PM's heartache and Labour's 'tax hit' to flights
- Published
The Guardian reports that more than 1.5 million children, external in England are studying in "dilapidated" school buildings because of what it calls "years of underinvestment". It has carried out a study of thousands of public sector buildings including hospitals, schools and courts, and says some are in such a bad state that lives are at risk. The government is quoted saying it is "taking immediate action to remedy the state of disrepair found in our public estate", which it suggests has been neglected in previous years.
The Daily Telegraph leads on an interview with Nigel Farage, external, in which the Reform UK leader suggests that Elon Musk will help his party reach younger voters. Farage argues that the billionaire - who is set to make a donation to Reform - is an "absolute hero figure" for them. "What matters with Elon isn't the money", says Farage, during the interview at a Boxing Day hunt in Kent. "It's the kudos with the young people."
The i Weekend is angry that since 2021 water companies in England have been fined just £2 for breaching rules. The paper explains that since March 2021, the regulator Ofwat has fined two firm, externals - Thames Water and Welsh Water - £1 each. Campaigners describe the punishment as "pathetic", but Ofwat insists that the firms have agreed to pay millions in compensation and investment instead.
There is a warning on the front of the Daily Mail about forthcoming increases in taxes on flights, external. The headline describes them as "Labour's £400 tax hit to your family holiday". The paper explains that air passenger duty was raised by 15% percent on many flights.
The Sun's front page headline is "Mean United", external. The paper reports that Manchester United has ceased paying £40,000 a year to a charity which helps former members of the Old Trafford squad. The Association of Former Manchester United Players was set up in 1985 to help footballers from bygone eras, who, in the paper's words, "earned nothing like the megabucks of today's superstars". The club is quoted saying: "We have been focussed on cost saving to put us on a stronger financial footing."
The Mirror leads with the death of Sir Keir Starmer's brother,, external Nick, at the age of 60. "PM's heartache as brother dies of cancer", is the headline. In an editorial, the paper says the prime minister has spoken of his pride, external at the way his brother coped with his long-term health problems. It says that "in his own way, Nick showed as much determination and resolve as his famous sibling".
The FT Weekend has on its front page an artist's impression of NASA's Parker Solar Probe, flying closer than ever before to the sun. The paper calls it a "star turn". Under the headline "touch of the sun", the opinion column in the Times argues that for the US Space Agency the successful mission harks back to the "glory days of the 1970s, and the Voyager probes to the outer planets".
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