The key facts
- Scotland Yard is considering referring itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over the undelivered letter about Thomas Markle
- Scotland Yard is considering recusing itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over an undelivered letter about Thomas Markle
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham is 'open' to free movement with the EU, the Sunday Times reports
- Ahead of the budget, a carbon levy on imported fuel, billions for defence and £1 billion for social housing are being discussed
- Ahead of the Budget, a carbon levy on imported fuel, billions for defence and £1bn for social housing are being discussed
The letter to Scotland Yard and the scandal surrounding Thomas Markle
The front pages of many British Sunday newspapers are dominated by the story of a letter delivered to the Metropolitan Police and later passed on to the Duchess of Sussex, containing allegations against her father, Thomas Markle. The Sunday Mirror writes under the headline 'Cops didn't share letter' that Scotland Yard 'did not pass the allegations about Meghan's dad to other police forces' — according to the paper, the Duchess revealed the letter's existence after new allegations about sexual images involving children. Thomas Markle categorically denies all the allegations. According to the Sunday Telegraph, sources close to the Duchess say she is 'upset' by the Met's 'inaction', and Scotland Yard 'is now considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct'. A friend of the Duchess tells the Sun on Sunday that she is 'concerned' that the police did not respond: 'They had the opportunity to pass this on to other relevant law enforcement agencies, but they chose not to.' In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Markle says: 'I don't have the health to travel to the Philippines, but I am ready to speak with anyone who wants to talk to me. I have nothing to hide.'
Burnham 'open' to free movement with the EU
The Sunday Times leads with Prime Minister Andy Burnham saying that he 'is open to accepting free movement with the EU'. According to the paper, the Prime Minister is calling for an 'honest conversation', noting that pre-Brexit migration was 'not as complicated' as it is now. The front pages also continue to cover the protests in France: the Sunday Telegraph publishes a photograph of a large rally in Marseille under the headline 'France on the March'. The same paper carries a headline about Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, who, according to the paper, 'says Britain must be ready for war within 1,000 days', because 'Russia continues its hybrid war against NATO'.
Pre-budget speculation: defence, housing, the 'green tax' and pensions
A number of front pages are devoted to what the newspapers believe will be included in the budget, to be presented on Wednesday. The Sunday Telegraph reports that the Chancellor is considering a carbon levy on imported fuel: the paper calls it a 'green tax' and claims the measure could raise prices at the pumps. The Sunday Times writes about 'billions of pounds in new defence funding', adding that two state investment funds will also receive money to be invested in British defence companies. The Sunday People publishes a pre-budget exclusive: the government is expected to announce 'support for new social housing' in England — 'an extra £1 billion for housing'. The Sunday Mirror welcomes the allocation of £1 billion for council and affordable housing, which is equivalent to building 10,000 homes, and notes plans to help councils borrow for construction at reduced rates. The Sunday Express carries a Conservative call for Burnham to 'come clean' about possible plans to raise the state pension age to 68: campaigners believe this would affect around six million people. The paper also demands the government reveal whether it intends to bring forward the planned rise in the pension age — according to the paper, there are concerns that it could be implemented in 2037 rather than in the mid-2040s, as originally planned.
Gates on AI, a shortage of radios and Prince William
The Observer publishes an interview with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who describes the emergence of artificial intelligence as 'an evolutionary event': he says people will stop being the most intelligent beings on the planet — 'like monkeys compared with humans'. Gates believes governments will have to find new revenue sources to fund the needs of people left without work, and that billionaires should pay more tax: he claims that over his lifetime he would be willing to pay more than twice as much as he has so far. The Sunday Telegraph, for its part, reports that wind-up radios are selling out after the government announced the creation of emergency stockpiles: according to the paper, sales in some shops have risen fivefold. An industry source said some shops were surprised by the announcement that people should keep a three-day supply of food and water — it came just one day after a worldwide campaign to fix vulnerabilities in the software underpinning the internet. One business owner admitted: 'I thought my phone was glitching or had been hacked when I saw the number of orders.' Finally, the Daily Star on Sunday leads with the headline 'Purple Reign': Prince William said on Graham Norton's BBC show that he is often not recognised, and once a man mistook him for the short pop legend Prince and asked for an autograph on a 'Purple Rain' record.
Why it matters
The round-up shows which topics will set the British agenda for the coming week: Wednesday's Budget, where, according to reports, defence funding, £1bn for social housing and a fuel levy may be announced, as well as the question of the pension age, which, according to the Sunday Express, could affect around six million peopleif the rise to 68 is brought forward from the mid-2040s to 2037. For readers this means direct financial consequences — from prices at the pumps to retirement dates — and for Scotland Yard a possible investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
A letter delivered to the Metropolitan Police and later passed on to the Duchess of Sussex detailing allegations about her father Thomas Markle feature on many of the front pages. 'Cops didn't share letter' writes the Sunday Mirror, explaining the Met 'did not pass on allegations about Meghan's dad to other police forces'. It comes after 'Meghan revealed its existence after fresh allegations her father had child abuse images,' according to the paper. Thomas Markle strenuously denies the allegations.
Sources close to the duchess say she is 'upset' about the 'failure of the Met to act', the Sunday Telegraph writes, adding Scotland Yard is 'now considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct'. Elsewhere, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting 'says Britain must be ready for war in 1,000 days', the paper's headline reports, 'as Russia continues its hybrid warfare against Nato'.
The Sunday Times leads with Prime Minister Andy Burnham's latest remarks, summarising that he is 'open to adopting EU free movement'. It comes as 'PM calls for honest conversation, saying pre-Brexit migration not as difficult as now', according to the paper. Coverage of the French protests continue on the front page, where a large rally in Marseille is pictured under the headline 'France on the March'.
The Sunday People carries a pre-Budget exclusive that the government is expected to announce a 'boost for new social housing' in England, the paper says. 'Extra £1bn for homes' reads the paper's headline.
The Sunday Express leads with remarks from Conservatives urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to 'come clean' on any mooted plans to lift the pension age to 68. It quotes campaigners who believe it would affect some six million people and bring hardship to those unable to keep working.
The Observer carries an interview with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who describes AI as an 'evolutionary event'. 'Like monkeys to humans', people will no longer be the most intelligent things on the planet, is the tech tycoon's verdict splashed on the front page.
Finally, an apparent resemblance between the late US pop icon Prince and the Prince of Wales fills the front page of the Daily Star on Sunday. 'Purple Reign' quips the paper, as Prince William 'claims he is often not recognised' and one time 'a bloke thought he was pint-sized pop legend Prince' and wanted him to sign a copy of his record 'Purple Rain'. The comments came as the prince made an appearance on the BBC's Graham Norton Show.
