Sunday Papers – ‘Starmer growth plan doomed without EU’
The Sunday newspapers continue to be dominated by the general election with Nigel Farage’s recent claims that the West provoked Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on several papers.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Farage – leader of Reform UK – has responded to the backlash. He says he is not and has never been an “apologist or supporter of Putin”. He goes on to write that he has been warning for 10 years that the West has played into President Vladimir Putin’s hands “giving him an excuse to do what he wanted to do anyway”.
The Mail on Sunday features Ukraine’s reaction to comments by Farage. Sources close to President Volodymyr Zelensky accuse Farage of being influenced by the “virus of Putinism.” The paper also highlights several Reform Party candidates who allegedly sympathize with the Russian leader.
The Sunday Express reports that Conservatives are warning Labour might implement a “special budget” shortly after an election win to address a £2 billion gap in their spending plans. Labour has dismissed this claim as “desperate nonsense.”
The Observer leads with the headline, “Starmer’s growth plan ‘doomed’ without access to EU markets.” Economists argue that a Labour government would struggle to achieve growth unless the UK re-enters the EU’s single market and customs union. However, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer insists he will not rejoin either.
‘Sunak’s £1million a month richer’
The Sunday Mirror leads on an investigation into the finances of Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty. The couple “make nearly £1 million a month more than they did a year ago” from their investments, the paper reports. The Mirror says this demonstrates how “out of touch” the prime minister is during the “worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation”.
The Sunday Telegraph reports Sir Keir has described government benefits as offering people less “dignity” than being in work. The paper reports the Labour leader said redistributing wealth alone is not enough to end the UK’s economic “malaise”, pledging to put wealth creation “front and centre” if the party wins the election.
‘Taylor Swift in London’
In lighter news, several front pages showcase a backstage selfie of Taylor Swift with the Prince of Wales and his children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The Sunday Express captions it with “Heir’s a quick selfie with the Queen of Pop,” while the Mail on Sunday and the Sun on Sunday offer their own playful takes on the snapshot.