'Meghan warned over father' and 'Don't risk Truss-style budget'
Nearly all the front pages feature the Duchess of Sussex's response to the allegations made about her estranged father, Thomas Markle, after it was reported that images of child sexual abuse allegedly belonging to him were found at his former home in the Philippines. "Meghan warned over father 8 years ago," says the Daily Telegraph, with Markle sharing on Friday that she received a letter containing "troubling and disturbing allegations" about her father in 2018. Thomas Markle, who is 82 and based in the US, denies possessing any such images.
"Met hunt for Markle letter" is the Daily Mail's headline, saying that Scotland Yard was "scrambling" to find the correspondence sent to the Duchess of Sussex in 2018. Sources stressed the Metropolitan Police "never investigated Mr Markle", the paper adds.
The Daily Star says the "Duchess heard 'disturbing' claims soon after wedding", when she married the Duke of Sussex.
The Daily Express writes that Meghan Markle's "half-brother Thomas Markle Jr reportedly alerted police" about the allegations.
"Meghan's anguish" is the Daily Mirror's headline.
The Independent's headline is "Meghan 'distressed' over abuse images claim against father". Elsewhere, it reports that Scotland is braced for Storm Boleo after Storm Austen caused disruption in south-west England on Friday. Its photo shows part of Brighton's historic West Pier that has collapsed after 100mph winds hit.
As the Autumn Budget looms, the papers are in full swing speculating what Chancellor John Healey will hand down on Wednesday. The Times carries a warning from former chief economist at the Bank of England Andy Haldane, telling the Prime Minister Andy Burnham not to "risk a Truss-style budget crisis", referencing the mini-budget of former Prime Minister Liz Truss which contained unfunded spending pledges, including major tax cuts, precipitating the sacking of ex-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, the collapse of the bond markets, and resignation of Truss. Speaking to the paper, Haldane qualifies by saying unfunded spending measures could "crater" the economy, urging Burnham to "take the knife" to public spending.
The FT Weekend says Healey is planning a "£20bn lending boost" for the "state's business leaders and infrastructure bank" in the budget. The move requires the chancellor to "flex fiscal rules", according to the paper, with Treasury arguing "it would create and support 100,000 jobs in sectors including AI, defence and green energy by 2035".
The Guardian says "online safety laws have failed to protect children", quoting the UK's online safety regulator. It reports that Ofcom's verdict from the first nine months "after the children's safety duties came into force in July 2025" is that "children have been fed an almost unchanged diet of unsafe content that has often left them frightened, confused and upset".
"UK Cabinet spilt on whether to rejoin EU" and whether to hold a new "Brexit referendum" is the i Weekend's splash, reporting there is a 15-13 divide between ministers in favour and those opposed or undecided. "They are also torn on whether to call a new referendum on rejoining" the European bloc, writes the paper.
