What the papers say – January 27
The papers end the working week with more pressure on a former chancellor and Sir Rod Stewart switching sides.
Nadhim Zahawi’s ongoing woes, the Number 11 incumbent’s plans for the future and killer robots are splashed across the front pages.
The i says Mr Zahawi has been urged by senior Tories to resign after he authorised HM Revenue & Customs to pass details of his tax affairs to the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser – who is investigating if he broke the rules for ministers.
The Independent reports HRMC’s head has heaped pressure on the former chancellor by saying Mr Zahawi did not make an “innocent error” in his tax affairs.
The Government is considering allowing foreign students to work longer as part of plans to boost the economy by plugging vacancies, according to The Times.
Ex-Conservative voter Sir Rod Stewart has called for the Tories to hand over power to the opposition, with the Daily Mirror reporting the rocker is now backing Labour and the country’s nurses.
The Guardian quotes Windrush campaigners as calling it a “slap in the face” that the Government decided to drop reforms prompted by the scandal.
The Daily Telegraph reports Nicola Sturgeon’s “controversial trans laws” are under threat after the Scottish First Minister announced a transgender woman convicted of raping two women would be moved to a male prison.
The Daily Express says the Chancellor has been urged to ditch his “gloomy” forecasts and the Daily Mail responds with a preview of Jeremy Hunt’s speech today in which he will hit outline his plan for growth and criticise Labour’s “declinism”.
Metro cites the Internet Watch Foundation as recording a surge in online grooming, with a 1,058% increase since the pandemic in the number of web pages showing sexual abuse images and self recorded videos of children aged seven to ten.
The Financial Times reports the new chief executive of Rolls Royce has told staff to transform how the company operates or it will die.
Freddie Flintoff has put his TV career on hold following pleas from his family in the wake of his car crash while filming Top Gear last month, says The Sun.
And the Daily Star covers research from Oxford University showing “sneaky evil” robots could one day turn on humanity “and kill us all”.
