found guilty of prostitution. 

• The Daily Star reports on the “freak show” as the “rap star verdict” emerged. The paper says lawyers are calling for the maximum sentencing (20 years) for the guilty verdicts. 
• The Daily Mirror reports “Diddy guilty”, saying he could still face jail despite being cleared of the most serious charges. 
• The Daily Mail notes his conviction by a jury in New York for prostitution-related offences, and says the rap mogul’s music career now lies in tatters. A double-page spread in the paper dubs him the “Gatsby of Sleaze”.

A look at stories on the front pages of the UK newspapers

Bias Exposed from UK newspapers

The chancellor’s tearful appearance sparks a wide variety of headlines, but no one is happy about the ongoing chaos of the government, and everyone is asking if Starmer has lost control.

• The Daily Mail headline: “Rachel needed a hug. Instead Starmer sucked her dry to shore up his own position like the political vampire he is” – The headline uses personalised and inflammatory language to attack Keir Starmer’s character. Comparing him to a “political vampire” is a vivid metaphor that suggests exploitation and emotional cruelty, while “Rachel needed a hug” casts Rachel Reeves as a sympathetic figure. This tactic shifts focus from policy or governance to personality and betrayal, using sensationalism and emotional manipulation to frame internal Labour tensions as morally loaded and deeply personal.
• The Times headline: “Reeves battles doubters after PM spooks markets” – The headline uses conflict and instability framing, portraying Reeves as embattled—“battles doubters”—and the Prime Minister as a source of economic concern—“spooks markets.” It suggests internal scepticism and external fallout, turning political decisions into high-stakes drama. The tactic creates a narrative of tension and fragility, reinforcing perceptions of leadership under pressure.