'Reform revolution' and 'Prince Harry bombshell'
- Published
Two stories captivate the Saturday papers: Reform UK's performance in local elections around England and a BBC interview with the Duke of Sussex after he lost a legal challenge over his security in the UK. The Daily Mail splits its front page in half, headlining on the "Reform revolution" that it reports "sent shockwaves through the political establishment" after Nigel Farage's party won 650 councillors and two mayors in local elections. On the royals, the Mail leaves it to a quote from Prince Harry to tell the story: "The King won't speak to me... I don't know how much longer he has left."
The Times similarly splits its front page between the two stories. It reports that Farage has said people who mocked his aspirations to be prime minister were "not laughing now", describing his party's wins as a "reformquake". Writing in the Times, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged that voters weren't feeling the benefits of his policies, but accused Farage of offering "easy solutions" and insisted he would not give in to "ideological zealotry". The paper also delves into Prince Harry's interview in which he reflects on losing an appeal over the levels of security he and his family are entitled to while in the UK. In a caption under an image of the prince, the paper highlights that his family were "unlikely" to visit Britain and he feels sad that this children - Archie, five, and Lilibet, three - would not get to see his "homeland".
The Daily Telegraph illustrates its front page with one of the most striking images to come out of England's local elections - Farage reacting to the cameras over the six votes that decided the local election in Runcorn and Helsby for Reform UK. In a similar fashion to the prime minister reacting via the Times, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch writes in the Telegraph that the results were a "bloodbath" for her party. Meanwhile, the Prince Harry story is advertised via a banner at the top of the page, highlighting the prince's wish to "heal (the) rift with my father".
The i weekend features a similar split down its front page on Saturday. On local elections, it reports Reform UK's party pledges to "cut local authority spending, axe diversity roles and stop council employees from working from home". It reports "angry Labour MPs" - revealed within the folds to include South Shields MP Emma Lewell - place the blame on winter fuel cuts among other issues for the government's falling support.
The Financial Times Weekend edition is the only paper not to feature the latest from the British Royal Family on its front page. Instead, it leads on England's local elections, describing Reform UK's victories as a "populist insurgency similar to those witnessed in the US, France, Italy and Germany". It quotes one unnamed Conservative MP calling it an "existential challenge" to Badenoch's party, but another rules out any leadership change as "we'd look ridiculous". The FT also makes space for a report on concerns over strict restrictions on British soldiers training with drones leaving them ill-prepared for warfare with Russia. Soldiers heading to eastern Europe lack the training that is "completely bog standard warfare now," Labour MP Fred Thomas tells the paper. The Ministry of Defence responds that it was aware of the restrictions, but there had been no reports of any effect on activities.
It's all about the Royals on the front page of the Daily Express as it leads on that "bombshell interview" from Prince Harry. The paper also offers a further story marking the birthday of his niece, Princess Charlotte. In text over a photo of the smiling now-10-year-old taken by her mother in Cumbria earlier this year, it remarks that the young princess is "growing up fast".
The Sun dedicates most of its front page to Prince Harry, describing his comments as an "incendiary attack on his family". While Buckingham Palace has reacted to the legal ruling at the centre of this row, saying that the issues "have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion", the Sun quotes an unnamed palace insider for another perspective. Its source says King Charles was "frustrated and upset" by the fight over the prince's security protection in the UK. Local election results feature on the sidebar on the left, illustrated by another photo of Farage holding up six fingers in reaction to those six votes.
The Daily Mirror also leads on the revelations from the Duke of Sussex, focusing on his concerns around the King's cancer diagnosis. "I don't know how much longer my father has," the Mirror quotes him as saying. The tabloid also features footballer Duncan Ferguson on its front page, billing an exclusive interview about his three months in prison in the 1990s. His stint in prison after headbutting another player on the pitch is described as his "jail hell".
The Daily Star makes the rare move of aligning with its competitors in its choice of front-page story, by focusing on the comments from Prince Harry. It quotes the prince's claims that he is the victim of an "establishment stitch-up" following his court defeat. In a statement responding to his interview, the Palace said: "All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion."
Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage appears on several of the front pages. The Daily Telegraph shows him holding up six fingers, external, the margin of victory in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, with the headline "the six votes that shook politics". The Daily Mail calls Reform's success a "stunning breakthrough", external that has sent "shockwaves through the political establishment". The Financial Times, external says the results mean the Conservative Party is "losing a fight to the death".
Writing in the Times, Sir Keir Starmer insists, external Labour is moving the country in the right direction but says: "am I satisfied with where we are? Not even close." The Daily Mirror's editorial offers this thought: "Mr Farage claims to stand up for ordinary people", it says, "but Reform's policies will do harm. To beat him, Labour must become Labour". The Sun's political editor, Harry Cole, writes, external: "Nigel Farage not only tipped over the apple cart of English politics, he set it alight for good measure. And the fumes are choking both Downing Street and the Tories."
The i, external reports that "doubts are emerging" within the Conservatives about how long Kemi Badenoch will be given to prove herself as leader. Writing in the Mail, the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, external calls Badenoch "interesting and impressive", and predicts voters will return to the Tories. He argues that "the brute facts of electoral maths, and the first-past-the-post system, mean there will be only one way to expel this Labour government - and that is to vote Conservative".
The Guardian's sketch writer, John Crace, external, sees problems ahead for Reform: "the danger for Farage is that with success comes obligations. An expectation to deliver. A problem Nige has never encountered before. He'd only ever carped from the sidelines."
The Duke of Sussex appears on many of the front pages too. "Harry's lost it" is the headline on the front page of the Sun, external, which says Prince Harry launched an "incendiary attack" on his family in his interview with the BBC. The Mirror's headline is "Dad won't talk to me", external. The Daily Express calls the prince "desperate", external, while the Times editorial urges him, external to "find a more useful role than that of professional victim".
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