A band of cloud and rain will spread south through today, with colder air spreading across the country. Scattered showers and sunny spells will move into the north, with snow, hail and strong winds in northeast Scotland. Tonight: Largely dry tonight as rain clears to the south, apart from some showers along the east coast. Cold with a frost for many, and some icy stretches in the east.
Monday’s front pages lead with the ongoing backlash facing MasterChef host Gregg Wallace. The fallout over allegations of misconduct has spiralled after he dismissed the accusations against him as from “middle-class women of a certain age.”
Wallace has been accused of engaging in sexually harassing behaviour. He denies all allegations.
Several front pages continue their coverage of the assisted dying bill that was passed on Friday. There are also reports on Labour’s NHS plans and a recent poll suggesting the British public favours a closer relationship with the EU than a free trade deal with the US.
On the international front, many papers find space to report on the latest happenings in Syria. The country’s civil war is back in the spotlight after a new rebel coalition launched a surprise attack, sweeping into the country’s second-largest city, Aleppo.
The back pages offer their assessments of last night’s Premier League Super Sunday – with Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Manchester City the highlight.
Metro leads with Gregg Wallace’s comments, using his words in its headline: “Women of a certain rage!”. The paper reports that to date, at least 13 female staff or guests have complained of lewd remarks and crude jokes, allegations he denies.
The Mirror calls it “DisasterChef” saying Wallace is “facing fury” after he dismissed the allegations against him.
The Daily Mail continues to focus on the BBC angle saying the troubled TV broadcaster was warned “four times” about Wallace’s behaviour. The paper says the BBC is “under mounting pressure to explain why they did not act sooner.” The Mail quotes BBC: “It would be wrong to report the BBC has done nothing if or when matters have been raised with us – not least because it is already being widely reported there were interventions in both 2017 and 2018 where action was taken.”
The Sun leads with a response to Wallace’s dismissal of the complaints by presenter Ulrika Jonsson. The star is a former Celebrity Masterchef contestant and a Sun columnist. She says the “tirade” by Wallace shows his “ignorance and arrogance knows no bounds.”
The Daily Star suggests “When you’re in a really, really, really deep hole, stop digging”.
The Daily Telegraph reports on the backlash to Wallace’s Instagram comments and notes the BBC is facing ‘mutiny’ from angry staff.
The Guardian reports airstrikes “pummelled” Syria’s north as Iran’s top diplomat arrived in the capital “in a show of support” for Assad.
The Times notes Assad has vowed to “crush the rebels” who took control of Syria’s second-largest city Aleppo over the weekend.
The Telegraph also notes the Syrian President’s vow to ‘crush’ the rebel uprising that has taken control of Aleppo. Assad, who faces a renewed threat to his regime after years of frozen conflict, called the rebels “terrorists” who he said “understand only the language of force”.
The Telegraph reports the prime minister will “sideline his flagship pledge to make the UK the fastest growing economy in the G7″. Instead, the paper says, Sir Keir Starmer will reveal different economic targets “aimed at improving living standards”.
The i leads with its own recent polling which shows 49% of respondents say that want the prime minister to prioritise closer economic ties with Europe over a free trade deal with the US – only 28% wanting to focus on the US. The paper says Sir Keir “wants to make Brexit work” and hopes closer ties “will boost sluggish growth”.
The Guardian also leads on domestic news. The paper says MPs, doctors and charities have “drawn up a blueprint to overhaul palliative care”. Following the assisted dying vote, a commission on palliative care has been set up to help improve end-of-life care “whether or not someone opts in for assisted death,” it adds.
President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Mr Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past
Clashes at a football match in Guinea’s N’Zerekore left around 100 dead, hospital sources report. Scenes of carnage included overflowing morgues and hallways. Unverified videos show chaos, with angry crowds
A bus carrying 46 passengers and a driver crashed near a ski resort in the southern French Pyrenees on Sunday, killing two people and injuring several others. The Spanish bus
Canada’s ambassador to the United States said Sunday that prime minister Justin Trudeau was successful in getting president-elect Donald Trump and key US cabinet nominees to understand that lumping Canada
The United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom have all called for de-escalation in Syria, where rebels have marched on government-controlled areas in the past few days, reigniting violence
In 2023, the total revenue of the world’s 100 largest weapons producers grew to $632 billion (€598 bio) a 4.2% increase from 2022. This is according to a new report
Syrian rebels press southward after seizing Aleppo
Roughly one-third of small-business owners cite tariffs as the policy change most likely to affect them under the second Trump administration. “Uncertainty is the real killer.”
It has been announced that engineering firm Costain has been awarded a contract by HS2 worth upwards of £400m.
The deal will see the group supply tunnel and lineside mechanical and electrical systems over a seven-year period, beginning in the first quarter of 2025.
It comes after a stellar year for the company, which has seen its shares rise over 60 per cent since January.
Costain reported a near-doubling of profit in its half-year results in August. It also announced a £10m share buyback programme.
https://www.cityam.com/costain-wins-major-hs2-contract/
Shein’s reported decision to list in London rather than New York is likely to be an anomaly rather than a trend, says Megan Penick
Fashion giant Shein’s prospective IPO – slated for early next year – has caused something of a stir in the City. Indeed, the decision to list on the London Stock Exchange appears on the surface a major vote of confidence for London, as it looks to compete with the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. In an uncertain economic landscape, it provides reassurance that Britain is still an attractive proposition for the world’s biggest businesses.
In particular, it has prompted speculation that this could be the beginning of a trend that would see more global firms – particularly those based in China – shun US listings in favour of London. The incoming US government’s plan to introduce tariffs on goods from China adds to the argument that Chinese firms that had been eyeing a listing in the US – particularly those that have significant sales in the US – may think again.
However, the feeling in New York is somewhat different. The general sense is that this is a one-off, driven by factors outside the election.
A legal group urged Parliament that the Employment Bill needs “considerable thought” to avoid ” swamping business” with costs or obligations that “confuse even senior and experienced lawyers.”
In written evidence provided to the Committee overseeing the Employment Rights Bill, the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA), a group of 7,000 lawyers, urged the government to reconsider some of the changes contained within the bill.
The ELA stated that the zero-hour contract changes “will grant workers rights that are so difficult to navigate that this may well impact their ability to be enforced” while placing difficult “recurring burdens on employers”.
Labour’s employment overhaul was laid out in October with 28 individual measures in the Bill, including ending exploitative zero-hour contracts and banning fire and rehire tactics.
Employment reforms need considerable thought to not ‘swamp business’
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