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10 months ago
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Image source, The i
Image caption,Just two days away from his Autumn Statement , Chancellor Jeremy Hunt appears to be clearly happy to stoke the newspapers' talk of exactly which tax cuts he will be announcing on Wednesday. Quoting his latest announcement that "everything is on the table", the i newspaper points out that tax cuts for businesses remain more likely than those for general taxpayers.
Image source, Daily Mail
Image caption,But the Daily Mail is still keen to believe that income tax or National Insurance may be cut, with its headline asking: "Are we finally on the brink of a real tax cut?".
Image source, Express
Image caption,The Daily Express has a firm warning that, whatever Jeremy Hunt chooses to announce, it must also come along with him honouring the triple lock agreement on pensions - and that will require an 8.5% increase for the state pension. The paper says that, if he uses tax cuts to "get the economy fizzing" but does not keep the long-term promise on pensions, it will "cause uproar".
Image source, Daily Mirror
Image caption,The Daily Mirror's investigations editor Nick Sommerlad has been looking into the rents that are charged for seven luxury apartments owned by Jeremy Hunt and his wife and discovers that one of them saw a rise of 18%. The paper does acknowledge that Mr Hunt has said that he donates all profits to charity, but still points to the contrast with his plea for the general public to show restraint in their demand for pay rises.
Image source, Daily Telegraoph
Image caption,"Israel on the brink of hostage agreement" is the lead headline for the Daily Telegraph as it details the latest developments in negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli leadership. The paper quotes "optimistic" US officials who are brokering the talks and says they believe that "only minor details" remain before it is announced that dozens of women and children will be released in exchange for a five-day pause in fighting.
Image source, Times
Image caption,Qatar, which is hosting the negotiations between Israel and Hamas, is making equally positive comments, according to the Times. It quotes the country's PM, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as saying that there are "just practical and logistical" challenges left to overcome. The paper also pictures comedian and presenter Russell Brand as it reports he has been questioned by the Metropolitan Police over allegations of historical sex offences.
Image source, Metro
Image caption,The Brand development provides the lead story for Metro, which points out that it comes two months after the "bombshell TV investigation" Russell Brand: In Plain Sight. But the paper says it is unclear whether detectives were speaking to him about claims in the documentary or about others that have been reported since then. Brand has previously denied the claims.
Image source, Sun
Image caption,"Nuke sub mins from disaster" is the dramatic headline on the front page of the Sun. The paper does explain that this is not the current prognosis as it tells the story of a "decades-old" Royal Navy nuclear sub, complete with Trident 2 doomsday missiles, which started sinking towards its crush depth where the submarine implodes from water pressure. - but was saved just in time.
Image source, Financial Times
Image caption,The main picture of the front of the Financial Times is of election officials in Argentina during the presidential vote yesterday. Provisional results suggest it has been won by right-wing libertarian outsider Javier Milei. The paper describes him as "a former television commentator known for his furious rants against the country's political elite".
Image source, Star
Image caption,And in what seems to be a bit of a November tradition, the Daily Star goes very early in declaring it will be a white Christmas this year as it says forecasters have predicted snow in the run-up to the big day. The paper reports that the first flurries of the white stuff will hit the nation this week but doesn't commit to saying whether its predicted "polar plunge" will last all of the next five weeks.
Speculation about possible tax cuts in the chancellor's Autumn Statement on Wednesday is on most front pages.
A government source has told the Times that a cut in National Insurance is more likely because it would be cheaper and less inflationary than an income tax cut. However, the i newspaper says Mr Hunt has lowered expectations of personal tax cuts and hinted that he would rather reduce business taxes to stimulate growth.
In an editorial, the FT calls on the chancellor to resist the political pressure to slash taxes. It says unfunded cuts to income tax or National Insurance would be inflationary and adding to the country's debt pile is unwise. The paper says Mr Hunt needs to deliver a disciplined statement that sets out a plan to lift the UK's long-term growth potential.
Under the headline "Time for early Christmas presents, chancellor", the Mail's editorial urges Mr Hunt to cut both corporation tax and either income tax or NI. The editorial argues it's unlikely that such a move would cause inflation to spike.
The Daily Express highlights warnings that pensioners will never forgive Mr Hunt if he "fiddles" with the triple lock and fails to raise the state pension by 8.5%. Amid fears that the chancellor could be planning a lower payout, the campaign group Silver Voices tells the paper that if the full triple-lock increase is denied "no Tory MP" would be safe in their seat at the general election.
The Times say serious divisions have emerged among ministers over a plan to opt out of parts of the European Convention on Human Rights, to enable the government to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The paper says Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick wants to disapply the Human Rights Act and to direct courts to ignore the European Convention in asylum cases, but others - including Home Secretary James Cleverly - disagree
A report that Israel and Hamas are close to a deal involving the release of some hostages makes the lead in the Daily Telegraph, which says dozens of women and children are expected to be freed in exchange for a five-day pause in the fighting.
The Guardian says the deal could also involve the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
According to the Sun, a Royal Navy submarine carrying nuclear missiles narrowly avoided a disaster when dials indicating its depth in the Atlantic suddenly stopped working.
The paper says that led commanders to think the vessel was level, whereas in reality it was still diving towards its crush depth, where the submarine implodes from water pressure. That was averted after engineers spotted a second gauge and raised the alarm. The article doesn't say when the incident happened.
And the Mail says it has spoken to royal insiders who are surprised by the suggestion that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would accept an invitation to spend Christmas with the rest of the family at Sandringham.
Following reports that the Sussexes are keen to build bridges, a source told the paper that the sudden "love bombing" from the couple was "bizarre" and that it's unlikely they would be welcomed with open arms.
And finally, the Telegraph says stargazers in the UK will be able to see a tool bag tomorrow evening that was dropped by two American astronauts while they were fixing a solar panel on the International Space Station earlier this month.
The paper says the surprisingly bright bag isn't visible with a naked eye, but amateurs using binoculars or a telescope should be able to see it as it flies over the UK.
