Labour to 'miss homes pledge' and 'pension megafunds' plan

Outgoing president Joe Biden hosted president-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday

A variety of stories lead Thursday's papers.

Pictures of Donald Trump sitting beside Joe Biden in the Oval Office feature on many of the front pages. Under the headline "old friends reunited at White House", the Times says the current US leader used the transitional meeting to urge his successor to stand with Ukraine. On its inside pages, the Guardian's US sketch writer, David Smith, calls the discussion between the two men a "triumphant who's-got-the-last-laugh-now return to Washington" for Donald Trump.

The Financial Times has spoken to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, ahead of her announcement on pensions. She tells the paper that £80bn of investment could be unlocked under her plan to combine local government pension funds into what she describes as "megafunds". The Daily Mail's Jeff Prestridge says there's "precious little detail" about whether the funds will be required to invest in UK assets and that the plan could prove to be a "damp squib".

The Mail's front page focuses on council tax. The paper says Downing Street has confirmed that the cap on council tax rises will remain at 5% next year, despite a fall in inflation. The article says that could mean an increase of up to £110 for a Band D property. But a government source says the 5% cap won't necessarily translate into a similar tax rise, as it will be up to individual councils to decide what to charge.

The i says Labour's pledge to build 1.5 million homes by the end of the parliament has been thrown into doubt. It's seen an email by the official leading the plan in which he says the goal is "realistically... a two parliamentary term approach". Officials say they're committed to the target.

"Police in 'appalling' attack on free speech" is the headline on the front of the Daily Telegraph. It says there's an intensifying backlash against Essex Police after it opened an investigation into columnist Allison Pearson for allegedly stirring up racial hatred in a social media post. Boris Johnson has joined billionaire Elon Musk in criticising the force. The Sun's editorial calls the investigation "appalling over-reach". Essex Police says it investigates matters "without fear or favour, no matter who makes the report or to whom the incident concerns".

The Daily Mirror says the government has pledged to take action against people who carry out cosmetic procedures with little training. The paper highlights an ITV documentary that's revealed inexperienced practitioners are offering "potentially deadly" cosmetic surgery. It quotes the health secretary, Wes Streeting, as saying it's "absolutely disgusting" that "Wild West" operators are putting people's lives at risk.

Many of the papers carry tributes to actor Timothy West following his death at the age of 90. The Daily Express said he "touched the nation's hearts" during appearances in Great Canal Journeys alongside his wife, Prunella Scales, who has dementia.

The Daily Telegraph says the couple's devotion to each other was obvious, while the Daily Mail says they shared "theatre's most heartfelt romance since Romeo and Juliet".

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