Many of Fridayâs papers lead on the Employment Rights Bill. The Times says the reforms â which would give unions âwider powers to recruit members and stage strikesâ â make it âeasierâ for unions to raise money for Labour. The bill means all members will have to pay into funds that contribute âmillionsâ into the Labour party, unless they opt out, it adds. According to the paper, unions have given the party âalmost ÂŁ10mâ in the past year.
The Guardian headlines with the UN saying Israel âdeliberatelyâ fired on its peacekeepers in Lebanon on Thursday, injuring two. This comes as Israel has conducted ârepeated ground incursionsâ into the country in its war with Hezbollah. The paper says UN member states have expressed outrage at the âalleged attackâ, at a time when Israel is facing âscrutiny for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanityâ for its conduct in Gaza.
A number of papers also feature the first official visit of Catherine, Princess of Wales, since completing her chemotherapy. âWeâre here for you,â the Sun splashes as Catherine made a âsurpriseâ visit to Southport, where she and the Prince of Wales met the families of the three children who were killed in the knife attack in July.
âPhew!â reads the Metro headline, as âhammeredâ Florida dodges the âworst case scenarioâ, after being hit with the hurricane. It says more than three million people have been left without electricity in the state, and at least eight people have died âamid 120mph winds, 27 tornados and heavy floodingâ.
The Financial Times leads with HSBCâs chief executive, Georges Elhedery, planning a restructure that would see him âshedding senior bankersâ to save the company $300m. The paper reports that people familiar with the plans say HSBCâs commercial banking unit will merge with its global banking and markets division. One person said the merger would âreduce top management layersâ, according to the FT.
The I reports that carers will get a pay rise under the Employment Rights Bill, dubbed by them as the âRayner lawâ. According to the paper, salaries agreed on by the new adult social care negotiating body must be paid across the sector. It adds that the bill also includes âsimilar measuresâ to increase pay and prospects for teaching assistants.
The Telegraph reports that private hospitals will ârescueâ the NHS by easing the waiting list crisis in government plans currently under consideration. A source said the government would âgrab with both handsâ any spare capacity that would see patients receiving treatment more quickly, according to the paper. Meanwhile, the Matt cartoon depicts a man in his living room telling his wife: âThe BBC Weather app says itâs going to be 404C tonight. Sometimes I think they overdo the climate change warnings.â The app did have some technical issues on Thursday.
The Daily Mail headlines with the chancellorâs tax hike plan that âwill cost billionsâ. The warning comes from HMRC, who said a percentage point increase of ten or more could cut revenue by around ÂŁ2bn because many investors would quit the UK. The paper also shows a beaming photograph of the Princess of Wales, who âdazzlesâ during her Southport visit.
âSmiling, caring, hugging Kate is back,â reads the Daily Mirror headline, after she met with the families of the Southport stabbing victims. The papers says she âalso hugged hero 999 crewsâ as they recalled their experiences during the July attack.
Pensioners fear the âimpossible choice to heat or eatâ, the Daily Express reports, after winter fuel payments were cut. The warning to the chancellor came from campaigners, who have urged Rachel Reeves to drop the plan, the paper says.
The Daily Star says Only Fools and Horses actor David Jason has backed their âmega-importantâ campaign to âspare class put-downs from extinctionâ. Jason, who played the role of wheeler dealer Derek âDel Boyâ Trotter, who was known to use put-downs such as âplonkerâ, says the words must be saved after people have stopped using them, the paper reports.
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