Tuesday’s newspaper front pages are heavily dominated by the Spain and Portugal power outages but there are some domestic stories too! Several papers report a milkshake tax looms as the PM tries to tackle UK obesity while a handful of headlines report that sex criminals will be banned from asylum in the UK.
Calls for Kneecap to be dropped from an upcoming festival lead several of the Irish and Scottish front pages as the Belfast band faces backlash for chanting about killing MPs and supporting Hezbollah and Hamas.
Milkshake tax looms – Calls for Kneecap to be dropped – Sex criminals banned from asylum
Milkshake tax looms in broader sugar levy
Explainer: The phrase “Milkshake tax looms” employs alarmist language to suggest an impending threat, while “broader sugar levy” adds a bureaucratic tone, framing the policy as overreaching or burdensome.
- The Times says a milkshake tax looms as Labour has announced plans to expand the levy on certain sugary goods including San Pellegrino and Ribena soft drinks. The move “goes further than expected” in a bid to tackle obesity but the prime minister faces claims it breached a promise not to raise taxes “for working people,” the paper adds.
Sex criminals banned from asylum in UK
Explainer: The headline uses blunt, emotive language (“Sex criminals”) to provoke a strong reaction, and frames the policy in absolute terms (“banned from asylum”) without nuance, potentially fuelling fear or reinforcing stereotypes.
- The Daily Telegraph reports Foreign sex offenders are to be barred from gaining asylum in the UK under a new law announced by the Home Secretary. Ministers will receive powers under the legislation to exclude any foreigners convicted of sex offences in the UK or abroad from protection under the Refugee Convention, even if their sentence is less than 12 months.
Sex offenders to face ban on claiming UK asylum
Explainer: This headline softens the language slightly with “sex offenders” instead of “sex criminals”, but still employs a tough-on-crime frame with “face ban”, presenting the policy as a deterrent without exploring legal or human rights complexities.
- The Guardian reports foreign nationals convicted of sex offences will be banned from claiming asylum in the UK, Yvette Cooper has said, as Labour attempts to fight off the threat from the Reform party before Thursday’s local elections.
Starmer and EU to sign anti-Trump pact in relationship reset
Explainer: The phrase “anti-Trump pact” is politically charged and potentially misleading, framing the agreement in oppositional terms rather than policy substance, while “relationship reset” simplifies complex diplomatic negotiations into a catchy narrative.
- The Daily Telegraph reports Downing Street has drafted a proposed joint statement with the EU that commits the UK and EU to rejecting Donald Trump’s most controversial policies.
Now Labour is facing a summer of discontent
Explainer: The headline echoes historical unrest with the phrase “summer of discontent”, invoking dramatic and nostalgic connotations to suggest turmoil, even if the actual situation may be less severe.
- The Daily Mail reports teachers, nurses and council workers issued strike warnings last night after Rachel Reeves ruled out extra cash for public sector pay rises. The Chancellor put the Government on a collision course with unions by warning that any inflation-busting rises would have to be funded by cuts to services.
China’s economy planners say they can live without US farm goods and energy
Explainer: The phrase “they can live without” is informal and dismissive, framing China’s stance as defiant or confrontational, which may exaggerate economic tensions for dramatic or political effect.
- The FT leads on international politics. The paper says China’s top economic officials said the country could do without American farm and energy imports as they vowed to achieve a 5 per cent GDP growth target for the year despite the trade war with the US.
FM calls on TRNSMT to axe band at centre of storm
Explainer: The phrase “centre of storm” sensationalises the controversy, while “calls on… to axe band” uses forceful language that frames the minister’s request as a demand, heightening drama.
- The National says rap trio Kneecap said condemnation from Downing Street and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is an “effort to derail the real conversation” about Gaza as Scottish FM joins calls to cut the band from playing at the Scottish festival.
Kneecap branded a ‘hate fest‘ as leaders have their say
Explainer: The term “hate fest” is provocative and emotionally charged, likely chosen to stir controversy, while “leaders have their say” adds a veneer of authority without clarifying viewpoints, reinforcing the sensational framing.
- Belfast Telegraph says Kneecap are a “hate fest” that “promotes division”, the DUP leader has said, as the political controversy surrounding footage of the west Belfast rap trio continues. Gavin Robinson hit out at the group after a video emerged of the band, made up of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, at a November 2023 gig appearing to show one person from the group saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”