Reeves poised to break 50-year tax ‘taboo’ and ‘Arise, Sir Becks’
Many articles are coming to the fore following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ speech in which she did not rule out a U-turn on Labour’s promise not to raise income tax in its general election manifesto. According to the Daily Express, although the chancellor said he would make the “necessary choices” in the budget, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Britain watched the speech “in horror” and that Reeves “blamed everyone” for the chaos.
The increase in income tax would be the first since 1975 and would break a “50-year taboo” against the policy, i Paper reported. Economists cited by the newspaper say Reeves should add 2p to income tax if he wants to make Britain’s public finances “more resilient and avoid having to go back for more in the near future”.
“We all have to do our part,” the Chancellor was quoted as saying in the Times. The newspaper quotes more lines from Reeves’ speech, in which he promised to put “national interests” ahead of “political interests.” Elsewhere, a photo of Sir David Beckham receiving his knighthood at Windsor Castle is front and centre.
“Reeves’ pancake bomb” was the Daily Mail’s review. The newspaper also reports that Labor has been accused of “education vandalism” after ministers announced they would scrap a series of education-related Tory reforms. The changes include shortening GCSE exams and simplifying primary school exams. The headline is “Labor is making schools stupid”.
“Be fair, Rachel” is the Daily Mirror’s headline because it includes unions’ call for the Chancellor to tax the richest before targeting ordinary workers. Sharing the top spot, the newspaper “Kneel like Beckham” comments on Sir David Beckham’s knighthood.
The Daily Star’s headline reads “Rach sparks tax rise fury” as it reports the Chancellor’s “first pre-Budget speech in 50 years – hinting at massive tax rises”.
“Reeves warns Britain,” says the Independent. The newspaper reported that a think tank has warned that a 2p rise in income tax may not be enough to fix the country’s finances. The front page of the newspaper is filled by a smiling Sir David Beckham, holding his knighthood: “Rise, Sir Becks!”
“Finally… Sir Goldenbawls” follows the Sun and Sir David Beckham reportedly admitted he had been “crying for months” after learning of his long-awaited knighthood. “It was a very emotional day,” he said after the ceremony in Windsor.
On the front page of The Guardian, Sir David describes his knighthood as “my proudest moment”. The article also highlights Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s warning that NHS staff are bearing the brunt of “ugly” racism. In an interview with the newspaper, Streeting says incidents of verbal and physical abuse based on people’s skin color have become so frequent that it has become “socially acceptable to be racist”.
The Telegraph says pressure is mounting on the BBC’s chief executives after a leaked dossier revealed editorial biases were “serious and systemic”. The newspaper states that Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called for “a change of minds” regarding the allegations. A BBC spokesman said: “While we do not comment on leaked documents, when the BBC receives feedback it takes it seriously and considers it carefully.”
Finally, Metro is celebrating the story of the LNER rail staff worker who was praised as a “hero” for saving passengers’ lives during the Cambridgeshire train attack. The newspaper quotes Samir Zitouni’s family as saying: “He was always a hero.”
