Newspaper headlines: 'Zero UK growth in 2023' and '£100 to fill a car'

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By BBC News
Staff
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A number of the papers lead on a speech to be delivered on Thursday by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Lancashire.

The Times reports he will announce a plan to help benefit claimants buy homes in England, which it says could put three million people on the housing ladder. The paper says the speech is "part of an attempt to shore up [Mr Johnson's] authority" after he survived Monday's vote of confidence.

The Financial Times says he will try to move on from the Partygate scandal by laying the ground for tax cuts and declaring that boosting Britain's economic growth rate is his top priority. The Express says an "emboldened" prime minister will also cut bills "left, right and centre" in what it claims will be his most radical move yet to ease the cost of living crisis. "Now that is a promise!" proclaims the paper.

The Guardian, however, warns that a surge in the cost of fuel - combined with a "dire economic forecast" from the OECD think tank - have shattered Mr Johnson's hopes of resetting what it calls "his troubled premiership". It says fears that Britain faces a prolonged period of 1970s-style stagflation have intensified amid fresh evidence of the damaging impact of the Russian war in Ukraine on growth and the cost of living.

The Mirror also highlights what it calls the "petrol crisis" on its front page. It says there's "despair and fury" at the likelihood that the cost of filling a family car is about to hit a record high of £100. "Expose greedy petrol pumps" is the call from The Sun. The paper says the government is considering a "Pumpwatch" scheme to ensure drivers aren't "swindled" after some forecourts failed to pass on the 5p fuel duty cut introduced in March.

The i and the Metro both lead on the national rail strikes planned by the RMT Union for 21, 23, and 25 June. The i says the action will actually impact services every day between 21 and 26 June and that supermarkets could see empty shelves if fresh food supplies are affected. The Metro accuses RMT boss Mick Lynch of having "no shame" after he apologised for the "disruption that people may suffer". Mr Lynch has blamed the action on rail bosses' plans to cut jobs and their failure to give members a pay rise in three years.

The Telegraph says that a "wave of strikes" will trigger a "summer of discontent". It says that, beyond the planned rail walkouts, ballots for action are taking place among staff at BT, Royal Mail postal workers, baggage handlers at Stansted, and check-in and ground staff based at Heathrow.

The Mail reports that the home secretary's first flight carrying asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda, scheduled for Tuesday, is in doubt after legal action was lodged against it. The paper blames "left-wing activists" for the opposition to Priti Patel's plan, which she claims will save lives in the Channel and cripple the profits of people-smuggling gangs.

And photos of a smiling Sir David Attenborough feature in a number of papers after he was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George by the Prince of Wales. The Times says it's the "natural order" that he received the honour for services to broadcasting and conservation. For the Guardian, Sir David is the "earth knight".