“Stub out this cigs ban plan” is the main headline on the front page of Metro, referring to the angry reaction there has been from some within the hospitality industry about the plan to extend the smoking ban to outdoor spaces. It carries an interview with Tom Bott, founder of London-based beer brewer Signature Brew, who says such legislation “without adequate consideration of its economic impact, risks further destabilising an industry already under immense pressure”.
The Guardian also writes about how the PM is on a “collision course” with the hospitality industry over the proposed curbs on outdoor smoking. The paper quotes William Lees-Jones, head of JW Lees Brewery, who says the idea was a “bolt from the blue” that had not been discussed with those in the industry. The Guardian also quotes Dr Layla McCay, the director of policy at the NHS Confederation, who is among health experts who are heartened by the government’s proposed changes.
“Has Sir Keir sounded death knell of our pubs?” asks the Daily Express on its front page. It focuses on political opposition to the government’s plan, quoting Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick, who asks why the PM is focussing on a smoking ban when “our country faces huge challenges”. Reform UK leader (and smoker) Nigel Farage, meanwhile, said the proposal showed Labour tended towards state interference and said he “would not go to the pub ever again if these restrictions are imposed”.
The Daily Telegraph leads on information about a new law it understands is being considered that would allow employees to work their contracted hours in four days rather than five. Currently, employees can request flexible working hours but employers do not have to agree to them. Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservatives’ shadow business secretary, says the new law would make doing business more expensive in the UK.
The removal of the £100,000 portrait of the late Tory Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, dominates the front page of the Daily Mail. It says the decision has “sparked fury” and quotes former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith calling the move “petty”. Former Conservative Cabinet minister Sir John Whittingdale, who served as Thatcher’s political secretary, said he was “sad” about the portrait’s removal. The paper also looks at the case of one mother who says she’s moving to a one-bed cottage to prevent her adult children from moving back in with her again.
“Tommy Robinson’s plan to use Sikhs Jews and Hindus to turn people in UK against Islam” is the exclusive story on the front page of the i newspaper. It says it has received details of meetings held by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, revealing the “inner strategy of the far-right figure’s attempts to canvas support for a campaign against British Muslims”. The talks reportedly took place last year and revealed details about his funding and social media strategy.
The Times looks at a health initiative to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. It will involve NHS workers going into offices, pubs and building sites to offer free health checks to workers over the age of 40. More than 130,000 people are expected to be offered these free 20-minute check-ups in the next six months, which involve having your weight and height measurements taken. Male-dominated industries are being especially targeted because men are more at risk of heart disease.
The Financial Times leads with an article about JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate in the forthcoming US election, urging tech billionaire Peter Thiel to help bankroll the Republicans. Mr Vance told the FT that he was going to keep trying to persuade the PayPal co-founder to throw his support behind them, despite Mr Thiel’s reluctance to support any candidate. He backed Donald Trump in his 2016 campaign and sponsored JD Vance’s 2022 bid for the US Senate.
“Terror swoop saved thousand” declares the Daily Mirror’s main headline, referring to comments made by the CIA’s deputy director David Cohen over the foiled plot to target a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna earlier this month. Three of her shows there were called off after government warnings over a potential “terrorist attack”. Mr Cohen said intelligence the agency gave Austrian authorities had allowed them to disrupt the plot and save “hundreds of lives”. He described the suspects’ plans as “advanced”.
The Daily Star tells the story of a “shell-shocked” lioness who has finally been rescued from Ukraine. Three-year-old Yuna, who had been living on the cold concrete floor of a small space in a private home before the war broke out in 2022, was rescued by the UK-based Big Cat Sanctuary. “Rescuing Yuna from the war in Ukraine, giving her a second chance at life, and now seeing her feel fresh air and grass for the first time – it’s incredibly special and beautiful,” said Cam Whitnall, Project Lead at the sanctuary, who spoke to the Daily Star.
Many of the front pages feature reaction to the news the government is considering curbs on outdoor smoking. The Metro says pubs have labelled the idea “bonkers”. “Has Sir Keir sounded the death knell of our pubs?” asks the Daily Express. The Guardian says the prime minister is on a “collision course” with the hospitality sector over the plans. The head of the JW Lees Brewery, William Lees-Jones, is quoted as saying the idea was a “bolt from the blue” and has not been discussed with the industry. But the paper also goes on to say health experts and the public back the measure.
On its front page, the Daily Telegraph says workers are to get the right to “demand” a four-day week. The paper claims that under the plans, expected to be outlined by ministers this autumn, the balance of power is to be shifted with companies legally obliged to offer flexible working from day one, except where it is not feasible. A Labour source is quoted as saying it could help productivity. The Conservatives tell the paper businesses will be left “petrified”.
The main story in the Times is the plan for the NHS to go into offices and workplaces in England to weigh and measure people as part of a drive to improve the nation’s health. The checks are for the over forties – and there’s a particular focus on getting men to come forward, as they’re traditionally more likely to avoid going to the doctor. The story is also in the Daily Mirror, It’s dubbed the scheme the “middle age MoT” .
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People working in several sectors will soon be given the opportunity to have a free health-check at work
The Sun reports that Princes William and Harry both attended the funeral of their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, yesterday – but the paper says they were “not seen talking to each other”. The relationship between the brothers has been strained since Harry and Meghan chose to step back from Royal duties. The paper says the pair sat separately at the back of the church at Snettisham in Norfolk.
The Daily Mail leads on a story that Sir Keir Starmer has removed a portrait of Margaret Thatcher from a study inside Number 10, after apparently finding it “unsettling”. The painting was commissioned by Gordon Brown and unveiled in 2009. The paper says some Conservative figures have called the move “petty”.
Several of the papers have picked up on research which says people who catch up on lost sleep at the weekends may potentially lower their risk of heart disease by up to 20%. The findings, which were presented at the European Society of Cardiology, used data involving more than 90,000 adults in the UK. The British Heart Foundation is quoted in the Telegraph saying the report demonstrates the importance of getting at least seven hours of sleep a night. The Daily Mail says this research should “put to bed” the argument of whether extra sleep is good or bad for you.
And the Guardian says that, for many, no Christmas is complete without the Terry’s chocolate orange. But the makers are being accused of “messing with perfection” after announcing a spinoff – a plain milk chocolate version of the ball. The manufacturers say it is part of their plan to move “beyond orange”. But the paper says fans of the original product have been left asking simply “why?”
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