Newspaper headlines: 'Birmingham bankrupt' and 'benefits revamp'

  • Published
People in the city centre pass by a large scale poster advertising the city of Birmingham on 22nd March 2023 in Birmingham, UKImage source, Getty Images

For the Guardian, external, Labour-run Birmingham City Council's announcement that it is essentially bankrupt lays bare the financial crisis in local authorities - and is likely to put pressure on the government over the legacy of 13 years of financial austerity.

The i warns, external that 26 other councils are at risk of going bust in the next two years.

The Daily Mirror, external says the roots of this particular crisis will be found in Whitehall as well as in Birmingham.

Papers traditionally opposed to Labour have a different perspective. In its editorial, the Daily Mail, external says the situation in Birmingham offers a "chilling glimpse" of life under a Labour government.

The Daily Telegraph, external says the city is a case study in what can happen when the Left is entrusted with power.

Several papers lead on the government's plans to get more sickness and disability benefits claimants back to work.

The Times, external says ministers are arguing that people with anxiety and mobility issues now have the ability to work remotely.

The Mail, external calls the new approach a "blitz" on the welfare budget - which could also plug gaps in the labour market.

The Telegraph, external focuses on the government's admission that the changes won't come in until 2025 at the earliest.

In its lead story, the Mirror, external reports that an IT firm linked to the husband of the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, was awarded a £1m contract from the government's fund for rebuilding unsafe schools. The paper says there is no suggestion of wrong-doing by Michael Keegan or his wife.

According to the i, external, cleaners at an NHS trust - which is regarded as having issues with crumbling concrete - have been trained to spot warning signs that structures made with RAAC are deteriorating.

A number of the newspapers cover a report from BMJ Oncology which suggests the number of people diagnosed with cancer aged under 50 has risen by 79% since 1990. The Guardian, external says experts are in the early stages of understanding the reason for the increase, but the authors say poor diets, alcohol, tobacco, physical inactivity and obesity are likely to be amongst the factors.

In an interview with the Telegraph, external, the culture secretary Michelle Donelan has warned social media companies that they must close down the the accounts of children aged under 13, or risk what she calls "humungous" fines. She said she wants a "zero tolerance" approach to children using platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat.

The Times, external looks at research which speculates that the technological advances of the stone age were driven by one simple factor: ancient humans had eaten all the big animals and needed better, more accurate equipment to catch the smaller ones. Analysis of animal bones found at prehistoric sites that were inhabited throughout the period has found that the dominant prey species at the start of the era was a 12-tonne elephant - by the end, it was a 25kg deer.

And the Financial Times, external reports on a large increase in visitors from the US causing a boom in European tourism. It says figures in London are up 13%. In France, a worker in Provence is quoted as saying Americans "will pay 30 euros for a glass of wine, but if you did that for a French visitor they would leave."

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