'Tories to end social housing for foreigners' and 'Bottoms down'
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More than 230,000 people will face eviction under Tory plans to "end social housing for foreigners", according to the Daily Telegraph. Leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch has said this would end Britain's status as the "cash machine for the UK". The paper also reports there has been a £1.6bn stock sell-off in "fear of Burnham tax". Before moving into No 10 last month, Andy Burnham said he would make "difficult" decisions to balance the nation's finances, which may include "having to ask for a little more" from taxpayers, the paper adds.
The Daily Mail also leads with the Tories' announcement, calling it a "bold move". It says those affected would have six months to leave their social housing. Labour has said the policy is an "unserious, unworkable proposal, copied from Reform". Columnist Guy Adams opines that the "Cambridge plagiarism scandal" shows institutions have been "captured by woke dogma". Jason Arday, who resigned from Cambridge on Wednesday, has previously denied plagiarism but admitted some errors.
The Guardian also features more on the plagiarism row, claiming "Cambridge 'unleashed grotesque racism' with Arday appointment". Now, academics have called for the university to "hold an independent inquiry into the affair", saying the university "deserves blame", it writes. The university said on Wednesday it would open a new investigation into the claims after receiving new information. Elsewhere, Alan Milburn, who is leading a review into youth unemployment, has told the Guardian schools should "spot pupils at risk of joblessness".
It's "bottoms down" for the Daily Star, as it says Westminster City Council is "touting a 'no standing' plan" in pubs. The paper calls the move "madness" and includes a picture of Suggs, lead singer of the band Madness, enjoying a "vertical drink".
"Pub bosses, business leaders and even London's mayor" say the pubs plan is a "bad idea", according to the Metro. It carries a cartoon of a man lying on the pavement cradling a bottle of wine as a policeman stands over him. "But officer.. I'm just sticking to the 'no vertical drinking' policy", reads the horizontal man's speech bubble. Westminster Council's draft policy, which is currently in the consultation stage, says pubs should "discourage excessive drunkenness".
EasyJet will be taken over in a "foreign swoop" for £5.7bn, reports the Financial Times. It also writes that Colombian narco fighters "seek drone warfare lessons on Ukraine battlefront."
Every river and lake in England is now "polluted with toxic chemicals", The i Paper writes, after a new report from the Environment Agency. It has pledged to make 75% of the nation's bodies of water safe by 2027, but according to The i "campaigners warn this will not happen."
"I thee web" leads the Sun as it reports Tom Holland and Zendaya have married "again in secret £500k bash at UK hotel".
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has faced a "stalker ordeal", headlines the Daily Mirror. It highlights that he was "the victim" of a "balaclava-clad stalker".
Atop the Daily Express are comments from whistleblower Maggie Oliver that "we are failing sex gang victims once again" with the early prison release scheme. Now, "amid the backlash", Burnham has said rapists and serious child sex offenders will not be released early.
Around one in five student loans are being given to non-British citizens, raising a "fraud alert", says the Times. This risks costing taxpayers "billions of pounds a year in unpaid debt". Also on its front page, the PM has been told to "tone down his 'blokeish' videos", including one that rated pub snacks. "No 10 aides show blokey Burnham red card," reads the headline. A spokesperson for the Department of Education told the paper said it had "strict eligibility requirements" for student loans.
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