'Burnham election call' and 'Too hot for tennis'

30 minutes ago

News image — Front-runner to become the next PM, Andy Burnham, and the record-breaking heatwave across the UK and Europe are prominent across Saturday's papers. Burnham is being urged by former Cabinet Secretary Lord Case to "be honest" with the public and call an early election, the Daily Telegraph reports. In an interview with the paper, Lord Case warns Burnham is "walking a very difficult tightrope" by promising change but having no mandate to deliver it.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Telegraph reads: "Burnham must call election, says Case." — Front-runner to become the next PM, Andy Burnham, and the record-breaking heatwave across the UK and Europe are prominent across Saturday's papers. Burnham is being urged by former Cabinet Secretary Lord Case to "be honest" with the public and call an early election, the Daily Telegraph reports. In an interview with the paper, Lord Case warns Burnham is "walking a very difficult tightrope" by promising change but having no mandate to deliver it.

The headline on the front page of the i Weekend reads: "The Burnham bounce: Labour leapfrogs Reform with new leader." — The i Weekend leads with polling figures that suggest a Labour party led by the former Greater Manchester mayor would nudge ahead of Reform UK if a general election is called now. The paper calls it the "Burnham bounce", but warns that the margin between both parties is "wafer thin".

The headline on the front page of the Independent reads: "Britain must rejoin single market within five years, says Major." — Another warning for Burnham comes from former PM Sir John Major, who sat down with the Independent, saying that the former Greater Manchester mayor may not be prepared for the trials of the highest office. Sir John also called for the UK to rejoin the EU's single market within the next five years and urged the next PM to prioritise closer relations with Europe.

The headline on the front page of the Guardian reads: "Pressure on Mahmood over immigration bill." — The Guardian follows with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood seeking to shore up support for her immigration bill that plans to speed up the opening of safe and legal routes for refugees. The paper says Mahmood will introduce the legislation next week amid unhappiness among some Labour MPs who believe the limits on asylum claims are too draconian.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Mail reads: "Migration crackdown is softened for Burnham." — The Daily Mail says Mahmood is considering a "softening" of a crackdown on immigration as ministers "scramble" to impress potential incoming leader Andy Burnham. The paper reports that the Home Office is expected to exempt tens of thousands of foreign care workers and their families from new rules that would force them to wait 10 years before gaining the right to remain in the UK permanently.

The headline on the front page of the Times reads: "More cash set to go north." — The Times previews Andy Burnham's first policy speech next week since Sir Keir Starmer's resignation. Burnham is expected to argue that the south is paying the price for the economic failure in the north as he unveils plans to devolve powers and money from central government to England's regions.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Express reads: "Our freedoms are at great risk." — The Daily Express shifts its focus to comments made by Dame Priti Patel, who says Brexit freedoms are "at great risk" due to Labour's chaos. Elsewhere, tennis star Aryna Sabalenka is seen cooling off on the tennis courts amid the 37.3C record "scorcher" in the UK on Friday.

The headline on the front page of the FT Weekend reads: "Europe bakes in fierce heat." — "Europe bakes in fierce heat" is the FT Weekend's headline as it reports the continent sweltered through a fifth day of record-breaking temperatures, with thermometers topping 40C.

The headline on the front page of the Sun reads: "Harry to take kids to Di grave." — Meanwhile, the Sun reports that Prince Harry plans to take his children to the grave of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, for the first time when they visit the UK next month. The paper describes the trip as "poignant" and will take place just days after what would have been her 65th birthday.

The headline on the front page of the Sun reads: "Harry Kane is magic!" — The Daily Star turns its attention to another Harry - England striker Harry Kane. The paper says a "witch doctor" who put a curse on the footballer has released him from the hex for England's next match against Panama.

The headline on the front page of the Daily Mirror reads: "The Big Apple corps." — Finally, the Daily Mirror continues its coverage of World Cup fever, reporting that an army of 30,000 fans has descended in New York ahead of England's clash with Panama.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the former Cabinet Secretary, Lord Case, is urging Andy Burnham to "be honest" with the public and, if he becomes prime minister, call an early general election. In an interview with the paper, Lord Case says Burnham is walking "a very difficult tight rope" because he has promised change but has no mandate to deliver it.

The front page of the Times also focuses on Andy Burnham, reporting that he's expected to say the south is paying the price for economic failure in the north, when he delivers a major speech next week. In what the paper calls Burnham's first big policy speech since Sir Keir Starmer's resignation, he's due to set out a strategy which would see Whitehall budgets slashed and money diverted to regional mayors.

A landmark study warning that screen time for babies and toddlers under two has been linked with long-term negative effects on health and quality of life is highlighted by the Guardian. Researchers from the universities of Leeds, Leeds Trinity, Loughborough and Aston, say they are worried that the focus on teenagers' digital habits and government plans to ban under-16s from social media means there's a "baby blind spot" in policy. A Department for Education spokesperson said the government's recently published screentime guidance for parents of under-fives provided clear and trusted support.

According to the FT Weekend, finance and technology firms are "rushing" to fire underperforming executives before new unfair dismissal rights come into force in the UK. Lawyers say the risk of high earners making expensive claims when a cap on pay for unfair dismissal is removed in the new year has prompted some employers to clear out what one legal director has described as the "deadwood" in senior leadership teams.

And many of the papers look ahead to England's final group game at the World Cup this evening. The Daily Mail says the Panama match is set to deliver a "super Saturday surge" of £425m in sales for pubs and shops. "World cup fever" declares the Daily Mirror which reports that pubs are preparing to serve up an extra 4.5m pints as fans take advantage of England playing at the weekend for the first time this tournament.

'Burnham election call' and 'Too hot for tennis'

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