Fallout following the decision to block Andy Burnham from standing in a forthcoming by-election has continued, with the Mail reporting a growing rebellion among government officials. It reports that 50 MPs have signed a letter protesting against the decision, noting that pressure on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has “intensified”.
The Times says that senior Labour figures have “privately conceded” that they expect to lose the Gorton & Denton by-election as a result of the Burnham block. The paper says the fight for the seat is “likely to be deeply divisive”, with the Greens and Reform UK “set to pile pressure” on Sir Keir. The prime minister has defended his decision regarding Burnham, insisting that allowing him to run for the seat would “divert our resources” from “very important” campaigns in May’s elections.
Several papers picture former Man United footballer Sir David Beckham and his family at an award ceremony in Paris, after Lady Beckham became a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. Under the headline “Clan united”, the Sun calls it a “show of solidarity”, noting it is the first time that the family have been seen together following the row with Brooklyn, the eldest son, on Instagram last week. The couple were joined by their other three children – Romeo, Cruz and Harper.
“You are my everything” declares the Star, pairing the photo of the family in Paris with a quote from Lady Beckham’s Instagram post to mark her acceptance of the knighthood.
Though the Beckhams are also front and centre of the Guardian, the paper’s headline reads: “Tories face backlash after ‘mental health’ jibe over Braverman’s exit”. It reports that the Conservative Party had to correct the record after they initially said Suella Braverman had defected to Reform UK because of “mental health” issues. In a fresh statement, the party said the original had been a draft version sent out in error.
A beaming Braverman and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage are splashed across the Mirror, paired with the headline “Reform’s latest con”.
The i Paper says the statement regarding Braverman comes amid a growing Conservative party exodus. The front page also features Farage saying the Tories face a “cataclysm” in May’s elections.
“More January transfer deals!” declares the Metro, marking both the defection of Braverman and an updated cast for The Great British Bake Off. It confirms that Nigella Lawson with replace Prue Leith in the forthcoming series of the beloved television show.
The price of gold is leading the Tuesday edition of the Financial Times, after it hit $5,000 per troy ounce for the first time. The paper says Monday also saw the US dollar sink to a four-month low, amid fears of another government shutdown.
The Telegraph says China has been hacking the mobile phones of senior officials in Downing Street for “several years”, as part of an operation that the paper understands “compromised senior members of the government”. Previous claims of phone hacking were dismissed by China as “baseless”.
Holocaust survivor Eva Clarke, 80, has given an interview to the Express to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, telling the paper that she is still hopeful for a better future if people can stand up to prejudice and tackle rising antisemitism.
