Last week’s budget results are all over Monday’s newspapers. Metro headlines after Chancellor says he “didn’t lie” following allegations that Rachel Reeves misled the public over the national economic outlook in the build-up to the Budget. The newspaper published a photograph from BBC Sunday’s Laura Kuenssberg showing Reeves facing Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch in a “budget face-off”.
The Times has led ministers who say Reeves also misled them over “holes in finances”. According to the report, the Chancellor repeatedly highlighted the decline in productivity forecasts “to justify tax increases”. Meanwhile, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) told Reeves that tax taking had met forecasts and was improving.
The Daily Mail writes that the Chancellor is “on the rack”, as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage calls for a “despicable inquiry”. It said the ethics watchdog had been “urged to take action” over his “budget lies”. The newspaper also asks whether Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s wife Sarah Ferguson is going to live in their daughter Princess Beatrice’s “granny annexe”.
The I paper also builds on Reeves’ denial that he “didn’t lie” about the tax increase and the “black hole”, referring to the funding gap he indicated he needed to fill. Starmer is expected to tell the public that “our welfare state is trapping people – we must reform it”. One of the newspaper’s columnists says that Reeves “may not be a liar, but she is losing confidence”.
The Daily Telegraph reiterated in the Mail that Reeves faces an “ethics investigation over budget lies”. It said Farage has written to Britain’s independent ethics adviser asking them to investigate whether he breached the ministerial code. The paper also highlights part of the budget it said was “buried” last week: Teenagers with certain mental health conditions will not be required to attend school or training for their parents to claim benefits.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said his “bold” economic plan would take “years” to deliver, The Guardian. Writing in the newspaper, the Prime Minister has defended his chancellor’s decision to raise taxes by £26bn as the Conservatives call for Reeves to resign. Also on the front page, the former director of Britain’s special forces was involved in concealing concerns over unlawful killings in Afghanistan, an investigation has revealed. A Ministry of Defense spokesperson told the newspaper, “The government is fully committed to supporting the independent investigation relating to Afghanistan”, adding that it would await the outcome before commenting further.
The Independent described Starmer’s defense of Reeves as “fierce” as she “denies lying”. In a speech on Monday the prime minister will argue that he has provided economic stability by creating more fiscal headroom, referring to the money left after the government meets its expected costs.
The Daily Express headline quoted Badenoch as saying, “If he had any decency, Reeves would have been gone by now.” He called on the Prime Minister to “take action and fire” his Chancellor. The newspaper says more than 40,000 people had signed the Conservatives’ “Sack Reeves Now” petition as of Sunday afternoon.
The Financial Times has moved away from UK finances, instead delving into the latest in the Russia-Ukraine war. NATO chiefs are considering a “more aggressive” response to Russian hybrid warfare, according to reports. The chairman of its military committee told the newspaper the alliance was looking to be “more proactive rather than reactive” to cyberattacks and airspace violations.
The Sun headlines its investigation into the raid by a group it calls the “Gucci Gang”. “Mobsters” have been targeting Premier League footballers and taking their luxury items, including £1million worth of watches and jewelery from Everton player Jack Grealish.
The Daily Mirror’s Christmas appeal is plastered across its front page. The campaign will use “leading edge assistive and sensory technology” to help children with “life-limiting” conditions.
The Daily Star has called for former rugby league star Kevin Sinfield to be knighted after completing a variety of feats of physical endurance in aid of motor neurone disease (MND) research.
BBC
