Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
Thursday’s front pages feature various stories. Several of the papers feature images of the protests at Wimbledon.
Labour education plans
The Times leads with reports that Labour if elected at the next general election, would put speaking fluently and clearly at the heart of the national curriculum – giving it the same status as literacy and numeracy. The paper says similar lessons are routinely taught in private schools and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer writes in an article in the paper, of his concern that state school students are being left behind.
Sir Keir also writes for the Sun, saying his battle is against the “naysayers and defeatists”. The Daily Telegraph says colleges have welcomed Sir Keir’s commitment to ending the focus on uni degrees but says vocational education needs more funding.
Away from the Labour Party, the Daily Express reports on the House of Lords. The paper takes aim at peers who backed a series of amendments to the government’s migrants bills. The paper’s headline warns that the Lords “must not defy the will of the people.”
The Telegraph claims Joe Biden has made Ursula von der Leyen his choice for Nato’s next secretary-general after Britain announced plans to train Ukrainian pilots on US-made F-16 jets without discussing it with the White House first. Ben Wallace had been a front-runner to succeed Jens Stoltenberg but Biden was so angered by the development, it “ended any remaining hope” for Wallace.
The Financial Times leads with news that the Treasury has paid its highest borrowing cost this century, 5.6% on £4bn in government debt. The paper quotes an economist who says the Bank of England may put up rates to 7%.
King Charles’s Scottish Coronation
There is coverage of Charles’ Scottish Coronation for several of the tabloids. The Daily Express praised the Edinburgh service, whilst the Daily Mail called the Republican protest at the event “neither a surprise nor a distraction.” The Scottish newspaper The Herald contrasted the event with the Coronation, calling it “more informal, more Scottish.”
Away from politics, The Guardian leads with reports lung cancer diagnoses are set to be higher in women than men for the first time. Cancer experts put the difference down to the fact that smoking rates peaked earlier in men than women.