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6 months ago
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The row over alleged comments by Tory donor Frank Hester about MP Diane Abbott, who Mr Hester reportedly said made him "want to hate all black women", continues to feature on the front pages. Writing for the Guardian, Ms Abbott accuses the Conservative Party of "playing the race card" ahead of the election, citing as examples the Rwanda asylum policy and an increased focus on extremists, which she says is a "code word for Muslims". The paper adds that a number of Tories have "broken ranks" and called for Mr Hester's donations to be returned, something Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said his party doesn't plan to do.
The episode is described as a "new low" for the Conservatives on the front page of the Daily Mirror. The paper adds that it comes as a report by advocacy group Hope Not Hate accuses the party of "whipping up immigration fears in a bid to cling to power".
The i reports that £10.2m of the £48m donated to the Conservative Party last year - or 21% - came from Mr Hester. The paper says the figure shows the financial challenge the party would face if it agreed to return Mr Hester's contributions.
The civil service is to be ordered to cut funding and links to any group that meet a new government definition of non-violent extremism, the Daily Telegraph reports. The paper says the change will affect "Muslim groups that incite hatred and undermine democracy" as well as far-right groups. Those affected will be groups which fall below the terrorist threshold and until now have been free to work with government, councils, police, universities, and others, it says.
The Daily Mail says Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has backed calls for an increase in the UK's defence spending to 3% of GDP. The paper says it comes as Mr Shapps visits Poland, a Nato partner that already spends 4% on defence, and that he has said money is needed to match the threat posed by Vladimir Putin's Russia. It adds that the comments "put further pressure" on Mr Sunak over the issue.
The United States held secret talks with Iran in January in an attempt to persuade the Iranian government to pressure Yemen's Houthi rebels to end their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, the Financial Times reports. Since the 7 October attacks, the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on Red Sea shipping, prompting retaliatory strikes inside Yemen by American and British naval forces. The paper says the talks took place in Oman and saw Omani officials shuttle between American and Iranian representatives, who never spoke directly.
The Daily Express says Home Office sources have insisted that plans to get the first deportation flights to Rwanda off the ground are in a "good place". The paper says it has been told the first flight will not happen in the days immediately after the legislation for the policy clears Parliament but that "all the preparations" for the flights are on track.
Research shows that cancer deaths in middle-aged adults have fallen by a third since the 1990s, according to the Times. The paper says the fall has been attributed to screening programmes that are catching bowel, breast, and cervical cancers earlier as well as "a golden era of medical breakthroughs" that have enabled people to survive cancers that would previously have been terminal.
The Metro leads with the conviction of a family of four "super-touts" who made £6.5m in three years by reselling tickets to gigs by artists including Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, and Little Mix. The paper says the group used 127 names and 198 e-mail addresses to buy 47,000 tickets before selling them at "vastly inflated" prices. It adds that, in one message, they were seen saying they aimed to "rinse consumers for as much profit as they are willing to pay".
And the Daily Star reports that a billionaire is "sinking a fortune" into building an exact replica of the Titanic. The paper notes that the Titanic was famously a "not-very-floaty ship" and asks: "What could possibly go wrong?"
A number of Thursday's paper consider the likelihood of the Conservative Party returning the millions of pounds donated by Frank Hester, who's alleged to have told a group of staff that MP Diane Abbott made him "want to hate all black women".
The i's front page says Mr Hester gave the party £10.2m last year - more than a fifth of the total donations it received - and that it would face a financial challenge if it agreed to return the money.
The Daily Mirror calls the situation "a new low" for the Conservatives. It says a number of senior figures from within the party have called for the money to be returned over the remarks, which Downing Street has acknowledged were racist. The paper also quotes business minister Kevin Hollinrake, however, who says he doesn't believe Mr Hester is racist and that the party should consider taking more money donated by him.
Writing for the Guardian, Ms Abbott accuses the Conservative Party of "playing the race card" ahead of the election, citing as examples the Rwanda asylum policy and an increased focus on extremists, which she says is a "code word for Muslims". She also says she was upset, but not surprised, by the remarks reported to have been made by Mr Hester.
Several of the papers feature the government's plan to introduce a new definition of extremism.
The Daily Telegraph says Muslim groups that incite hatred will be named and shamed. The Times says the plans are designed to respond to a rise in far-right activity as well as antisemitic and anti-Muslim abuse. It says a list of banned groups will be published within weeks. The Guardian says the groups would have no way to appeal, and would, in effect, be cancelled by the government.
Image source, EPA
Image caption,Australian billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer has announced plans to build a replica of the Titanic
The front page of the Financial Times says Rishi Sunak is pressing for a change in the law which would "kill off" a planned takeover of the Telegraph by an Abu Dhabi-backed wealth fund. The prime minister has proposed changes to legislation which would stop any foreign state having influence or control over a UK news organisation. The paper says this would probably mean a purchase attempt by RedBird IMI - which is funded by the UAE - would be blocked.
The Daily Mail says Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has backed calls for the UK to increase its military budget to 3% of GDP. The paper called it a bold move which put more pressure on the prime minister. Mr Shapps said he wanted more money to match the threat posed by Vladimir Putin's Russia.
The Daily Express leads on comments from a source within the Home Office, who's told the paper that the government's plans to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda are in a "good place". A source has told the paper the first flight will not take off in the days immediately after the legislation is passed, though they add that getting the first flights off the ground won't take months.
And the Daily Star has the headline: "Titanic Part Two". The paper says the Australian mining magnate, Clive Palmer - who's described as a mega-rich bloke - is sinking a fortune into rebuilding the ill-fated ocean liner. It says the ship will have the same interiors and cabin layout as the original, including the ball room. Its maiden voyage is planned for 2027. The paper asks: "What could possibly go wrong?"
