Editorial 09 August 2024.
Friday’s front pages have a few different stories as their leads. One of the most popular is the continued coverage of the recent riots and unrest across parts of England and Northern Ireland after the Southport mass stabbings. There are hopes the unrest has ended but police are still preparing for this weekend.
Elsewhere, a 19-year-old has been arrested for an alleged terrorist plot at a Taylor Swift concert. In response to the news, three Taylor Swift concerts in Austria have been cancelled. The suspect has admitted plans of a machete and explosives attack as well as plans to drive his car into the crowds.
‘UK riots thugs jailed and shamed on TV’
The Daily Mail continues its coverage of the UK riots. The paper says the courts are making examples of the thugs with tough sentences. The paper leads with the details of some of those convicted yesterday of taking part in the unrest. Two brothers who looted a library and a grandfather, 69, the oldest rioter to be jailed so far.
The Daily Express leads on Labour councillor Ricky Jones being suspended after his arrest for allegedly calling for the throats of anti-immigration protesters to be cut.
The Guardian reports on a warning from Sadiq Khan that the UK’s laws to counter misinformation are “not fit for purpose”. It quotes the London Mayor as saying ministers should revisit the Online Safety Act “very, very quickly” as, he says, the spread of online falsehoods contributed to the recent riots.
Khan is also the lead for the Daily Telegraph, the mayor of London says he is no longer safe as a Muslim. The paper says he felt “triggered” by the events of the last week across parts of England.
‘Taylor Swift terror threat’
Several front pages cover the terror threat planned for Taylor Swift concerts in Austria.
The Metro says Austrian authorities foiled an alleged terror plot which had targetted Swift’s tour and led to the cancellation of three concerts.
The Daily Mirror calls it a “machete and bomb plot on Taylor Swift fans” – it says there is a Wembley safety review ahead of more gigs in London next week.
The Express says “Britain on Taylor Swift terror alert.” Though it’s expected Taylor’s gigs will go ahead as planned.
In other celebrity news, Katie Price leads the Sun newspaper calling her the ‘fugitive model’. She was arrested at Heathrow Airport – after nine days aboard. An arrest warrant had been issued after she skipped a court hearing over her bankruptcy.
Price features on a few of the tabloid front pages.
It’s back to domestic politics for The Times which reports that immigration levels in the UK have fallen “significantly” with curbs on visas leading to a decline in foreign workers and students coming to the UK.
The i newspaper focuses on the financial challenges ahead for Chancellor Rachel Reeves. The paper says ministers will be ordered to come up with ways to make cuts in the coming months – with the MoD and Department for Transport among the departments that have already begun cost-cutting.
