Hello there! You’re watching the Press Preview, a first look at what’s on the front pages. In the next half hour, we’ll see what’s making the headlines with writer and broadcaster Amy Nel Turner and political commentator Benedict Spence. Let’s take a look at some of those front pages:
The Sunday Telegraph:
The Sunday Telegraph reports that Rishi Sunak is sending Home Office staff to be stationed in Rwanda as he tries to fight off a growing rebellion within his own party over plans to fly illegal migrants for processing and resettlement there.
The Sunday Express:
The Sunday Express claims that a manhunt is underway for six suspected terrorists who reportedly landed in the UK after crossing the channel in a small boat.
The Mail on Sunday:
The Mail on Sunday has a special investigation into the case of a gang rapist whose deportation was thwarted 5 years ago but is now being sent to Somalia ahead of next week’s Autumn Statement.
The Times:
The Times says the Chancellor may cut income tax or national insurance in an effort to win over voters.
The Sunday Mirror:
The Sunday Mirror leads with claims of what it calls a staggering £100 billion allegedly wasted by the Conservative government, mostly while Rishi Sunak was Chancellor.
The People:
The People carries a warning from Kelly Oral, whose parents were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in their holiday hotel room after the room next door was fumigated for bed bugs.
The Sun:
The Sun has a story about the new series of “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here” and reported jibes at Nigel Farage by another contestant.
The Daily Star Sunday:
The Daily Star Sunday leads with a new study by scientists which suggests that eating berries can help you lose up to three stone in weight.
By scanning the QR code on the screen during the program, you can check out the front pages of tomorrow’s papers while you watch us.
We are joined tonight by writer and broadcaster Amy Nel Turner and political commentator Benedict Spence. A pleasure to see you both. Thank you so much for coming in.
The Express Page Six:
The Express page six says “Tory rightwing switches to Pretty in fight to regain control of the party.” I’ll just read the very first sentence: “Priti Patel is being lined up as the Tories’ new rightwing pinup after Suella Braverman’s fall from grace.” Benedict, what are your thoughts on this?
Benedict: I’m quite happy about this because I’ve been saying this for a long time. A lot of Tories have been nailing their colors to the Suella Braverman mast, but Pretty Patel is a better politician. She’s better across detail, policy, and messaging. I think this move shows that Suella Braverman overestimated her sway within the party.
Amy: It’s interesting that they’re bringing back Pretty Patel, but let’s not forget her track record. The Rwanda plan has been a failure, and she was involved in bullying scandals. I don’t see much worth bringing her back to the front line.
The Telegraph Page One:
The Telegraph reports that PM Rishi Sunak will station Home Office officials in Rwanda as he tries to fight off an escalating Tory rebellion over his small boats policy. Benedict, what do you think about this?
Benedict: The Rwanda policy has not been a success, and it demonstrates the weakness of Sunak’s position. Instead of finding an alternative or having a plan B, he’s relying on the same policy and trying to make minor adjustments. This shows how weak his government is.
For every person you said you’re a public school boy, well, I want my money back. Can I have a rebate? No, this doesn’t surprise me. It doesn’t surprise me because I keep a list of Tory waste. Some of my favorites include the Festival of Brexit that never happened, costing £120 million. It’s funny how the party that claims to trim fat ends up wasting the most money. But this is the problem with the front page of the Mirror. It doesn’t specify whether this includes co-related expenses or not. £100 billion is a large sum, but it only accounts for the last four years, not the last 13 years of Tory rule.
The waste happened while Rishi Sunak was Chancellor, and we have to consider the context. We left the European Union and faced a massive pandemic that required significant government spending. If we didn’t spend that money, people and businesses would have suffered. It’s easy to criticize in hindsight, but it’s important to remember the challenges we faced at the time.
Now let’s move on to the Express. The headline reads “Dangerous schools risk to 700,000 pupils.” At least 700,000 pupils are attending crumbling schools in need of repairs or a complete rebuild. This issue is not unique to one government; it has spanned several administrations. The lack of government oversight and flat growth over the last 13 years have contributed to this problem.
In 2010, there was a plan to rebuild these schools, but it was scrapped when the Tories came into power. Any government would prioritize the well-being of children, and it’s disappointing that this issue has not been adequately addressed.
Now, let’s briefly discuss Nigel Farage. It’s unfair to dig up old tweets criticizing him. Anyone could have tweeted negative things about him, and it’s unnecessary to bring them back to life. Grace Dent, who will be his campmate in “I’m a Celebrity,” tweeted some insensitive comments during a difficult time for Farage. However, he has a thick skin and has made his fair share of crass comments as well.
As for his appearance on the show, it seems like a publicity stunt for ITV to boost their ratings. I won’t be voting for him, but I’ll be tuning into Sky News every evening. Thank you.