Many of the articles cover the latest tranche of the Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice; This episode includes an email exchange between Ghislaine Maxwell and a person signed as “A” from “Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family.” The Daily Mirror says the author of the email asked Maxwell to “find me some ‘friends’ who were described as ‘inappropriate’,” according to the newspaper. The emails do not indicate any wrongdoing. The BBC has contacted Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s team for a response. The former prince had previously denied all wrongdoing.
Under the headline “Ghislaine Maxwell’s emails revealed”, The Sun claimed she was trying to “find fun girls for Andrew”.
“Andrew, ‘fun girls’ and ‘inappropriate friends'” is i Paper’s recap of the latest round of Epstein files.
The Guardian also highlights the “girls” email from the Epstein files and says “Andrew faces new pressure.” The photo shows climate activist Greta Thunberg being questioned by a police officer in London. The newspaper says he was arrested “following a protest in support of the Palestinian Prisoners’ hunger strike.”
The Daily Express writes that the government will scrap “farm raid” plans. The newspaper says Labor will increase the “tax threshold on inherited farmland” from £1 million to £2.5 million. Farmer Jonathan Charlesworth, whose father committed suicide “over fear” of taxes, is quoted as saying the change was “the best Christmas present for many farmers”. Also on the front page is King Henry III. There is also a preview of the Christmas message Charles will send from Westminster Abbey.
The Financial Times thinks Labor has made a “quiet Christmas U-turn” on inheritance tax plans. The newspaper writes that as a result, “the Treasury will give up £130 million” in tax revenue. [the] “The share of farmers facing inheritance tax increased to 15 percent.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing a “rebellion from Labor MPs” over his initial £1 million inheritance tax threshold proposal, The Times wrote, adding: “Downing Street has been warned more than 40 MPs are ready to challenge Starmer.”
The Prime Minister’s “U-turn on farm tax” is described by the Daily Mail as “a humiliating capitulation to his friends”.
“Farmers cheer as Starmer makes U-turn during tractor tax raid,” reads the Independent’s headline, which comes after “months of violent protests and financial suffering for many families”.
“I hate it actually” is the headline of the Daily Star’s popular Christmas movie Love Actually, whose director Richard Curtis and his wife Emma Freud balk at “the idea of a 30-pitch campsite in their swanky village”. The newspaper notes that plans for the campsite were approved by East Sussex Council but Mr Curtis “objected” to it.
