Editorial 31 March 2024.
Politics makes several of the front pages this Easter Sunday with a couple of headlines reflecting on the latest polling and the general public mood ahead of an expected November election.
Images of Cambridge’s win over Oxford men’s and women’s rowing teams feature on several papers but not due to the win. Sewage in the river caused several rowers to fall ill and both teams had been warned not to enter the water due to fears over E. coli.
Football fans have been warned of potential terror threats in Germany this summer. Royals and celebrities make tabloid splashes.
‘Tories behind in polls’
Several of Sunday’s publications lead on UK politics. The Sunday Telegraph reflects on what it calls the “contrasting tones” in the Easter messages of PM Rishi Sunak and Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer. Sunak urged people to “pause and reflect” whilst Starmer says it’s a time of “new beginnings.” The paper says “it is little wonder” that the two messages are so different considering the Tories are so far behind in the polls.
The Sunday Times publishes the results of a new survey, which suggests the Tories will suffer the “worst electoral defeat in history”, retaining just 98 MPs. The paper says Labour is set to “sweep to power,” with a majority of 286 and expects the results “to reignite efforts by Tories plotting to topple the prime minister”.
The Sun on Sunday leads on a separate poll which says more than 60% of voters oppose attempts to oust the PM. It says the results will give him “a crumb of comfort” – warning Tory rebels that they will end up with an early election if they topple the PM.
A summer election is being considered, according to the Sunday Express, which says No 10 is concerned the US election in November will boost publicity for Nigel Farage – the honorary president of Reform UK.
Tory MP Bob Seely writes in the Sun that Reform tried to tempt him weeks before Lee Anderson defected to the party. Seely describes it as a “duff deal.” But Reform tells the paper it is “his only chance of saving his skin.”
‘Israel breached law in Gaza’
The Observer’s main story is about a leaked recording it says it has obtained, in which a Tory MP says that the UK government has received advice from lawyers “that Israel has breached international humanitarian law” during its war in Gaza but has not announced it. The Foreign Office says the advice it receives is confidential but ministers act in accordance with it in areas including export licences.
The paper says the claims put Sunak “under intense pressure” because any such legal advice would mean the government having to immediately stop selling arms to Israel.
Claire Coutinho tells the Sunday Telegraph that Labour’s pledge to convert the country to clean power by 2030 “would leave the UK over-reliant” on Chinese-made metals and batteries. She describes the plan as “mad, bad and dangerous”, and claims that industry figures believe it to be unfeasible.
The Mail of Sunday continues its coverage of Labour’s Angela Rayner whose comments about the tax affairs of the prime minister’s wife have, according to the paper, “returned to haunt her.” It says Rayner has been “branded a hypocrite” for demanding Akshata Murty answer questions about her finances, while “refusing to come clean over her own murky property dealings”.
‘Easter Sunday hikes & football fears’
The Sunday Mirror reports on the price hikes on traditional Easter staples. The paper cites ONS figures which show the cost of a large bar of chocolate which has risen by 11% since last year, whilst a pub roast dinner is now between 7-8% more expensive. The paper’s headline is: “Easter now costs an arm and an egg”.
The Sun on Sunday leads on warnings of potential terror attacks at this Summer’s Euros in Germany. It comes after last week’s deadly attacks in Moscow. The paper says the incident in Moscow has raised “dangers to a new level,” according to the German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. “The security of the tournament is paramount,” she adds.
THE SUNDAY PAPERS – REVIEWED AND SUMMARISED
UK given legal advice that Israel is flouting law in Gaza
The Observer leads on a leaked recording of the Conservative chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, who claims lawyers have advised the government that Israel has breached international humanitarian law in Gaza.
In the tape, Alicia Kearns says ministers have not made the advice public. The paper says the claims put Mr Sunak “under intense pressure” because any such legal advice would mean the government having to immediately stop selling arms to Israel.
The Foreign Office says any advice is confidential.
Tories may be left with fewer than 100 MPs
The Times leads on recent polling which suggests the Conservatives are on course for their worst electoral defeat – and could be left with just 98 MPs.
It says Labour is set to “sweep to power”, with a majority of 286, and expects the results “to reignite efforts by Tories plotting to topple the prime minister”.
Elsewhere, the paper features an image of the Oxford vs Cambridge rowing saying there was ‘turmoil on the Thames.’ It comes after several Oxford rowers got sick due to sewage in the river.
Putin’s war in Ukraine also finds space on the front page of the paper this Easter morning.
Labour net zero plan ‘puts UK at China’s mercy’
The Sunday Telegraph reflects on what it calls the “contrasting tones” in the Easter messages of Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, with the prime minister urging people to “pause and reflect” and the Labour leader saying it is a time of “new beginnings”.
The paper says “it is little wonder” the two statements are so different, with the Conservatives far behind in the polls.
Elsewhere, Labour’s net zero plan makes top of the paper story. Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho, who claims Labour’s pledge to convert the UK to clean power by 2030 – five years ahead of the Tories – would leave Britain “over-reliant” on Chinese-made metals, cables and batteries.
Euros on alert over terror
The Sunday Telegraph reflects on what it calls the “contrasting tones” in the Easter messages of Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, with the prime minister urging people to “pause and reflect” and the Labour leader saying it is a time of “new beginnings”.
The paper says “it is little wonder” the two statements are so different, with the Conservatives far behind in the polls.
Elsewhere, Labour’s net zero plan makes top of the paper story. Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho, who claims Labour’s pledge to convert the UK to clean power by 2030 – five years ahead of the Tories – would leave Britain “over-reliant” on Chinese-made metals, cables and batteries.
Giovanna’s pride in Princess: I’m blown away by mate Kate
The Sunday Mirror leads on an interview from its Invite Only podcast, with reality TV star Giovanna Fletcher, who explains how she was “blow away” by Catherine, Princess of Wales’s “ability to connect” with people having met the royal when they filmed an episode of her podcast in 2020.
The paper says the interview took place before Catherine announced, on 22 March, that she was undergoing cancer treatment.
New wonder jab will prevent dementia
An apparent “new wonder jab” that can “prevent dementia” sits front and centre of the Sunday Express.
The paper’s exclusive report describes the new drug, know as ACI-24 – which is undergoing trials on patients in the disease’s early stages – as “game-changing” and says it “removes toxic proteins from the brain before they cause damage leading to the most common form of dementia”.