The key facts
- A curfew has been imposed in France amid unrest triggered by student protests; Macron said the 'looters and thieves of the far left will not win'
- Daily Telegraph: the Ministry of Defence has abandoned three new frontline vehicles, a £2 billion cut ahead of the 28 October budget
- The i Paper: the government will abolish the 'two-child limit' in benefits by April — £736 for each additional child
Unrest in France and turmoil in Europe
Many of Tuesday's front pages are devoted to the unrest in France, where violence amid student protests continues to cause large-scale disruption. Metro comes out with the headline 'The French correction' and a photograph of Parisian police officers captioned 'Formez vos batallions'. President Emmanuel Macron, according to the paper, said that 'the looters and thieves of the far left will not win'; cities and communes of France have been ordered to impose a curfew to put an end to days of rioting and looting. The Independent writes about the imposed curfew and about the unrest spreading across Europe: the photo shows a masked demonstrator with a French flag against the backdrop of a fire in Marseille. The paper also reports that Italy is preparing tough response measures, and discontent over the cost of living and housing is spreading to Lisbon, Albania and Serbia.
Markets react to the crisis in France
The Financial Times looks at the situation from the markets' perspective: the yield on France's ten-year government bonds rose sharply after a sell-off of French sovereign debt. The paper quotes experts who say the protests have made investors 'more reluctant' to hold French debt ahead of 'high-risk elections' when Macron leaves the presidency in 2027.
Cuts to army spending
The Daily Telegraph reports that the Labour Party is cutting army spending by £2 billion: the Ministry of Defence has abandoned plans for three new frontline vehicles. This comes as Chancellor John Healey tries to close a hole in defence spending in his first budget, which will take place on 28 October.
Budget expectations: taxes and the 'stability' course
The Times writes that a capital gains tax rise is unlikely: the Chancellor is resisting pressure from allies of Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Healey, according to the paper, said he wants a 'calm, no sudden moves' budget rather than the 'huge package of tax rises and public spending' which, as the paper describes, characterised the fiscal events of his predecessor Rachel Reeves. The Daily Mail, meanwhile, carries criticism of the expected budget from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch: in her view, the budget could turn out to be 'even worse than Reeves' bloodbath', and the new Burnham government is capable of doing greater damage to the economy, even though the tax burden under Labour has already reached a post-war high.
Abolition of the 'two-child limit' in benefits
The i Paper reports, citing its own sources, that the government will abolish the 'two-child limit' in childcare benefits by April: parents on benefits will receive an additional £736 for each child beyond two to help with nursery costs. The paper quotes experts who believe that abolishing the limit on nursery cost support will become a route back to work for parents on universal credit with more than two children 'at a critical moment of rising prices'.
Thames Water, a fighter jet crash and other topics
The Guardian writes on its front page that Burnham has ordered his political advisers to 'tear up' the plans to rescue Thames Water and present more radical options for the fate of the troubled company. This, according to the paper, is a test of the Prime Minister's pledge to put the 'essentials of life' under public control. The Sun reports on an investigation into a £20 million crash: two pilots steered the aircraft away from buildings and ejected before the Hawk T2 crashed and exploded near RAF Valley in North Wales last month; according to an early investigation, the jet was flying with an unclosed fuel cap. The Daily Express carries a warning from NHS doctors that the health system is 'simply not ready' for the new winter crisis: 'patients are dying every week in overloaded emergency departments' amid a rise in flu hospitalisations. The Daily Star writes, citing 'shocking reports', that Manchester City faces a large points deduction with the risk of relegation from the Premier League. The Daily Mirror rounds off the review with a lighter topic — the Pride of Britain awards: 'Trophies and tears for the nation's everyday heroes', including young fundraiser of the year Kirsty Wa and Dr Eli Prior, who helped victims of a rail disaster.
Many of Tuesday's front pages depict the unrest sweeping through France, where violence sparked by student protests continues to cause major disruptions. "The French correction" is the Metro's headline, embedding a picture showing a row of Paris riot cops next to the caption "Formez vos batallions". President Emmanuel Macron is quoted saying "extreme-left thugs and thieves will not win", as the paper goes on to explain: "French towns and cities have been told to declare curfews in a bid to end days of rioting and looting".
The Independent continues with "Curfew imposed to stop France riots as unrest grips Europe", below a photo showing a masked demonstrator in Marseille holding a French flag as a fire burns in the backdrop. "Italy prepares crackdown" it says as cost of living and housing anger spreads to "Lisbon, Albania and Serbia".
"Challenges facing Macron deepen" says the Financial Times, taking a markets perspective of the riots to report "10-year bond yield sharply up" in France following a "self-off in French government debt". It cites experts who say "the protest had made investors 'more reluctant' to hold the debt" ahead of the "high-stakes election" when Macron gives up the presidency in 2027.
Returning to the UK, the Daily Telegraph writes: "Labour cuts £2bn from Army", reporting that the Ministry of Defence has "dropped plans to three new frontline vehicles". It comes as Chancellor John Healey "attempts to fill a hole in defence spending in his first Budget", due on 28 October.
Continuing with pre-Budget speculation, the Times says "no increase to capital gains tax" is expected to be handed down as "chancellor resists pressure" from allies of Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Healey is quoted saying he wants a "steady as she goes" budget rather than, as the paper describes as a "huge package of tax rises and public spending that dominated the fiscal events of Rachel Reeves, his predecessor".
The i Paper leads with its scoop that the government will lift the "two-child cap on childcare benefits" by April, meaning parents on benefits will get "£736 extra per additional child to assist with nursery costs". The paper quotes experts who believe "lifting the cap on nursery fee support offers a route back to work for parents on universal credit with more than two children 'at a critical time of rising costs'."
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch's criticism of John Healey's expected budget tops the Daily Mail, where it summarises her perspective: "Budget could be even worse than Reeves bloodbath". Badenoch suggests Burnham's new government could impose "more damage to the economy than his predecessor, despite Labour already hiking the tax burden to a post-war high", according to the paper.
The Guardian tops with Burnham ordering his policy advisers "to rip up their plans for how to fix Thames Water and present him with more radical options for what to do with the stricken company". It explains that the proposal is a "test" of the prime minister's promise "to bring the 'essentials of life' under public control".
The Sun leads with a "£20m crash probe" after "two pilots steered away from buildings and ejected before the Hawk T2 nosedived and exploded near RAF Valley, North Wales, last month". According to an early investigation, the "RAF fireball jet was flying with its fuel cap off".
The Daily Star picks up on the latest Manchester City alleged financial misconduct saga, reporting that they are set to get a "huge" points deduction risking "relegation", attributing the details to "shock reports". It could be "Man City's tipping point", the paper says.
The Daily Express carries the warning from NHS doctors that the health service is "simply not ready" for another winter crisis, writing that "patients are dying every week in struggling A&E departments" amid rising flu admissions.
Finally, the Daily Mirror caps off with a lighter touch headline about the paper's Pride of Britain awards. "Trophies and tears for nation's everyday heroes" it writes, as "Stars humbled by tales of courage and sacrifice", including young fundraiser of the year Kirsty Waugh and Dr Eli Prior "who helped train crash victims".
