Editorial Friday 15 March 2024.

No 10 anxiety grows & Tory donor scandal continues 

Friday’s front pages cover a variety of stories. Several of the papers cover recent political news from the UK, including the government’s new definition of extremism and the ongoing scandal over a top Tory donor who is alleged to have made racist comments about MP Diane Abbott. 

The stories are fairly varied across papers and leave little room to assess the bias across the front pages. There’s a bit of celebrity and royal gossip splashed and the latest from Cheltenham also makes an appearance.

‘No 10 anxiety grows’ 

The Guardian critiques the government’s new extremism definition, suggesting it may exacerbate societal divisions rather than alleviate them. The paper advocates for a more inclusive approach, highlighting the importance of consulting with faith groups and conducting a full public consultation.

The Times takes a more optimistic stance, seeing the definition as a “useful guidance” to public bodies. “There is always the danger,” it says, “that in a tolerant society like Britain’s extremist groups will try to cosy up to officialdom – by portraying themselves as representatives of community opinion or special interests.” The paper says that publishing a list of groups deemed to pose a threat to democracy is “a reasonable exercise in due diligence”.

In contrast, the i newspaper reports on growing unease within No 10, with disgruntled Tories questioning Chancellor Sunak’s authority. Sources within the Conservative Party suggest a shift from resignation to active anger due to recent setbacks for the prime minister.

The Financial Times leads with the news of record-low working hours in the Commons under Chancellor Sunak’s leadership. Analysis indicates a significantly reduced duration of sitting days compared to previous parliamentary sessions. While opposition parties interpret this as a sign of government fatigue, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt’s spokesperson defends it, citing a robust legislative agenda.

‘Russia attacks Shapps RAF jet’

The Daily Mail says “Russia attacks Shapps RAF jet by jamming GPS,” saying the aircraft carrying Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suffered a satellite and communications blackout close to Russian territory. A defence expert tells the Sun that such an attack was “wildly irresponsible.” He adds that “while the RAF are well prepared to deal with this, it still puts an unnecessary risk on civilian aircraft and potentially endangers lives”.

Elsewhere, the Daily Telegraph leads with plans by NHS England to conduct trials of electric ambulances. It reports that pilot schemes are due to begin in several parts of the country next month. A spokesman for the College of Paramedics is quoted saying: “If I have a very sick patient and I am trying to get them to hospital, I don’t want to be worrying about the battery.” But the NHS tells the paper that, while patient care comes first, “it is also right that we seek green alternatives”.