In the headlines
Chancellor Rishi Sunak woke up to a “clean sweep of hostile front pages” over yesterday’s mini-Budget, says Politico, along with stinging criticism from Tory and Labour MPs. “Sunak’s sickener” does nothing to help soaring energy bills, nothing to support pensioners, and nothing much to soften petrol pain, says the Daily Mirror. “Thanks for nothing.” Living standards will fall further this year than they have since records began in 1956, says The Times. Some “welcome” measures include cutting fuel duty by 5p a litre and raising the threshold at which workers have to start paying national insurance – shielding seven in 10 earners from next month’s rate hike. But there is effectively no help for those on the lowest incomes. Russia has launched an “outrageous attempt” to host the Euro 2028 football tournament, says The Sun. With the only other contender a joint bid from the UK and Ireland, Mad Vlad is “Putin the boot in”.