'Reeves wields axe on Civil Service' and 'boxing says bye George'

Reeves sits in the red chair on the Laura Kuenssberg, wearing a green suit, looking to the right of frame
  • Published

"Reeves takes Axe to Civil Service" is the headline in the Sunday Telegraph, external on the chancellor's plans to save £2bn a year. It reports that Cabinet Office Ninister Pat McFadden will send out a letter to all government departments saying the cuts must target roles in HR, office management, and communications to "spare" front-line services. Unions tell the paper it raises the prospect of tens of thousands of redundancies.

All UK families will be "worse off by 2030", external according to a report in the Observer. The analysis from the Joseph Rowntree foundation says poorer families will "bear the brunt" of the fall in living standards. The paper describes the economic analysis as "grim" and says the data raises serious questions about Sir Keir Starmer's pledge to make working people better off. A Treasury spokesman tells the paper that real wages are rising at the highest level for six months, and that "getting more money in people's pockets is the number one mission".

A Sunday Times investigation says it's found evidence of huge fraud taking place within the student loan system., external It says people "with absolutely no academic intent" are enrolling on degree courses and are then accessing loans with no intention of paying back the funds. The paper says officials fear there has been "organised recruitment" - particularly of Romanian students. Writing in the paper, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson calls the potential fraud "a hammer blow to the integrity of higher education in this country" and has ordered an investigation.

The Mail on Sunday leads with an accusation that Scotland Yard pulled armed officers away from Downing Street in 2020, external because they feared Black Lives Matter protesters might grab their guns. The paper says police chiefs are facing claims, arising from court papers, that they put the security of Number 10 in jeopardy while Boris Johnson was the prime minister. The Mail adds it is the first time the Metropolitan Police has admitted that armed officers were moved from Downing Street during a riot. The Met wouldn't discuss specific matters, but tells the paper "it would be completely wrong to suggest the security of Downing Street was compromised".

The Sunday Mirror front page is a plea from Neville Lawrence, external to one of his son's killers, to name the rest of the gang that murdered Stephen in a racist attack in 1993. The paper says Mr Lawrence was speaking from his home in Jamaica after David Norris admitted being involved in the killing in a parole office report.

And the Scottish Mail on Sunday reports that only "a handful" of drug addicts, external who have used the SNP's controversial drugs "shooting gallery" have been referred for recovery treatment. Critics have accused the party of breaking its promises to tackle addiction when setting up the £2.3m facility in Glasgow - which allows users to take controlled drugs without fear of prosecution. Scottish government statistics show there have been 27 referrals since it opened in January. A spokesman said they expected the use of addiction recovery services to grow as the facility became more established and added the service had already saved lives.

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