The Guardian – Labour to investigate £600m Covid contracts given under the Tories
The Guardian leads on the chancellor’s plans to launch an investigation into £600m worth of Covid contracts awarded under the previous government. The paper says Reeves will refer more than half the contracts for material goods such as masks to a newly-appointed Covid corruption commissioner.
Elsewhere, the latest from the Middle East makes the front page as ‘Hezbollah enters battle of reckoning with Israel.’
Rachel Reeves orders investigations into £600m of Covid contracts
Rachel Reeves will announce on Monday that she has ordered investigations into more than £600m worth of Covid contracts awarded under the Conservatives as Labour struggles to get back on the front foot over questions of ethics.
After days of bruising allegations over donations, the chancellor will confirm that she will refer more than half of contracts for material such as masks to the incoming Covid corruption commissioner, after the previous government recommended dropping any attempt to investigate them.
The announcement is part of a fightback for Labour, which kicked off its annual conference in Liverpool on Sunday with Keir Starmer already under pressure over a range of issues including why he and senior ministers accepted thousands of pounds’ worth of gifts from donors.
The way in which lucrative Covid contracts were awarded through a VIP lane was an issue that dogged the last government, provoking criticisms of a “chumocracy”. The Guardian revealed last year that the Conservative peer Michelle Mone was one of those to benefit thanks to her involvement with PPE Medpro, which was awarded contracts worth £200m. The company is the subject of a long-running investigation by the National Crime Agency.
Israel claims to have struck 300 Hezbollah targets inside Lebanon
Israel’s military has said it has struck 300 Hezbollah targets inside Lebanon since this morning. Lebanese media has reported airstrikes on multiple locations, with wounded being transported to hospitals. At least one person is known to have been killed.
The attack had been forewarned overnight, with Israel’s military announcing it was planning to step up operations. A statement by the IDF’s Arabic language spokesperson had urged Lebanese people to flee their homes in advance of the wave of strikes, and a reported 60,000 automated phone calls were made to residents in Lebanon, telling them to evacuate.
Unverified videos posted to social media have shown multiple large explosions and chaotic scenes. Arabic news sources have described Israel “carpet bombing” areas of Lebanon in a “relentless” series of attacks.
Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
If you are someone who reads every perspective of a story, here is a news summary of all of today’s front pages from today’s newspapers; summarised in a 2-minute read
Editorial 23 September 2024.
“No More Austerity!” – Monday’s newspaper front pages are heavily dominated by the chancellor’s party conference speech later today. Rachel Reeves will lay out the plans to get Britain’s economy back on track with a speech that is set to offer a positive version of the future after dire warnings about the economy since they came to power.
The Labour Party conference is taking place in Liverpool and marks the first annual conference in government for 15 years.
Beyond politics, there is continued coverage of the allegations about former Harrods owner Mohammed Al-Fayed.