Many of the front pages feature reaction to the news the government is considering curbs on outdoor smoking. The Metro says pubs have labelled the idea “bonkers”. “Has Sir Keir sounded the death knell of our pubs?” asks the Daily Express. The Guardian says the prime minister is on a “collision course” with the hospitality sector over the plans. The head of the JW Lees Brewery, William Lees-Jones, is quoted as saying the idea was a “bolt from the blue” and has not been discussed with the industry. But the paper also goes on to say health experts and the public back the measure.
On its front page, the Daily Telegraph says workers are to get the right to “demand” a four-day week. The paper claims that under the plans, expected to be outlined by ministers this autumn, the balance of power is to be shifted with companies legally obliged to offer flexible working from day one, except where it is not feasible. A Labour source is quoted as saying it could help productivity. The Conservatives tell the paper businesses will be left “petrified”.
The main story in the Times is the plan for the NHS to go into offices and workplaces in England to weigh and measure people as part of a drive to improve the nation’s health. The checks are for the over forties – and there’s a particular focus on getting men to come forward, as they’re traditionally more likely to avoid going to the doctor. The story is also in the Daily Mirror, It’s dubbed the scheme the “middle age MoT” .
The Sun reports that Princes William and Harry both attended the funeral of their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, yesterday – but the paper says they were “not seen talking to each other”. The relationship between the brothers has been strained since Harry and Meghan chose to step back from Royal duties. The paper says the pair sat separately at the back of the church at Snettisham in Norfolk.
The Daily Mail leads on a story that Sir Keir Starmer has removed a portrait of Margaret Thatcher from a study inside Number 10, after apparently finding it “unsettling”. The painting was commissioned by Gordon Brown and unveiled in 2009. The paper says some Conservative figures have called the move “petty”.
Several of the papers have picked up on research which says people who catch up on lost sleep at the weekends may potentially lower their risk of heart disease by up to 20%. The findings, which were presented at the European Society of Cardiology, used data involving more than 90,000 adults in the UK. The British Heart Foundation is quoted in the Telegraph saying the report demonstrates the importance of getting at least seven hours of sleep a night. The Daily Mail says this research should “put to bed” the argument of whether extra sleep is good or bad for you.
And the Guardian says that, for many, no Christmas is complete without the Terry’s chocolate orange. But the makers are being accused of “messing with perfection” after announcing a spinoff – a plain milk chocolate version of the ball. The manufacturers say it is part of their plan to move “beyond orange”. But the paper says fans of the original product have been left asking simply “why?”