King Charles Easter walk shows him greeting the public, the right-leaning press pushes the idea the NHS is in a crisis & the government’s plan to scrap non-dom status is full of loopholes
Editorial 1 April 2024.
Monday’s front pages feature a variety of mostly political news, but almost all of them carry a picture of King Charles attending an Easter church service on Sunday. The papers note that it’s the most significant public appearance since the King revealed his cancer diagnosis. Prince William and Princess Kate – and their children – did not attend the service following the shock announcement of Princess Kate’s cancer.
Govt plans to scrap
non-dom status is full of loopholes
sunak family could save £250 million
Several of the left-leaning newspapers report on the latest from the UK political landscape and the war in Gaza. Elsewhere, there’s also a look at the weekend’s football, with Liverpool FC now leading the Premier League table – having beat Brighton – after rivals Manchester City and Arsenal drew.
‘NHS figures show crisis’
The supposed failing NHS is always a hot topic for the right-leaning newspapers, as they try to convince the public that privatising the NHS is a good idea. In the latest attack on the health service, the papers suggest recent figures show an NHS ‘crisis.’
The Times leads on figures which estimate that more than 250 NHS patients in England are dying every week because of long waits for A&E treatment. It says more than a million people waited at least 12 hours for a hospital bed last year. The paper says the date “adds to concerns about the state” of the NHS.
The Mail also puts the figures on its front page, saying they “lay bare” what it calls an “NHS crisis.”
King Charles Easter walk
The tabloids lead on the King’s Easter walk, suggesting it boosted the nation. The tabloids are mostly politically right-leaning and very pro-royal.
“Return of the King,” says the front page of the Sun, which says the monarch “gave the nation an Easter boost” during his appearance.
The Mirror hails the appearance as his first “steps back into public life, after a difficult time for the royals,” while the Daily Telegraph says “It was almost as if he had never been away.”
A source tells the Express that Charles was able to attend the event because he “has responded to treatment very encouragingly over past weeks”, and that it was a “very positive step in the right direction for him returning to full duty”.
The Mail says Charles shaking hands with the public – and not wearing gloves – is the clearest sign yet that he is getting better.
King Charles Easter Church service – video
‘Plans to scrap non-dom’
Away from royal news, UK politics features on plenty of front pages. The left-leaning newspapers report on UK politics, as the country gears up for a general election.
The Guardian reports that plans to scrap the non-dom tax status are full of loopholes – allowing the UK’s wealthiest people to save millions of pounds. The Treasury tells the paper that the new system will be “modern, simpler and fairer”. The paper says Labour’s analysis shows the prime minister’s family could save almost £250million.
The i has an exclusive report on the prime minister’s flagship promise to “stop the boats”, with sources telling the paper plans have stalled because ministers – including Home Secretary James Cleverly – cannot decide how parts of the Illegal Migration Bill should be implemented. Elsewhere, the paper says No 10 refused to rule out a summer election when asked on Sunday.
The Guardian also reports on Israel’s proposal to the UN to disband the main aid agency operating in Gaza. UN sources tell the Guardian that, under Israeli plans, UNRWA staff would be transferred to a replacement agency tasked with delivering aid.
