‘Humiliating’ U-turn on winter fuel – Sizewell C nuclear plant plans
Tuesday’s newspapers lead with the U-turn on the winter fuel payments cut. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that she would restore the payment to more than three-quarters of pensioners who initially lost out after the government cut the payment last year. The move was widely condemned across the political spectrum, and the reversal has been widely welcomed – regardless of the paper’s political leanings.
Other spending review announcements make the front pages including the £14 billion nuclear power plant and the gridlock over police spending.
The clashes between protesters and the US National Guard feature on many papers – with dramatic images coming out from Los Angeles being splashed on the front.
‘Humiliating’ U-turn on winter fuel
The Sun, the Daily Mail and the Daily Express – right-leaning tabloids – see the U-turn as a “humiliation” for Labour.
- Metro says the chancellor’s U-turn is “humiliating” And reports that reinstating the payment will mean Rachel Reeves saves just £450 million instead of £1.5 billion. It says the chancellor hasn’t said how the U-turn will be paid for “adding to speculation of tax rises in her October budget.”
- Daily Mail also calls it “humiliation” and dubs the chancellor and prime minister as “deluded.” The paper reports that the PM Starmer is “ridiculed” for suggesting that the reinstating of the payment is now possible because Labour has “fixed” the economy.
- “Victory for pensioners!” says the Daily Express, which says the chancellor’s U-turn on winter fuel payments came “after 298 days of relentless campaigning” by the paper. It’s a major victory for the paper – whose reader base is pensioners.
- The Sun calls on the chancellor to apologise saying her original decision to cut the payment was “fuelish” (foolish).
The i, the Mirror and The Independent also welcome the move – but it’s slightly easier reading for the government, as the papers are less harsh on the U-turn.
- The i says the U-turn “gets a warm welcome” from Labour MPs – but backbench MPs are also warning the Cabinet that they must start listening to backbenchers to avoid a similar U-turn on planned cuts to disability benefits.
- Daily Mirror calls the U-turn a “dramatic change of heart” – calling it a “winter wonderful.”
- The Times says there’s a “stand-off” between the chancellor and the Home Secretary, who the paper says was denied a request for more spending for police. The paper says the shortfall could mean the police face “stark choices” over which crimes to investigate, according to a senior cop.
- The Independent says the chancellor all but reversed the policy following “months of criticism and only days before her spending review”. The paper says economists have said the “messy” means-testing rules could leave richer couples better off.
Sizewell C nuclear plant plans
Several papers report on another spending review announcement. The official spending review will be released on Wednesday.
- The Guardian leads on the £14bn investment to build the new Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk. “The biggest nuclear programme in a generation” will create 10,000 jobs, a move which the chancellor hopes will “overshadow uncomfortable decisions” at Wednesday’s spending review – like the U-turn on winter fuel payments.
LA protests continue as Trump sends in more troops
- The FT reports that California Governor Gavin Newsom is “set to sue” US President Donald Trump for his deployment of National Guard troops.
- The Independent features a large image of a car on fire as it reports California is preparing to sue Trump for using the National Guard “as violence spreads.” The paper says further protests against immigration raids are “expected in Los Angeles and other US cities.”
- The Times says Donald Trump has ‘targeted’ Gavin Newsom calling for the California governor to be arrested as protests spread across California and other US cities.