'Day that changed the world forever' and 'Mayors plot hols tax'

2 hours ago

News image — Several of Friday's papers lead on the news that from early 2028, local mayors in England will be able to impose a tourist tax. The Guardian notes that the move has been "welcomed" by regional leaders, but ministers are facing "outrage" from the hospitality industry, which it says was expecting much stricter controls on how much could be charged and how the money will be used.

The headline on the front page of the Guardian reads: “'A hammer blow': plan for English tourist tax angers hotel industry”. — Several of Friday's papers lead on the news that from early 2028, local mayors in England will be able to impose a tourist tax. The Guardian notes that the move has been "welcomed" by regional leaders, but ministers are facing "outrage" from the hospitality industry, which it says was expecting much stricter controls on how much could be charged and how the money will be used.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Mail reads: “Burnham's holiday tax to hammer families on UK breaks”. — The Daily Mail accuses Burnham of "launching another raid on struggling families", estimating the unlimited overnight visitor levy would cost holiday makers approximately £1.6bn by the end of the decade.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Telegraph reads: “Labour mayors plot 5pc tourist tax”. — Labour mayors have committed to keeping the levy below 5%, the Daily Telegraph reports, while Reform UK and Conservative mayors have pledged not to introduce it at all. It reports that Burnham's own backbenchers have said the plans will damage the economy, describing it as "anti-growth" and arriving at "the worst time" for the hospitality industry.

The headline on the front page of the Sun reads: “What the hol, PM?”. — "What the hol, PM?" asks the front page of the Sun, suggesting the move is at odds with the prime minister's vow to help with cost of living.

The headline on the front page of the Times reads: “Households face £100 on bills to pay cost of wind”. — Actress Helen Mirren glitters front and centre of the Times, after the 81-year-old "dazzling dame" attended the London premiere of the new series of MobLand. The main story for the paper is a potential £100 increase on energy bills by the end of the decade, which it says is due to a "failure to upgrade Britain's power network".

The headline on the front page of the i Paper reads: “The day that changed the world”. — Several publications have used their front page to mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York City. On Tuesday 11 September 2001, hijackers seized US passenger jets and crashed them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, killing 2,977 people. The i Paper says it was the "day that changed the world".

The headline on the front page of the Metro reads: “911: 25 years”. — Similarly, the Metro describes a "day of terror that shook the world". It adds that 9/11 has left a "deadly legacy", reporting that thousands of people who breathed in the toxic dust that followed the fall of the two skyscrapers have since died from cancer.

The headline on the front page of the Financial Times reads: “Oil price surge and signs of stubborn inflation reignite global bond sell-off”. — The 9/11 tribute twin light beams are pictured on the front page of the Financial Times, which shine every year on 11 September to commemorate the victims of the attack. The paper also carries a story that leads on the surge in US long-term borrowing costs, which it says have reached their highest in nearly two decades.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Express reads: “'Just pass the right to die bill for people like me'”. — The Daily Express has spoken to a terminally ill woman ahead of the vote on assisted dying in the House of Commons on Friday. Hannah Slater, a 38-year-old with incurable cancer, told the paper that MPs should "just pass the bill".

The headline on the front page of the Daily Mirror reads: “It's too late for me”. — The vote on assisted dying is also the lead story for the Daily Mirror. Dame Esther, who is 86 and terminally ill with cancer, said that though she had planned to end her life at an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland, she is now too frail to travel. She demanded that ministers vote in favour of the bill, writing that "everything I didn't want to happen I'm having to go through now".

The headline on the front page of the Daily Star reads: “Dame Esther: It's too late for Dignitas”. — Quoting Dame Esther, the Daily Star's headline is: "It's too late for Dignitas."

Many of the papers lead on the government's plans to introduce a tourist tax in England. The Guardian describes it as "a hammer blow" for the hotel industry. But it says some regional mayors have welcomed the proposals.

The Daily Mail says Andy Burnham has been accused of launching another raid on struggling families. "Welfare party strikes again," it says on its front page. According to the Daily Telegraph, the founder of the pub chain, JD Wetherspoon, said the plans would likely lead to higher prices across the hospitality sector. The Sun says working people have been "whacked" and asks "what the hol, PM?".

The Daily Mirror leads with the words of the assisted dying campaigner, Dame Esther Rantzen, who says her cancer has left her too frail now to travel to Dignitas. The headline is "It's too late for me". The Daily Star says the TV presenter is pleading with MPs to pass the assisted dying bill. A terminally ill mother interviewed in the Daily Express calls on ministers to "just pass the bill".

The Metro leads on the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks. Its front page simply reads '9/11'. "The day that changed the world," reads the i newspaper's front page - which features a picture of a firefighter standing in the rubble of the fallen towers.

Household energy bills could increase by more than a £100 by the end of the decade, according to the front page of the Times. It says delays to new power lines -- needed to hit the government's clean power pledge - are to blame. A spokesperson for Neso, the government-owned body in charge of keeping Britain's lights on, said it was doing everything it could to keep costs down.

The Sun says the crew of an RAF Chinook helicopter was seen landing in the grounds of a luxury hotel on the shores of Loch Lomond, before leaving with cakes and other treats. An RAF source said hotel staff unexpectedly provided food during the planned stop. The paper dubs the airmen "the royal eclair force".

'Day that changed the world forever' and 'Mayors plot hols tax'

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