The Guardian – Water bill rises show contempt for customers
The Guardian’s front page reports politicians and campaigners have condemned proposed water bill rises for England and Wales, accusing the regulator, OFWAT, of showing “contempt” to customers affected by poor service, sewage dumping and leaks. Elsewhere, the paper reports Keir Starmer is on a collision course with unions after playing down the chance of real-terms pay increases for public sector staff in negotiations, prompting widespread warnings of a crisis in recruitment and staffing.
The front page features an image of a young Ollie Watkins with his under-9s teammates.
Keir Starmer on collision course with unions over public sector pay
Keir Starmer is on a collision course with unions after playing down the chance of real-terms pay increases for public sector staff in negotiations, prompting widespread warnings of a crisis in recruitment and staffing.
While Downing Street is not ruling out some above-inflation settlements, as could happen for junior doctors, Starmer warned unions to be prepared for disappointment ahead of the imminent findings of a series of pay review bodies.
In response, unions representing health staff and teachers said insufficient pay awards risked exacerbating crises in recruitment and retention for both sectors, with the main teaching union saying education in particular was “at breaking point”.
Ofwat accused of showing ‘contempt’ to customers over water bill price rises
Politicians and campaigners have condemned proposed water bill rises for England and Wales, accusing the industry regulator of showing “contempt” to customers who have endured poor service, sewage dumping and leaks.
Ofwat’s recommendation on Thursday that households pay on average £94 more over five years to fund improvements in environmental standards was described as a “bitter pill” by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
The regulator also put struggling Thames Water into unprecedented special measures, allowing extra scrutiny of Britain’s biggest supplier, as fears grow over whether it may have to go through a painful restructuring or be temporarily nationalised.
Once upon a time in the West Country: the origin story of Ollie Watkins
Everyone loves an origin story embellished with a healthy dose of back projection. But when I first met Ollie Watkins in 2013 on a glorious summer’s day at the Cat and Fiddle training ground in Exeter, I had no inkling he would ever provide an iconic England moment.
He was 17 and it was the first day back at pre-season training. The director of football, Steve Perryman, the legendary FA Cup winner and Tottenham record appearance maker, introduced us. Watkins was a genial 17-year-old but if I’d been looking for future players likely to decide Euro 2024 semi-finals, I would have hung around Manchester City’s academy to bump into Cole Palmer or Phil Foden. Watkins was quick but teenagers often make older, out-of-condition teammates look slow on the first day back. And he trained with the first team only to make up the numbers. He knew his place.
Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
If you are someone who reads every perspective of a story, here is a news summary of all of today’s front pages from today’s newspapers; summarised in a 2-minute read
Editorial 12 July 2024.
As it has been for much of this week, the front pages continue to be dominated by domestic politics and football. Friday sees stories on prison reform, the prime minister’s first overseas trip to attend a Nato summit in Washington, the two-child benefit cap and the rise in the value of the pound on the foreign currency markets.
Elsewhere, almost all of the front pages splash on the England football team ahead of the European Championship final on Sunday. England will face Spain at the Olympiastadion Berlin. The back pages continue the Euros coverage.