Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
Tuesday’s front pages report on a variety of stories.
There’s a “contentious legal battle” brewing concerning the government’s refusal to hand over Boris Johnson’s complete and unredacted WhatsApp messages to the Covid-19 inquiry, according to the Times. The paper says ministers are unlikely to change their stance and may even pursue a judicial review to bypass the demands of the inquiry chairwoman, Baroness Hallett. The paper reports that several current and former ministers are backing the Cabinet Office’s position due to concerns about the potential exposure of their own messages.
The Times’ editorial expresses support for Lady Hallett’s belief that it is her prerogative to determine the relevance of the messages to the inquiry, rather than civil servants attempting to protect ministers’ reputations.
The Guardian says the Labour Party plans to introduce legislation that would compel landowners to sell plots at reduced prices in order to lower home-building costs in England if they win the next election. The proposed laws would enable local authorities to acquire land without factoring in the “hope value,” a significant premium added to the land’s worth based on developers’ expectations of obtaining planning permission. The article quotes a Labour source stating that the party aims to shift the balance of power away from landowners and towards communities that could benefit from increased housing.
The Financial Times reports that Labour’s proposals surpass the current government’s efforts to enforce affordable land sales in certain limited cases. The publication asserts that housebuilding is expected to be a prominent issue in the upcoming election.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expresses support for an academic whose invitation to speak at the Oxford Union has generated controversy.
Away from politics, the Daily Mirror leads with a grieving mother who has joined the paper’s campaign to have dangerous dogs overhauled.
The Metro continues its front page coverage of the ITV scandal as critics say the show This Morning should be taken off air following the Philip Schofield affair scandal.
