Many front pages feature stories on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promising £17bn in tax cuts in the Conservative Party’s manifesto. The Daily Telegraph reports that among the planned giveaways are the abolition of National Insurance for around four million self-employed workers and a 2p cut in NI for employees.
Mr Sunak’s promise has been “attacked by some on the Tory right for being too timid”, according to the Financial Times. The paper has spoken to a former cabinet minister, who said the PM had failed to protect the Conservatives against being attacked from the right by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.
The Times highlights that Mr Sunak issued a warning over the threat Reform UK posed in his speech at the manifesto’s launch in Silverstone. The paper says the PM claimed any vote for Mr Farage’s party would help put Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street “for a very long time”.
Mr Sunak also called on voters not to hand Mr Starmer a “blank cheque” if Labour won the general election, says the Daily Mail. The paper says the manifesto creates “clear blue water” between the Tories and their opponents, with the PM telling voters only his party has the “big ideas to make our country a better place to live” in.
The Guardian reports that the PM’s tax plans have been criticised by some economists for being “implausible” and “benefiting wealthier people”. The story features quotes from two think tanks, the centrist Institute for Fiscal Studies and left-wing Resolution Foundation, who both expressed scepticism it could be paid for through cuts to government budgets and welfare alone.
Mr Sunak has “claimed he knows what real sacrifice is by declaring he had no Sky TV as a child”, the Daily Mirror’s lead story says. The paper reports the PM made this “clueless gripe” during an ITV interview broadcast this week, which Mr Sunak controversially left the 80th anniversary of D-Day early in order to attend.
The Daily Express reports that Mr Sunak has also promised to slash legal immigration in half and deport as many as 100,000 illegal immigrants. The paper says he vowed deportation flights to Rwanda would begin within days of a Tory win.
Switching to Labour’s plans, the i reports the party is set to promise a minimum £12 an hour to care workers in England to “improve recruitment in social care and ease burden on NHS”. Private providers will be encouraged to absorb the costs to retain staff, but the paper notes it “remains unclear” how councils will pay for the increase.
The Metro leads with the news that convicted paedophile Garry Glitter has been ordered by the High Court to pay £508,800 to one of his victims. The successful civil case against the 79-year-old former pop star- real name Paul Gadd – means he may be forced to give up his “fortune and Regent Street penthouse” in London to pay, the paper reports.
Perhaps thinking about a pub trip all of their own to watch the Euros next week, the Daily Star is running a story on “wild Wednesday” turning into first day of the weekend. The paper says many young people are working from home on Thursdays and Fridays, which means they “hit the town” earlier than their older colleagues.
