Newspaper headlines: Mordaunt 'seizes momentum' and 'rattles rivals'
- Published
Penny Mordaunt has emerged as a frontrunner in the Tory leadership race
Many of Thursday's front pages have pictures of a smiling Penny Mordaunt, who finished runner-up to Rishi Sunak in round one of the Tory leadership vote.
"Mordaunt seizes the momentum", external, reads the headline in the Daily Telegraph, which says the trade minister now finds herself in a "prime position".
The Daily Express says Ms Mordaunt has blown the race "wide open", external, with a survey of grassroots Conservative members putting her as favourite to be the next prime minister.
The i agrees, external, saying she has rattled her rivals, while the Metro, external poses the question: "PM For PM?"
The Daily Mail says Penny Mordaunt's "new status", external as one of the favourites to succeed Boris Johnson means she's likely to face "intense scrutiny", with rival candidates and their supporters already briefing against her.
One tells the paper that Ms Mordaunt has hardened her views on transgender rights to "reverse her reputation as a woke warrior", external, and urges the right of the Conservative party to unite instead behind Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
The Guardian says the unexpected challenge has forced Ms Truss to "regroup", external ahead of her campaign launch today.
It previews her speech, in which she will stress her modest background and comprehensive school education, with a promise never to fail children who were previously "let down by low expectations".
Elsewhere, research for the Financial Times suggests the NHS in England will need up to 40,000 extra beds, external by the end of the decade to deal with a "rising tide of illness" among post-war baby boomers.
The paper says that's the equivalent of 65 new hospitals, requiring investment of between £17bn and £29bn. The Health Foundation, which carried out the analysis, also urges the government to learn lessons from countries like the Netherlands which have better integrated hospital and community care.
Several papers report on the impact of the continuing heatwave.
"Hot And Can't Be Bothered" is how the Sun describes calls from the TUC for a maximum working temperature to be introduced., external
Under the proposal, employees would automatically down tools when thermometers pass 30C to avoid passing out or becoming dangerously dehydrated.
The ongoing heatwave has brought significant falls in water levels at many of Britain's reservoirs
The Daily Mirror focuses on the impact of the ongoing heatwave on the UK's water supply, external, with some reservoir levels at their lowest since the mid-1990s.
Meanwhile, the Daily Star, external says life on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent was brought to a "virtual halt" on Wednesday when two water mains burst, leaving tens of thousands of people without any supply.
Finally, the Times has the story of Bonnie the beagle cross, external, who had a surprisingly eventful few hours last weekend.
After running away from her home in West Sussex, the five-year-old was spotted on the side of a road by John Wilmer, who tracked down her owners on Facebook.
Once they had made contact, Mr Wilmer decided to take Bonnie to the dog show in Surrey he was running late for - and entered her in the Best Rescue Dog category at the last minute. She finished in third place, and is pictured in the paper proudly wearing her yellow rosette.
Bonnie's family says they might put her in more contests now she has got the taste for it.
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