The Independent – Starmer faces down rebels to force cuts in winter fuel clash
The Independent says Sir Keir Starmer has seen off the biggest rebellion of his premiership so far with just one Labour MP voting against the winter fuel payment cut for pensioners.
A large image of prisoners being released makes the front page along with a quote from a newly released offender. He says ‘I’m not looking to reoffend, but you can never say no.’
Keir Starmer stares down Labour MPs’ revolt over winter fuel payments as rebellion fizzles out
Sir Keir Starmer has won his first major political test as prime minister, seeing off a major rebellion over his government’s plans to cut winter fuel payments to 10 million pensioners.
On a day when the prime minister defended making tough decisions and rejected the “snake oil of easy answers” in his speech to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Brighton, he stared down a threat of mutiny from his own backbenchers.
Despite criticism at the TUC of his “austerity” policies, Sir Keir said he made no apologies for doing what was needed to fix the country.
Just one Labour MP voted against the cut, while another 53 abstained. However, only 12 of those did not have permission to be away from parliament on other business.
Prisoners rejoice as they walk free from prison under Labour’s early release scheme
There were jubilant scenes outside prison gates on Tuesday as hundreds of inmates were freed early in a desperate bid to stop jails from becoming completely full.
Some of the 1,700 prisoners due to be released 40 per cent of the way into their sentence on Tuesday were filmed being sprayed with sparkling wine as they tasted freedom either days, weeks or months early, as jubilant crowds gathered outside Wandsworth Prison.
Music could be heard playing at the gates of the south London jail in one clip, as people were seen joyfully reuniting with friends and loved ones.
Asked whether he felt rehabilitated, one 59-year-old departing inmate convicted of violent crime and named only as “Mr T” told reporters: “Certainly not. There is no rehabilitation. No one talks to you, you just go in, lie down and 17 months later I’m out … I’m not looking to reoffend, but, you never know. You can never say no.”
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 11 September 2024.
Wednesday’s front pages feature a few leads with several papers focusing on the early release of prisoners in England and Wales. Many of those papers are traditionally right-leaning and see the early release as a ‘day of shame’ for the country and most feature images of men celebrating their release.
The Commons vote on cutting winter fuel payments is picked up by many other publications. The traditional left-leaning newspapers suggest the public move on from the fuel payments and instead focus on supporting the government in its plans to fix public services.
A few international stories make the broadsheet front pages as US President Joe Biden is reportedly weighing up whether Ukraine can use American long-range missiles in Russia.