'No 10 shake-up' and Labour's 'asylum crackdown'
- Published

Sir Keir Starmer's shake-up of his No 10 team as Parliament returns from recess dominates Tuesday's papers. The Guardian reports the prime minister is attempting to "wrest back control" of economic policy from the Treasury by creating two new roles. Elsewhere, the paper also spotlights the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan with a picture of a man walking past piles of rubble carrying the body of an infant.

"Starmer seizes grip of Budget" is the i's take, as the paper says the PM's move to boost his economic team comes ahead of the critical autumn Budget. It also features a source who claims that Downing Street is "frustrated" at Chancellor Rachel Reeves over policy "mistakes". Insiders insist Reeves and Sir Keir remain politically close, the paper adds.

Reeves is "smiling through the pain" declares the Daily Telegraph, as it fills its front page with a picture of an upbeat chancellor leaving the Treasury on Monday. The paper says the PM's team reshuffle "undermines" Reeves' authority, quoting one Labour MP who says the move is "a signal that she is in a weak position and it's deteriorating". Reeves' allies say she discussed the shake-up several times over the summer, the paper reports.

The Financial Times focuses on what the No 10 rejig means for what it says are Labour's sliding poll numbers. The paper says the PM's popularity has been "languishing" and the party's standing in the polls is "at just 20%". Also front and centre is the three-way meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The trio are pictured smiling and talking on the sidelines of a regional security summit in China.

Migrants granted asylum will be temporarily stopped from bringing their family members to the UK, the Times reports. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced a halt to the refugee family reunion scheme until she can bring forward some conditions. The paper says the decision is an attempt by Labour to "counter the threat" of Reform leader Nigel Farage over immigration.

The Daily Mail takes aim at Labour's "one in, one out" asylum scheme with the headline "3,567 in, zero out". The paper says Labour has admitted that no small boat migrants have been sent back to France since the returns deal was signed. It also notes Cooper telling Parliament on Monday that deportations are expected to begin "later this month".

An asylum seeker who has been in the UK for 20 years is asking to be sent back to Somalia because he would feel safer there, the Metro reports. The paper quotes the man named Yusuf saying "this country is not safe" amid rising hostility towards migrants and asylum seekers.

Nigel Farage says it's "insulting" that Labour has refused to invite him to the upcoming state banquet for US President Donald Trump, according to the Daily Express. In an interview with the paper, the Reform leader issues a warning to the PM: "I'll get rid of you". The paper also teases actress Emily Blunt's "wild" return to The Devil Wears Prada sequel film.

An "e-cig epidemic fear" leads the Daily Mirror. The paper highlights a call from health experts to ban vapes amid fears the devices raise the risk of strokes, cardiovascular disease and asthma. The Mirror points out that other experts argue that vapes help smokers quit. Sharing the top spot, the Mirror previews "unseen pictures" of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex. The paper says they offer an "extraordinary glimpse into the years that shaped them".

Rivals star Emily Atack details her "set horror", reports the Daily Star. The actress says she was groped on set or at wrap parties "multiple times" throughout her career by several people in the TV industry.

Finally, the Sun issues a "Strictly fat jabs alert". It claims five stars on Strictly Come Dancing have been taking weight loss jabs ahead of the new series, sparking fears that they "won't last" the distance on the show as they risk lacking the calories to perform.
Sir Keir Starmer's decision to create two new senior roles at No 10 - his chief secretary and chief economic adviser - is on several front pages.
The Guardian says he is trying to "wrest back control of economic policy", external from the Treasury, ahead of what the paper says is likely to be a tumultuous autumn for the government.
"Smiling through the pain", external is the Daily Telegraph's headline above a picture of the Chancellor Rachel Reeves. The paper says the changes undermine her authority, although her allies dismissed any suggestion that she'd lost out in a power grab.
In its editorial, the Telegraph argues that Sir Keir has humiliated and demoted the chancellor. It says his actions strongly suggest he's lost confidence in her and asks why he won't sack her.
The Times comments that the prime minister's shake-up is confirmation that his first year in office has been a failure, external. The paper says the government and the economy need determined leadership and that demands a total change of mentality, not merely of personnel.
According to the Financial Times, the prime minister is trying to get a grip on his government, external and arrest a slide in Labour's poll ratings.
The i says it's been told by Labour insiders that Sir Keir is attempting to seize control over a make-or-break Budget this autumn, external. A government source said there had been frustration in Downing Street with the Chancellor's performance, and a feeling that Reeves "made mistakes and Keir got blamed".
In an interview for the Daily Express, the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, accuses Sir Keir of lying about immigration and tells him he'll get rid of him, external, as he says he did with David Cameron and Theresa May.
Farage also says he's been insulted by not being invited to the state banquet - to be hosted by King Charles III at Windsor Castle for US President Donald Trump, during his upcoming state visit to the UK.
The Daily Mirror highlights a call by medical experts for electronic cigarettes to be banned, external. It says doctors and scientists at Europe's biggest heart conference said vaping may be causing irreversible harm to children's brains and hearts. The Mirror points out that other experts argue that vapes help smokers quit.
The Times reports that half of stroke patients could now fully recover, external thanks to an artificial intelligence tool that helps the NHS diagnose them up to one hour faster than traditional methods. The software has been used to interpret the brain scans of more than 60,000 stroke patients since it was introduced last summer, and it helps doctors to make faster decisions about treatment.
Another study, highlighted by the Daily Mail, suggests that living on a noisy road dramatically increases the risk of stroke, external. The researchers looked at the impact of traffic and air pollution on more than 26,000 men aged between 65 and 74. There was no significant link between the risk of stroke and exposure to pollutants.
And finally under the headline "Strictly fat jabs alert", external, the Sun claims that five celebrities taking part in the new series of Strictly Come Dancing are on weight loss injections, sparking fears that they will fail to last the distance on the gruelling contest. The paper says they risk lacking the calories to perform, because the drugs suppress appetite.

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