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Monday’s papers mostly focus on England’s football result and the election campaign. The Daily Mirror reports that Labour is promising a “jobs bonanaza” to boost all parts of the UK, especially “areas decimated by the Tories”. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves says the 650,000 new roles for skilled workers will help to rebuild industrial heartlands, the paper adds. The commitment is included in the party’s manifesto, which was launched earlier in the campaign.
England’s win over Serbia makes the front of most of the papers, with the Daily Mail calling it a “nerve jangler”, with a picture of fans celebrating. The paper also reports that Labour’s manifesto is not the “sum total” of its spending plans, quoting shadow minister Wes Streeting. The paper says Mr Streeting, the party’s health spokesman, “refused four times” to rule out increasing or revaluing council tax as he said the manifesto was “not a spending review” or representative of “five years’ worth of budgets”.
Several of the front pages feature pictures of Jude Bellingham after his 13th minute goal sealed a 1-0 victory for England over Serbia on Sunday in their opening game of the Euro 2024 championships in Germany. The Guardian says the Keir Starmer is facing renewed pressure to scrap the two-child benefits limit, as new research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) “reveals that 250,000 more children will be hit by the policy over the next year alone”.
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves will “seek to break down EU trade barriers” and secure “billions of pounds” through an early international investment summit if a Labour government is elected, the Financial Times reports. In an interview with the paper, Ms Reeves “signalled an ambitious push” to revisit parts of Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, it adds.
The Times says Rishi Sunak is being “urged” by cabinet ministers and senior Tories to “go for the jugular” and “launch more direct personal attacks” against Sir Keir Starmer. The paper quotes a cabinet minister as saying: “Rishi is a really nice and deeply honourable guy. I’m not sure whether he is uncomfortable instinctively with the personalised attacks but it has been more generalised so far.”
The Daily Express says Rishi Sunak is warning voters that Labour will “run riot with your money” and that the party has “refused to rule out council tax hikes and a host of other rises”. The paper also says “head boy Jude secures nervy win for England”, with a picture of the England footballer.
The i reports that Labour has been criticised for “rowing back on reforms” to protect renters and boost home ownership. The paper says it has carried out analysis of the manifesto which reveals that the detailed plans originally set out in its national policy forum document last year “have since been watered down”. The paper also has an interview with Ed Miliband who says “I get PTSD watching the election debates”.
The Daily Telegraph reports on a claim by Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho that Labour’s ban on new North Sea oil and gas will create a “£4.5 billion black hole in the public finances that will have to be filled by higher taxes”. Writing for the paper, Ms Coutinho called the plans “a spectacular act of economic self-harm” that would leave the UK “colder and poorer”. Labour dismissed the claims as “desperate nonsense” and said its plans to invest in renewable energy production would lower bills for households, the paper adds.
The Metro leads with news that Gordon Ramsay has displayed a “horrendous bruise” from a cycling accident as he told fans that wearing a helmet “saved his life”. The paper also reports that a man “armed with a small pickaxe and a Molotov cocktail” was pepper-sprayed by police before being shot near a Euros fanzone in Germany.
And the Daily Star reports on football fans “pulling a sickie” after England beat Serbia 1-0.
Pictures of a triumphant Jude Bellingham celebrating his winning header for England feature on several front pages.
The Daily Express nicknames him “head boy Jude”. The Daily Mirror plays on his shirt number, calling him “perfect ten”.
Puns inspired by The Beatles are well represented. “Hey Jude,” says the Daily Telegraph. “Yay, Jude” says the Sun. While the Daily Star goes for the slightly more imaginative: “Wahey Jude”.
The Daily Mail describes the match as a “nerve jangler”, but says the result gave us “all something to cheer about!”.
“Go for the jugular” is the headline in the Times. The paper says ministers have urged Rishi Sunak to get personal with his attacks against Sir Keir Starmer. One un-named minister is quoted as saying: “I don’t think that there are any other options left.” An ally of Mr Sunak tells the paper that the prime minister did directly criticise the Labour leader during the first head-to-head TV debate.
Separately, the Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho has attacked Labour’s net zero plans. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, she said the party’s policy of blocking new oil and gas exploration would take Britain “back to the dark ages”.
She said the proposal would “destroy jobs, raise taxes and hike up your bills”. Labour dismissed the claim as “desperate nonsense”.
The i says Labour has been accused of “watering down” its pledges on housing. The paper says the party has ditched specific targets on ownership and affordable homes that featured in its national policy forum document last year. Labour sources tell the i that the policies were never officially presented to the public.
Ms Reeves has also told the paper she would hold an “investment summit” within 100 hundred days of forming a Labour government. She says its aim would be to attract foreign investors who have been put off by the UK’s political instability.
The Guardian says Rishi Sunak is “not opposed” to changing the law on assisted dying. It quotes the prime minister as saying “he’s not against it in principle”, and that it is a “question of having safeguards in place”. The paper says Sir Keir Starmer supports changing the law and has set aside time for a vote on the issue should he win the election.
Finally, the Star carries a warning about the aftermath of England’s victory against Serbia. “The Hangover” is the headline on the front page, which features an image of jubilant fans celebrating. The paper says one million people are expected to “pull a sickie” this morning “after downing 30 million pints”.
