'Another lettuce' for Reeves and 'ruthless' spending cuts on the way

A picture of Chancellor Rachel Reeves dominates the front page of the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, with the paper saying the prime minister has thrown her "future into doubt". The chancellor is facing criticism over the falling pound and rising government borrowing costs. Sir Keir Starmer "twice refused to say if she will be in [the] job next year", the paper adds, before a government spokesman insisted she would be kept in the post.

The chancellor and her deputy Tulip Siddiq are "two lame ducks" according to the Conservatives, reports the front page of the Daily Mail. The paper says the Treasury is "in turmoil", with the country suffering from "stuttering growth, surging government borrowing costs and a growing business backlash". Separately, Siddiq has referred herself to the prime minister's standards adviser after controversy over her links to her aunt's political movement in Bangladesh, but says she has "done nothing wrong".

The Daily Star asks: "Should we be popping out for another lettuce?" It's a reference to the paper's viral campaign from 2022, in which it streamed a live webcam feed asking whether then-Prime Minister Liz Truss would last longer in office than an iceberg lettuce, after her mini-Budget triggered economic turmoil. The paper claims the odds "on the Daily Star needing another lettuce shortened" after the prime minister gave Reeves his backing on Monday.

"Ruthless" public spending cuts could be on the cards to help the government balance the books, the Guardian reports the prime minister as saying, as the Treasury looks for "billions of pounds of savings". The paper also trails a speech next week by the chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones, in which he is expected to warn ministers they will be expected to make "sweeping changes to public services" as part of a spending review.

And "nothing is off the table" when it comes to making cuts, the i adds, with the benefits bill just one of the options on the table as the government searches for savings. But, the paper says, campaigners will "react angrily" to any further reduction in public spending, warning of "disastrous consequences".

Sticking with politics, the Daily Express focuses on a dairy farmer's "great distress" after the government's decision last year to limit inheritance tax relief for farms to £1m from April 2026. The farmer, Ro, tells the paper "it's now my life, my children's life and my grandchildren's future at stake", as he calls for a reversal of the policy.

New polling indicates Reform UK is "effectively tied" with Labour among voters, pushing the Conservatives into third place, the Times reports. The survey, from pollsters YouGov, is the first since last year's election, and suggests Labour's voter share has "collapsed", the paper says.

The Metro labels Ryan Wellings an "innocent monster" after he was found guilty of assault and prolonged domestic violence, but cleared of manslaughter, after his partner took her own life. The paper says, during the trial, the jury heard Kiena Dawes, 23, had left a note saying "I was murdered" and that Wellings had "killed [her]" before taking her own life. He denied all the charges against him.

The Daily Mirror leads on Kiena Dawes's mum's "anguish" after the verdict. Angela Dawes told reporters on Monday: "Today was for Kiena. I'm sorry your voice has not been fully heard," the paper reports.

Elsewhere, some European Union shipyards have been carrying out "crucial repairs" on Russia's Arctic gas tankers, according to the Financial Times, despite sanctions aimed at the country's energy sector. Phasing out the use of Russian gas is a "central policy aim of the European Commission", it says, but one shipyard accused by the paper says it has "strictly adhered" to European legislation.

The Daily Telegraph suggests that Rachel Reeves's future as chancellor has been "thrown into doubt" by what it calls the "economic turmoil" of the past few days. It quotes an unnamed Labour backbencher saying the prime minister should consider sacking her if the situation doesn't improve in the next few months.

The Times points out that Sir Keir Starmer, when questioned at a news conference yesterday about Reeves's future, initially refused to confirm she would be staying in the post for the duration of this parliament, saying only that she was doing a "fantastic job". The confirmation came from his official spokesman "a few hours later".

There's a suggestion in the Daily Mail that Starmer has been left "struggling to contain turmoil in the Treasury". It says pressure is mounting both on the chancellor and Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq, whose family in Bangladesh is facing corruption allegations. Siddiq denies any wrongdoing. The headline reads: "Two lame ducks", which is flanked by pictures of the ministers.

The chancellor's prospects are considered in a more off-beat way by the Daily Star. It recalls its own comparison between the length of Liz Truss's tenure as prime minister, and the shelf life of a salad ingredient. "Should we be popping out for another lettuce?" asks its front page.

But in an opinion piece, the i argues that Starmer is "unlikely" to ditch Reeves. This is partly because, in its words, "there is no politician with whom this premier's fortunes have been more intertwined". The paper points out that if the prime minister did replace her, he would need to decide what the alternative economic strategy would be.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has faced criticism over the falling pound and rising government borrowing costs.

"My girl's voice was not heard", is the Daily Mirror's front page headline. It's a quote from Angela Dawes, whose daughter Kiena took her own life, after more than two years of abuse by her partner, Ryan Wellings. He was convicted yesterday at Preston Crown Court of assault and prolonged domestic violence, but cleared of manslaughter.

The Guardian reports that it could cost more than £1.6tn to get rid of toxic pollution across Britain and the EU over the next 20 years. The finding is the result of a year-long investigation by the Forever Lobbying Project, a collaboration between journalists and experts in 16 countries. Of particular concern are what the paper calls "forever chemicals", human-made pollutants that don't break down naturally.

Several papers, including the Financial Times warn that British people who own homes in Spain, but don't live there, could soon be facing taxes of up to 100%. The move is part of a package being proposed by the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, to help tackle the country's housing shortage.

Finally, the Sun welcomes the fact that screening for bowel cancer is being extended in England to those aged 50 and over. The paper says it's a victory for campaigner Dame Deborah James, who died of the disease in 2022 having led calls for wider screening. The headline reads: "Debs did it".

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