Almost all of the papers are leading on a “Labour civil war”, after Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham was blocked from standing as a candidate for the upcoming parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton by the party’s ruling body. The i Paper reports the prime minister is facing “condemnation from within his own party”, with one minister telling the publication that the move has made Sir Keir Starmer look “cowardly”.
“Labour MPs revolt over blocking of Burnham” reads the Times, which says the block saw Sir Keir defy calls from senior figures in his own party. According to the paper, Ed Miliband, Angela Rayner and Lucy Powell all advised that Burnham should be allowed to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election, in part due to a “significant risk” that Labour could lose the constituency to Reform UK. The paper warns that a combination of by-election defeat and the local elections in May could “prove fatal for Starmer”.
Sir Keir is now facing his “biggest Labour civil war yet”, says the Express.
The Telegraph has taken a similar approach, declaring the Labour party in “open revolt”. The paper says a letter is circulating among backbenchers which claims that the decision amounted to a “remote stitch-up from a small group of people at the very top of London”.
The Daily Mail leads on a reported warning to the PM that his decision to block Burnham’s return has only “hastened his demise” and make it more likely that he will face a leadership challenge.
The Metro quotes Labour MP Karl Turner saying that “there’ll be a lot of bloodletting” as a result of the decision.
The Financial Times reports mounting backlash against Donald Trump, following the killing of a second person in Minneapolis by federal agents. It quotes top Republicans who have publicly condemned the shooting, such as Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, who said the president is “getting bad advice right now”. Democrats are threatening a second government shutdown in response, while former President Barack Obama has declared the shooting a “wake-up call to every American”, in what the paper calls a “rare public intervention”.
The Guardian also echoes other headlines of a Labour “civil war” in its coverage. Elsewhere, the paper focuses on the continued fallout from the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by an immigration officer in Minneapolis as pressure mounts on Donald Trump’s administration to fully investigate the killing.
“Strong Starm tactics” says the the Daily Mirror, citing “furious” Burnham supporters who called the ruling a “stitch-up”.
“Crash and Burnham” is the Sun’s take. The paper quotes Burnham’s reaction on social media, saying he is “disappointed” by Labour’s move.
The Independent says the move to block Burnham has “laid bare” the divisions in the Labour party.
Inbetweeners actor James Buckley has made £2m making videos for fans, according to the front page of the Star.
BBC
