The Daily Express, external reports that police are looking into the time spent in Scotland by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, hosted by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The paper says officers are probing the late sex offender’s stay at Balmoral, believed to be in 1999. Police Scotland tells the Express it has “received information” and inquiries are ongoing. The former prince has always strenuously denied wrongdoing.
The Times, external says former prime minister Gordon Brown is helping the government draw up plans to boost defence funding, in such a way that avoids having to raise taxes, or cut public spending. Ministers are said to be in talks with several Nato countries about setting up an international bank, whose financing would not count as new borrowing.
‘Humiliation for Healey’ is the Daily Mail’s, external headline. The paper says Chancellor John Healey was forced into a climbdown, after appearing to suggest on Radio 4’s Today programme that the welfare bill would be cut before the next election. The paper says his comments triggered chaos in Whitehall, with Downing Street later saying it was “not setting an arbitrary target or timetable”.
Stills from a video showing Healey downing a pint in the pub, after Wednesday’s Budget, appear across the papers. On the front of the Daily Telegraph, external the chancellor can be seen with his red tie flung over his shoulder holding the empty glass upside-down above his head. A campaign group tells the paper the move was ‘tone deaf’ given the inflation-linked rise in beer duty, announced by Healey, hours earlier. The Times, external sketch writer Tom Peck runs the numbers and writes that the chancellor consumed the equivalent of 6.5% of the government’s £100 energy rebate – in 12.4 seconds.
Sir Patrick Stewart is pictured on many of the front pages after the actor’s death at the age of 86. ‘A Yorkshire lad who reached for the stars’ is the Daily Mirror’s, external headline. The Guardian, external remembers Sir Patrick’s “even-keeled performance” on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise and his “steely directives” of “engage” and “make it so”, which turned him into a global star.