‘Tories plan to win back pensioners’ & ‘Businesses back Labour’ – Paper Talk
Many of Tuesday’s front pages focus on Rishi Sunak’s pledge to save older people from paying tax on their state pension. The left-leaning newspapers lead on Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer as both the PM and the leader of the opposition have been on the campaign trail since the announcement of a snap general election – to be held on 4 July.
Elsewhere, several papers feature images from the Israeli airstrike on the Rafah, which has drawn international condemnation as civilians sheltering have been hit.
The back pages lead on the latest Premier League news – including the latest gossip about new managers. Chelsea are closing in on their new boss and Erik ten Hag is still reportedly in the dark over his future.
‘Sunak tries to win back pensioners’
The right-leaning newspapers look at plans, announced by the prime minister, during the campaign trail.
The chief financial secretary to the Treasury, Laura Trott, writes in the Daily Telegraph that pensioners would “never” pay income tax under the Conservatives. The paper says Tory strategists hope the policy can win back pensioners who have become disillusioned with the party’s record in recent years.
The Sun newspaper likes both plans, but urges PM Rishi Suank to “think of the kids.” The paper’s front page reports on the extra £2,000 a year the OAPs will get if the Conservatives are re-elected.
The Daily Mail looks at private schools and how they will be affected under Labour’s tax plans. The paper claims four in 10 pupils will quit private school. It quotes a survey of parents, suggesting that as many as 224,000 pupils could leave if Sir Keir Starmer presses ahead with a promise to charge 20% VAT on independent school fees.
Private schools also make the front page of the Telegraph. The paper says parents who are looking to escape what it calls “Labour’s VAT raid,” have been warned that there are very few state school places available. The paper says one mother was told by her local council that secondary schools were so oversubscribed that students were on a waiting list.
‘Businesses back Labour’
Traditional centre and left-leaning newspapers look at what Labour has been up to on the campaign trail, whilst criticising Tory plans.
The Times leads on the endorsement of Labour by 120 business leaders, who say that a “new outlook” is needed. The paper says the open letter is the culmination of years of lobbying by Labour as it seeks to rebrand itself as the party of business before the general election.
The FT suggests the plan will probably be well-received in contrast to the recently announced plan to bring back national service for 18-year-olds. Many Tory MPs criticised the plan and it has been widely panned as a gimmick by political commentators.
The Mirror reports that the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, will today accuse Sunak of gambling on an early election because his economic plan is failing. The paper says that in her first major speech, of the campaign, she will say: “If we can bring business back to Labour, we can bring business back to Britain.”
The Metro leads on Sir Keir Starmer’s speech yesterday. The Labour leader told voters about his “working class” upbringing, and how he made “easy pocket money clearing stones for farmers,” the paper says.
The i newspaper is a little more critical of Starmer, despite its left-leaning political stance. The paper reports on a warning from Labour mayors who say they are ready to “stand up” to Starmer on housing, transport and council funding if he wins power in the general election. Sir Keir tells the paper he is expecting “robust conversations” with regional leaders, but they cant expect to get everything they want.
The Guardian warns that the Gaza ceasefire talks are in jeopardy, following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah on Sunday. The paper gives accounts from medics, who say children pulled from the rubble “were in pieces”. Many papers picture a young boy standing in front of a burned-out car, as other children wander around the smoking wreckage.
