Healey's 'tax raid on banks' and Brand 'topless monster'

2 hours ago

News image — A number of Friday's papers focus on reports that Chancellor John Healey plans to tax Britain's banks in his upcoming budget. Healey is "poised to launch a tax raid on banks" despite describing them as part of "the crown jewels" of the UK economy, according to the Daily Telegraph. Ahead of the Budget on 28 October, the chancellor is said to be "considering raising a surcharge on bank profits", the paper says.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Telegraph reads: 'Healey plans tax raid on banks'. — A number of Friday's papers focus on reports that Chancellor John Healey plans to tax Britain's banks in his upcoming budget. Healey is "poised to launch a tax raid on banks" despite describing them as part of "the crown jewels" of the UK economy, according to the Daily Telegraph. Ahead of the Budget on 28 October, the chancellor is said to be "considering raising a surcharge on bank profits", the paper says.

The headline on the front page of the Guardian reads: 'Revealed: chancellor poised to raise taxes on banks in budget.' — Similarly, the Guardian reports Healey could "tap the financial sector for additional revenue" to "help offset the damage inflicted on the public finances by war in the Middle East". One option is to tax banks more heavily, which think tanks and trade unions have been calling for, the paper says. It has been reported the biggest four banks collectively made about £15bn profit in the first six months of this year.

The headline on the front page of the i Paper reads: 'Energy bills set for double rise in the new year.' — The i Paper focuses on household impacts from the chancellor's proposed Budget under the headline "energy bills set for double rise in new year". The paper says "Healey refuses to commit to extending PM's cost of living measure".

The headline on the front page of the Daily Star reads: 'Topless "monster".' — "Topless Monster", the Daily Star says in its coverage of the Russell Brand's rape trial.

The headline on the front page of the Metro reads: 'The axis of diesel.' — The Metro splashes on Harry and Meghan's "(not) royal walkabout" with a picture of Meghan "beaming in burgundy" as the couple walked through Nottingham. It was Meghan's first public outing since returning to the UK, the paper says. Elsewhere, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Donald Trump of "betrayal" after the US leader agreed to a diesel deal with Russia.

The headline on the front page of the Financial Times reads: 'Merz rules out resignation in vow to confront age of upheaval.' — "I will not" step down, Germany's Chancellor Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the Financial Times amid growing pressure for him to resign. Merz has "vowed to fight on" as he pushes through unpopular welfare reform, the paper reports, as well as confront an age of upheaval.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Express reads: 'Farage's fury at small boat sex attacker.' — Reform UK leader Nigel Farage's "fury" about the case of a failed asylum seeker who was jailed after an attempted rape is the headline of the Daily Express.

The headline on the front page of the Independent reads: 'Licence fee widened to web streaming to help struggling BBC.' — The UK government is planning to extend the public broadcaster's licence fee to online platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon to help the "struggling BBC", the Independent reports. Any new revenue will be "used to boost journalism and tackle misinformation", the paper says.

The headline on the front page of the Times reads: 'Hospital to place trans women on male wards.' — Under a new NHS England (NHSE) guideline, transgender people should be treated on single-sex hospital wards that align with their biological sex rather than their gender identity, the Times reports. The move is a reversal of its previous policy that trans patients "be placed on wards in line with their gender identity", the paper says.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Mail reads: 'Dumb & Dumber.' — And the Labour government has been criticised for its plans to improve students' "speaking skills", the Daily Mail reports. When Education Secretary Lucy Powell announced measures to improve speaking to be as important as reading and writing, she was told "children will be losers" by Conservative shadow minister for work and pensions Baroness Spielman, the paper says.

"Healey plans tax raid on banks", declares the Daily Telegraph. According to the Guardian, one option understood to be under discussion for the Budget would be to reverse cuts to the bank surcharge made by the former Conservative chancellor, Jeremy Hunt.

The paper says this would raise upwards of £2bn a year. But banks have told the Telegraph that increasing the surcharge would cost the economy £20bn. The Treasury says decisions on tax are for the chancellor to set out.

The i Paper reports that there will be a "double" rise in energy bills next year. Forecasts suggest the annual price cap will go up by £276 in January. According to the i Paper, the chancellor is also unlikely to recommend keeping VAT off electricity bills beyond March.

"Dumb & dumber", is the Daily Mail's headline take on the government's reforms for schools in England. The paper draws attention to plans from the education secretary, Lucy Powell, that speaking skills will become just as important as reading and writing in GCSE assessments.

The Mail's sketch writer, Quentin Letts, says in a speech about the importance of clear communication, Powell was "as clear as public-lavatory glass".

Europe's biggest salmon producers are beginning to feed chicken to their fish, in a move the Financial Times says breaks a "longstanding taboo in the hunt for cheap protein".

Consumers are said to have found the practice "unnatural", but one expert quoted in the FT says "the market seems to be more ready". Salmon producers also claim using chicken cuts costs and carbon emissions.

Much is made of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first public engagement together since returning to the UK. Metro says Meghan was "beaming in burgundy" in Nottingham, while theDaily Mirror declares that her husband was "happy as HARRY"."Crowds treat Sussexes like royalty", is headline in the Times. "The obvious question", the Daily Mail asks, "is what can the Palace do about it?" The answer: "very little."

Healey's 'tax raid on banks' and Brand 'topless monster'

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