Newspaper headlines: 'Whooping cough warning' and Friday 'truancy up'

The Daily Telegraph has more on the political fallout within the Labour party over Natalie Elphicke's defection from the Conservatives. The paper says the deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner told MPs privately that Ms Elphicke would have no "formal role" advising on party policy, just hours after the Dover MP joined on Wednesday. Meanwhile the shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has told Tthe Independent that he's spoken to a number of Tory MPs who are also considering defecting to Labour. But, he says, Labour will not take "just any MP".

"Truancy up by a fifth on Fridays" is the headline in the Times. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan tells the paper that parents working from home have contributed to an "unacceptable rise" in pupils skipping school. Ms Keegan says 50,000 more children were absent at the end of the week, compared with Mondays. She added that it was time for parents to move on from Covid-era expectations, and that children with minor ailments should still attend school.

The Guardian is reporting that nearly half of all cases involving carers who might have breached their earnings allowance last year have gone unchecked by the Department for Work and Pensions. According to the paper, tens of thousands of unpaid carers are at risk of debt and criminal prosecution. A department spokesperson says it has simplified its processes to help claimants.

Boris Johnson's former chief advisor Dominic Cummings has given a wide ranging interview to hThe i, described as his first since leaving Number 10 in 2020. He has again hinted at a political comeback, saying his 'Start-Up Party' could flourish if the Tory vote collapses at the general election. Mr Cummings also attacks the government's support for Ukraine, describing Kyiv as a "corrupt mafia state" and the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky as a "pumpkin".

Several papers reflect the King's remarks that he is "glad to be out of his cage" after his first military engagement since his cancer diagnosis. King Charles met military staff and their families at an army training base in Hampshire on Thursday.

The Daily Mail reports that Great Western Railways has been forced to clarify comments by train guards that passengers could be fined for leaving bags on available seats at peak times. A company spokesperson said no such policy existed, and its staff were known for using humour to make more serious points.

The Daily Star picks up a poll by the restaurant chain Cote Brasserie suggesting that French fries are now more popular than the classic British chip. 62% of those surveyed said they'd rather have slimmer fries over chunky chips. As for accompanying sauces, ketchup remains the firm favourite, with curry sauce second and gravy third.

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