'Labour's tax war' and 'banter off the menu'

"Labour's tax war is harming the economy" says the Express, one of several papers leading on taxes on Thursday. The Express reports that 69% of young people think finding "a good job" will become more challenging as Chancellor Rachel Reeves' policy "hammers the employment market".

The Daily Telegraph writes that Labour's tax pledges have been "thrown into chaos" by a £51bn fiscal hole. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that Reeves would set out a budget later in the year, but declined to repeat his pledge not to raise income tax, National Insurance or value added tax. Ex-MasterChef presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace are pictured on the front page of the Telegraph, captioned "banter is off the menu" after the BBC edited the new series of the television show to remove their jokes.

The Times is also leading on tax, with the headline "Wealthier areas face big rises in council tax". The paper has spoken to experts who have predicted a rise in council tax if Labour's plans to send more money to deprived areas go ahead. A photograph of dozens of migrants being brought into Dover by Border Force is front and centre, taken on the day that the "one in, one out" deal with France came into effect.

The Metro has declared an "NHS crisis", quoting a survey by the General Medical Council that found 19% of doctors planning to leave the profession in the UK. Of the 12% that have considered moving abroad to work, the primary reason they gave for considering the move was doctors being "treated better" in other countries.

The Financial Times says "company directors' exodus gathering pace" since the prime minister abolished favourable tax treatment for non-domiciled residents. According to the paper, 3,790 directors reported leaving the UK between the October budget and now.

Academics are calling on the UK to "reverse" the ban on the Palestine Action group, according to the Guardian. The paper writes that signatories are "especially concerned" about the impact of the ban on universities across the UK and beyond. An image of people fleeing an attack in Gaza City leads the front page.

The front page of the i Paper alleges that Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Rushanara Ali removed tenants from a property she owned in East London and then re-listed it for an additional £700 a month. A spokesperson for Ali told the BBC the minister "took her responsibilities seriously and complied with all relevant legal requirements".

HM Revenue and Customs staff have been criticised by the opposition for holding a seminar on "the guilt of being British", reports the Daily Mail. The paper writes that Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called the seminar "nonsense" and said Whitehall aides should leave the civil service if they were not proud of Britain.

"Cosmetic cowboys crackdown" says the Mirror, with new legislation pipped to stamp out "dodgy" clinics that offer procedures with no medical training. The incoming restrictions come after the death of 33-year-old Alice Webb, who died in 2024 after receiving a Brazilian butt lift.

The edits to the new season of MasterChef is also the main story for the Star, with John Torode and Gregg Wallace pictured alongside the headline "Farce-terchef".

Edits to MasterChef have also made the front page of the Sun, with the paper's headline reading "BBC stew".

The Daily Telegraph says Sir Keir Starmer has thrown his party's pledges on tax "into chaos" by failing to repeat a promise not to raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT. The paper says senior figures in government believe there are few remaining options other than to increase the "big three", in light of a forecast shortfall in the public finances. Downing Street sources say the government remains committed to not raising taxes on working people.

The Times reports on an estimate by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) that council tax may have to rise in swathes of England, under plans by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner to re-allocate local authority funding to more deprived areas. The IFS says wealthier councils that have kept bills down will be worst hit, as they seek to maintain services like bin collections and care for the elderly, with reduced budgets.

The Guardian leads on a letter signed by international scholars and writers calling on the government to reverse its ban on Palestine Action. The signatories warn that hundreds of people risk being arrested for supporting the group, during a protest in London planned for Saturday. Several papers report that Sir Keir told a meeting of Labour's National Executive Committee last month that Palestine Action had "targeted Jewish businesses" and he did not want to stifle debate about Gaza.

Civil servants at HRMC had the option yesterday of attending an online seminar on "British guilt", according to the Daily Mail. The paper says opposition leader Kemi Badenoch is leading the backlash, and she says that if Whitehall aides are not proud of being British, they should leave the civil service.

Both the Sun and the Daily Star highlight criticism of the new series of MasterChef. The Star says heavy editing after the presenters were sacked for misconduct has left the show awkward and a "shambles".

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