Newspaper headlines: NHS 'bills emergency' and 'new era of inflation'
- Published
The issue of rising energy prices and inflation continues to lead the papers.
Britain's privatisation model for energy and water companies is broken, according to an expert who's spoken to the Financial Times, external. Former government adviser and Oxford University professor Sir Dieter Helm also describes the utility regulators as "not fit for purpose".
He's critical of governments for not making reforms and says it's no surprise the energy and water companies have run into serious trouble with bad outcomes for households. Ofgem tells the paper it is confident its regulation is robust in protecting customers.
The Times front page declares, external that nearly half of Tory voters want energy to be nationalised, a finding it says will put pressure on the next prime minister to "embrace radical solutions" to the cost of living crisis.
The paper commissioned the poll from YouGov, and says it provides a stark illustration of the pressures on households this winter. More than half of those questioned said they will have to turn down their thermostat or limit the time their heating was on.
The i says, external Liz Truss, currently the favourite to win the Tory leadership race, is facing growing calls from Conservative MPs to offer help with energy bills to more than just the most vulnerable. It quotes a senior backbencher saying that government support "must help those just about managing, even people on middle incomes".
The Daily Telegraph carries, external a plea from Boris Johnson for his successor not to give up on investing in green energy in favour of short-term fixes to deal with soaring bills.
In what it calls a farewell message to safeguard his legacy, the paper says the outgoing prime minister will insist Britain is in a strong position to tackle the energy crisis while still pursuing a net-zero target for carbon emissions. It says his comments will be seen as an appeal to his successor to maintain his ambition to build a nuclear reactor every year and rapidly expand offshore wind power.
The Daily Mirror highlights a different set of problems caused by rising energy costs. It says health and education are in danger as schools and hospitals face making brutal cuts to pay bills. One NHS Trust tells the paper it expects to be paying an extra £20m, while a head teachers' union says money is being diverted away from education and pupils.
The Guardian reports, external that NHS data has shown black and Asian people in England waited longer for a cancer diagnosis than white people in six of every seven cases studied. The paper calls the disparity disturbing and says serious action is needed to understand what has caused it.
And the Daily Mail challenges, external readers to name the person pictured at the Belgian Grand Prix wearing a pink knitted balaclava decorated with flowers. Who's the star in the "tea cosy"? it asks. For those who can't identify Lewis Hamilton, the paper poses another question as a clue: "Is it fast fashion or simply the pits?"
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