'England pick German' and 'Taylorgate' for Starmer

Thomas Tuchel will take over from Gareth Southgate as England's manager, reports The Mirror. The German manager, who was previously boss at Chelsea FC, has allegedly secured a "lucrative deal" ahead of the 2026 World Cup, The Mirror says.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been "accused of hypocrisy" after previously admitting that increasing National Insurance for employers would hit workers' pay, The Daily Telegraph writes. It is also running with a picture of former Bayern Munich manager Tuchel, complete with beer stein. "England pick German" says the headline.

The Sun features the headline "football's coming home" in German, adding that Tuchel has agreed an 18-month deal with the FA to become the new England manager.

The Daily Mail is leading on "Taylorgate", saying that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met Taylor Swift after police were allegedly "pressured" into giving her a blue-light escort. The paper reports that the prime minister accepted four free tickets to her sell out Eras tour and chatted with the pop star for 10 minutes. "Now PM is engulfed by Swift furore" says the headline. Sir Keir later paid back Universal for the cost of the tickets and his official spokesman said it was "ultimately up to the police to take operational decisions in relation to these big events".

According to The Guardian headline, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall "vows to end scandal that left thousands of carers in debt". The paper reports that "draconian" penalties that unpaid carers unwittingly fell foul of could be overhauled. The paper is also running with a picture of Sir Keir at Taylor Swift's Eras tour but says "No 10 denies tickets were thanks for police escort".

MPs are set to begin a debate on new assisted dying laws, reports The Times. "Sick could end life if doctors and judge agree," The Times headline reads. The copy adds that terminally ill patients can be helped to end their lives under the new proposed law. An image of Taylor Swift performing also takes up some of the front page , above the headline: "A Swift meeting for Keir Starmer."

The Daily Express is also leading on the assisted dying bill. In an exclusive interview, Dame Ester Rantzen says "time is running out" and she "can dare to hope" for a change in the "cruel law". Dame Esther, who has stage four lung cancer, wants the public to show their support, it reports.

The Metro's headline reads: "Labour's war on waist." The paper says Sir Keir is backing weight loss jabs for people who are out of work. He is quoted saying "I think these drugs could be very important for our economy and for health." The paper reports that both the health secretary and prime minister believe it can save billions for the NHS.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has "identified a £40 billion funding gap" , reports the Financial Times. The paper says that the Treasury is seeking to close the gap, which is more than previously expected, with tax rises in the Budget. Elsewhere, the International Monetary Fund said global public debt is expected to surpass $100 trillion, it reports, after a surge in government borrowing since the start of the pandemic.

The i says Rachel Reeves has been warned by economists, Labour MPs and the Budget watchdog that a national insurance rise "will hit workers". It reports that the chancellor has signalled she plans to increase employer contributions and that doing so "would not break Labour's manifesto pledge on taxes".

On the front of the Daily Star, former Liverpool footballer Neil Ruddock confesses that he cheated at the paper's crossword puzzle to win money off his team-mates. "Razor: My Daily Star crossword shame" reads the headline.

The Financial Times has more on the chancellor's identification of a £40bn funding gap ahead of the budget.  The paper says the figure represents the amount of extra money government departments will need if they're to avoid real-terms spending cuts this year.  It says it's required partly to build up a buffer against future financial shocks for the remainder of the parliament. The paper says the funding gap could be reduced if the Office for Budget Responsibility produces more optimistic forecasts in the run-up to the budget.

An unnamed Labour MP has told the I that the chancellor's potential national insurance increase later this month will mean "small businesses won't hire and that these places will fold". While the Daily Telegraph has reported comments made by Rachel Reeves two years ago, in which she said of the then-government's plan to increase employers' national insurance as "the worst possible tax rise at the worst possible time". In its editorial, The Times says increased costs for businesses will lead them to "scale back programmes for investment and hiring, and restrict pay offers to their employees".

The Guardian says Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife met the singer Taylor Swift backstage at one of her Wembley Eras tour concerts in August. The paper has been told there was no discussion of the police motorcycle convoy that accompanied her to five of the shows, and No 10 has denied that the tickets were given to the prime minister as a thank you for the escort. The Express reports that Sir Keir and his wife spoke to the singer and her mother for around ten minutes.

The Conservative leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch has a stark warning for the party membership, in an interview with The Telegraph. She tells the paper the party will cease to exist, should the wrong candidate be elected; "if we get this wrong, there's not going to be a party. There's no second chance... this endless tossing out of leaders as if they're just disposable has been one of the things that has damaged the party brand."

The Times praises the virtues of what health researchers call the "micro walk", saying a study has shown springing up from a sedentary position to walk even short distances can make a surprisingly large difference to the amount of calories people burn. Scientists also found breaking a walk into stints of ten to thirty seconds - with breaks in between - uses 60% more energy than tackling a distance in one go.

Images of Thomas Tuchel feature on many of the front pages - and all of the back pages - after he agreed a deal to become the next England manager.  The Telegraph shows the German wearing lederhosen and holding a stein of beer. The Sun's headline reads "fussball kommt nacht hause" - German for "football's coming home". The Mirror calls him "the new Kaiser chief". The Daily Mail says it's a "dark day for English football". "We are the laughing stock of the world, it says, calling the appointment a "blind leap of faith on a man who may be more trouble than he is worth". The Daily Star is more sanguine, saying "at least we'll be sure to win the penalties".

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