Angela Rayner facing a “sleaze inquiry” over whether she paid the correct tax on her properties is the lead for the Daily Telegraph. The paper earlier reported that the deputy prime minister had saved £40,000 of stamp duty on a £800,000 home in East Sussex by removing her name from the deed of her house in Manchester. The changes are legal but opposition politicians say it is “hypocritical tax avoidance”.
Rayner’s “sleaze probe” also leads the Daily Mail, which reports that the Conservatives have launched an investigation into whether her actions violated the ministerial code.
Campaigners are calling on ministers to “hang their heads in shame” after the Court of Appeal ruled to keep an Epping hotel open for migrants, the Daily Express reports. The victory for the Home Office prompted strong reaction from Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage, who accused the government of putting the rights of illegal migrants ahead of those of UK citizens.
“Innjustice” is the headline for the Sun, which leads with “fury” over the ruling to keep the asylum hotel in Epping open. Sarah White, a 50-year-old participant in the protest outside the hotel, said: “They are putting illegal migrants above us all.”
The Court of Appeal decision is also the lead for the Guardian, which reports the judgement has been “seized on angrily by Labour’s opponents”. The Court of Appeal judges revoked a temporary injunction to remove the asylum seekers, saying that decision was “seriously flawed”, according to the paper.
More than a dozen local councils are mounting legal efforts to close asylum hotels despite the Court of Appeal decision backing the Home Office, according to the Times. The paper also reports that Epping Forest council is considering taking its challenge to move migrants out of the Bell Hotel to the Supreme Court.
The Court of Appeal ruling also makes the front page of the Financial Times, which writes the decision “threatened to reignite anti-immigration protests”. The paper also leads with tumbling shares of major British banks as fears grow that Chancellor Rachel Reeves could raise taxes in the autumn Budget. On Friday, NatWest, Lloyds Banking Group and Barclays experienced some of their “worst sell-offs in months”.
Reform UK have a 15-point lead over Labour, according to the latest poll conducted by the i Paper, putting Nigel Farage’s party on course for a “huge election win”. The Conservatives are in third with just 17% of voters saying they would back the party. Polling was conducted by BMG Research with a representative sample of 1,504 British adults.
Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas tells the Daily Mirror of her “heartbreak” split from fiance Danny Taylor after he failed to show up to her birthday party. For Ballas, Taylor’s disappearance brought back memories of losing her brother to suicide in 2003.
Sir Rod Stewart slamming Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey for snubbing the forthcoming state banquet with US President Donald Trump is the lead for the Daily Star. The musician says Trump is the “only man” who can end the war in Ukraine.
The High Court ruling which means asylum seekers can stay at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, is on many front pages. The Times reports that 13 councils are still seeking to shut asylum hotels despite the victory by the Home Office. Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle is quoted as saying that the government will stick to its plans to end the use of the hotels by 2029. The Sun brands the ruling an “innjustice”, while the Daily Express says campaigners are calling for ministers to “hang their heads in shame”.
Many front pages also feature stories about the housing arrangements of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. The Daily Telegraph reports that the Conservatives have written to the prime minister’s independent standards adviser, calling for an investigation into whether she paid the correct taxes on various homes. The paper says Rayner insists she has done no wrong and quotes her spokesman, as does the Times, saying that she paid the duty owed on the purchase of a flat in Hove “in line with relevant requirements and entirely properly”. The paper says there is no suggestion she broke any laws.
Reporting on the situation in Gaza, the Guardian reveals hundreds of employees of the United Nations human rights agency have backed a letter telling its leadership to declare Israel’s offensive a genocide. The letter also criticises UN high commissioner Volker Turk for failing to go beyond condemning Israel. In response, the newspaper reports Turk said the letter raised important concerns.
The i Paper’s front page features results of exclusive polling for the paper which suggest a “shock” 15-point lead for Reform UK over Labour. The paper says if the poll results were matched in an election held today, Reform would win 400 seats.
A photo of actress Julia Roberts at the Venice Film Festival features on the front of the Telegraph which also includes a positive review of her new film After the Hunt. She also appears on the front of the Guardian with a quote from her that “we’re losing the art of conversation” as she defends her controversial new #MeToo themed film.
