Starmer 'prioritises growth' and election 'flutter'

A number of papers turn their attention towards Keir Starmer's plans for government in Labour's election manifesto.

While the Times headlines on the Labour leader's pledge that growth and prosperity are his priorities, it insists he refuses to rule out tax rises.

The Daily Telegraph agrees, publishing the headline "Starmer paves the way for tax rises" and suggesting Labour may bring in increases in council tax, fuel duty and capital gains tax

The Guardian calls it a business-friendly manifesto targeted at former Tory voters, which prioritises economic stability over what it calls the Conservatives' more policy-heavy offering on Tuesday.

The Daily Mirror sees today as a huge opportunity for the Labour leader to seal the deal with voters. It says he must not just offer change, but provide hope for a better tomorrow.

The Sun says both leaders got a lashing from a tough TV crowd at last night's debate in Grimsby. It says Prime Minister Rishi Sunak got a kicking for leaving D-Day events early and failing on migration while Starmer was dubbed a robot.

In an article for the paper, Starmer says he knows there is a feeling that nothing works in Britain, but that his manifesto offers stability not chaos.

The Daily Mail reports on what it calls a shift in strategy from the Conservatives, with a warning from one senior Tory urging voters not to risk "sleepwalking into a one-party socialist state". The paper says the new approach is aimed at convincing Conservative voters, who are considering supporting Reform, that they risk helping Starmer to a landslide victory.

Analysis in the Financial Times claims Labour has avoided campaigning deep in Britain's Conservative heartlands, in what the paper speculates could be a sign of Starmer's "caution". It says the party's activists and finances have been focused on 186 seats where less than a 15-point swing is required, despite polling suggesting it could inflict "catastrophic defeat on the Tories".

The Guardian also has an exclusive report that Sunak's closest parliamentary aide Craig Williams placed a bet on the general election being called for July - only three days before the PM made the surprise announcement. The paper says Williams has acknowledged that he "should have thought how it looked".

The Daily Express warns of what it calls a ticking obesity time bomb - saying 3.6 million people are at high risk of type 2 diabetes.

The paper says the number considered to be pre-diabetic had doubled since 2019 with health chiefs blaming cheap junk food. It says the NHS is buckling under the strain of caring for 5.6 million people already known to have diabetes.

The Times has some predictions for the King's birthday honours list due to be announced tomorrow.

At the top of its forecasts is the political satirist Armando Iannucci - whose work includes TV comedy The Thick of It. The paper says he'll be elevated from an OBE to a CBE. Also on the list is Gordon Brown, who the paper believes will be made a Companion of Honour.

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