Editorial 15 August 2024.
A real mix of headlines dominates Thursday’s front pages, with domestic stories the most popular. A few of the papers lead with the ongoing train drivers’ pay dispute, after a breakthrough in negotiations, that could bring about an end to travel disruptions.
A handful of newspapers have front-page coverage of the latest developments in the Ukraine war and many of the paper’s secondary stories are showbiz-centred.
The back pages cover the latest gossip from the Premier League as the new season is soon to begin. There is also coverage of Jude Bellingham’s Real Madrid 2-0 win in the Uefa Super Cup last night as French forward Kylian Mbappe made his highly anticipated debut.
‘Bumper pay to end strikes’
The Daily Mail leads on the government’s 15% pay increase offer to striking train drivers. The paper says the increase, over three years, could bring an end to the “crippling” strikes. If accepted, the average train driver’s salary for a four-day-week increase from £60,000 to £69,000, and will cost the Treasury an estimated £100 million. The rise has led to concerns that ticket prices could now rise, the paper writes.
The Times leads on the Conservatives accusing the government of “caving in” with the pay deal it has offered train drivers. The Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said the pay increase was “the right thing to do” whilst the general secretary of the Aslef union called it a “fair offer,” the paper says.
‘Ukrainian troops advance further’
The Guardian leads on the news the Ukrainian forces are making further advances inside Russia. The paper says Kyiv has launched a “major” drone attack on four Russian airbases as President Zelensky repeated calls to his Western allies to allow Ukraine to target Russia with long-range strikes.
The Independent leads on an exclusive regarding Ukraine’s plan to capture more Russian territory. Ukraine’s top adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky tells Tom Watling that Western partners knew about their incursion into the Russian Kursk region and details why Moscow must be bullied into a peace negotiation.
‘UK inflation rate rising’
The i newspaper leads with news the UK’s inflation rate rose for the first time this year, which the paper says will benefit homeowners who could see mortgage rates drop to 3.5%. Expert analysis for the paper says that interest rates will probably be cut “multiple” times before December.
The Daily Express also leads with an exclusive. Ester McVey calls on the chancellor to reverse the “cruel” decision to scrap winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners. She tells the paper that the decision announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves last month was “out of the blue” and urged a U-turn.
The Mirror also has an exclusive. Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly ended her own life at the age of 14, tells the paper that social media firms are “failing to remove dangerous content about self-harm and suicide”. Despite the companies making verbal promises there has been “no evidence anything has changed,” he says.
The Metro’s front page leads on the parents of a teacher who died in Cambodia after they were sent the remains of another man. Maureen Thompson and Stephen Nightingale had raised the funds needed to repatriate their son but when they viewed his body at the funeral home, they discovered they had been sent the remains of a 77-year-old Canadian instead.
