Starmer caves in to rebels on benefits row – that’s the general gist of the paper’s reaction to the U-turn. It’ll be an uneasy read for those in No 10.
‘Starmer caves in to rebels on benefits’
The Friday newspaper front pages won’t be an easy read for the prime minister this morning, as they react to his U-turn on his highly controversial welfare cuts.
Many of the papers had gone to print before the watered-down bill was confirmed. They acknowledge that the prime minister offered the more than 120 Labour rebels ‘concessions’ but did not know the details.
The front pages carry pictures of Jeff Bezos’ controversial Italian wedding as celebrities turn up in Venice for the event. His wedding has drawn protests from locals who say the event is a “privatisation” and “exploitation” of the city.
Beyond welfare cuts, the rest of the papers are made up of a mix of different headlines from ongoing coverage of the US bombing of Iran to the UK and France agreeing on a migrant returns deal.
The stories dominating UK news this morning
There is only one lead story on the front pages this morning, and a few standalone stories still worth a read!
- The Daily Telegraph reports “Starmer caves in” and quotes a Labour MP who said “we wanted to unite around something better, we are getting there.”
- The Times says “PM pledges protections for disabled to rescue bill”. It says that the compromise will cost £1.5 billion and may require a “tax hike” to fund it.
- The FT quotes one rebel who calls the welfare row a “civil war” within government. In a column piece, the paper’s chief political commentator says, “once you are forced to bend the knee to your backbenchers, you are rarely stand tall again.” The paper sums it up as the welfare cuts being the ‘biggest crisis of his first year in office’.
- The Guardian quotes leading Labour MPs who tell them “massive concessions” will be made by the prime minister on the welfare bill. The paper says the “major U-turn” came during a “tense day of talks with Downing Street.”
- Metro reports on the PM’s talks with Labour MPs over “crunch vote seen as test of his authority”. The paper also highlights a recent poll that suggested Nigel Farage “would have most seats if the election were held tomorrow”, it adds.
- The Daily Mirror says there is “new hope” as the PM was close to “striking a deal with Labour rebels.”
A look at stories on the front pages of the UK newspapers
Beyond the three main stories, the UK front pages leave room to report on a variety of other stories, from Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ wedding in Italy, which has sparked backlash, to the weight loss jabs leading to deaths in the UK.
The Daily Telegraph’s lead is dedicated to the prime minister’s massive climbdown on the benefits cuts.
The paper’s main image is of Anna Wintour, who announced she is to step down as Editor-in-Chief of Vogue.
The UK and France are about to announce a new one-in, one-out migrant deal as crossings surge.
The sidebar article blames the rise in wine on the government’s push for net zero.
The Daily Mail sees Starmer’s U-turn as ‘caving in’. The paper says he offered ‘massive concessions’ to starve off a rebellion.
The paper has an exclusive investigation on “a plot twist worthy of John le Carré”, claiming the new head of MI6 Blaise Metreweli is the grandaughter of “a Nazi spy chief”.
There’s an exclusive on Jeff Bezos’ wedding in Italy, claiming the billionaire and Lauren are already married.
The Guardian’s lead is also on the concessions offered by the Labour prime minister to his backbench rebels.
The paper’s main image is of Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren attending their Italian wedding.
There’s been a sharp rise in young people in the UK facing mental disorders, according to a new NHS report.
The US is still claiming its strikes on Iran were successful despite evidence suggesting otherwise.
The Times claims the PM pledged protections for disabled people to make sure the bill is passed next Tuesday.
Jeff and Lauren are pictured on the front page.
The UK and France are about to sign a migrants return deal, which could be announced as early as next week.
The paper says Palestine Action are recruiting members ahead of being proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK government.
The FT says Starmer’s backdown was to avoid a Labour civil war, and the Tuesday vote is now expected to pass.
Jes Staley, the former CEO of Barclays, is pictured on the front page. He has lost his legal challenge against a ban on holding senior positions in the City of London.
Tech company Visma has chosen London for its tech listing instead of Amsterdam. This decision is considered a significant positive development for the London market.
Metro links the latest blunder from the prime minister (u-turning on his highly unpopular benefits cuts) to the rise of Reform UK in the polls.
A new poll says that if a general election were held today, Farage’s Reform would have the most seats.
The prime minister’s latest mess comes after his embarrassing U-turn on winter fuel payments.
Bias Exposed from UK newspapers
The front pages are packed with biased headlines and coverage of the prime minister’s U-turn on the benefit cuts. Almost all the papers, regardless of political leanings and readership, are unhappy with the prime minister’s flip-flopping. They see the climdown as embarrassing and question his leadership.
Daily Telegraph’s headline
Starmer caves in to rebels on benefits: PM climbs down on disability payments to avoid humiliating defeat in Commons
- This headline uses loaded and combative language – “caves in” and “climbs down” – to portray the Prime Minister as weak and pressured, rather than acting thoughtfully or responsively. Phrases like “humiliating defeat” and “rebels” heighten the drama and frame the compromise as a political failure. It’s a classic tactic to personalise policy change as a retreat under fire, emphasising conflict and loss of authority over substance.
The Guardian’s headline
Massive CONCESSIONS on welfare bill win over key Labour rebels: Cuts watered down in major U-turn to avoid Commons defeat for PM
- This headline uses drama-heavy political framing to paint the welfare policy shift as a major climbdown. Words like “Massive CONCESSIONS,” “watered down,” and “major U-turn” signal surrender rather than negotiation, while “win over key Labour rebels” emphasises internal conflict. It frames compromise as weakness, a common media tactic to portray leadership as reactive and embattled rather than strategic or compassionate.
The Times’s headline
PM pledges protections for disabled to rescue bill: £1.5bn welfare amendment ‘may require tax hike’
- This headline uses balancing language to frame the Prime Minister’s action as both responsive and costly. “Pledges protections for disabled” adds a compassionate spin, but “to rescue bill” implies it’s driven by political necessity. The phrase “‘may require tax hike’” introduces economic tension, subtly questioning the sustainability of the move. It’s a classic tactic to frame compromise as a trade-off between morality and fiscal responsibility.
