'Cuts to fund defence spark chaos' and 'Kate the cream of hearts'

4 hours ago

News image — A long-delayed report laying out government defence spending is dominating the front pages of Sunday's papers. The Sunday Times reports Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is in talks over plans to cut government spending to raise £6bn to fund his defence investment plan. The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) was supposed to be published last autumn but is now due to be released ahead of the Nato summit in early July. The paper's lead story focuses on the death of Henry Nowak. It says the police force at the centre of the controversy tried to intervene during his murderer's trial, but the Crown Prosecution Service said such a step could risk jeopardising the case. Nowak, 18, was fatally stabbed in December by Vickrum Digwa, who falsely claimed he had been racially abused. Police bodycam footage shows Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying.

The Sunday Times headlines reads 'Police tried to intervene in Nowak trial' — A long-delayed report laying out government defence spending is dominating the front pages of Sunday's papers. The Sunday Times reports Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is in talks over plans to cut government spending to raise £6bn to fund his defence investment plan. The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) was supposed to be published last autumn but is now due to be released ahead of the Nato summit in early July. The paper's lead story focuses on the death of Henry Nowak. It says the police force at the centre of the controversy tried to intervene during his murderer's trial, but the Crown Prosecution Service said such a step could risk jeopardising the case. Nowak, 18, was fatally stabbed in December by Vickrum Digwa, who falsely claimed he had been racially abused. Police bodycam footage shows Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying.

The Sunday Express headline reads 'Labour delays leave Britain weak' at time of war — The Sunday Express says the delays in publishing a report laying out government defence spending "leave Britain weak" at a time of war. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a parliamentary committee that scrutinises public spending, says ministers should "apologise" for failing to prepare the UK for conflict with Russia, according to the paper. A Ministry of Defence spokesman says the DIP "will fix the outdated, overcommitted and underfunded programme we inherited".

The Mail on Sunday's headline reads 'Entire fleet of US attack subs is unfit for war and stuck in dock' — On a similar theme, the Mail on Sunday reveals that all five of the Royal Navy's Astute-class attack submarines are awaiting repair work and unable to sail. It says the lack of attack submarines leaves Britain's underwater internet and power cables dangerously exposed to Russia.

The Sun on Sunday headlines reads 'Pep & the TV star' — A royal wedding graced many of the front pages, as Peter Phillips, the Princess Royal's son, married NHS nurse Harriet Sperling during a private ceremony in Kemble, Gloucestershire. The Sun on Sunday described Catherine, Princess of Wales, as "the cream of hearts" as she accompanied the Prince of Wales to the ceremony. The paper leads on the friendship between Pep Guardiola, who has just left Manchester City as manager, and television pundit Natalie Pike. The pair became friends after numerous interview for the club's TV channel.

The Daily Mirror headline reads 'Nothing to sea here?' — "Nothing to sea here?" asks the Sunday Mirror on its front page, reporting that Nigel Farage is planning renovations of his beach house in Kent costing an estimated £700,000. It notes that the makeover comes after the Reform UK leader received £5m from tycoon Christopher Harborne in early April 2024, which he said was for security. A spokesman for Farage is quoted by the paper as saying: "Work on the first planning application began in November 2023, when an architect was first appointed - a long time before the unconditional gift was made."

The Sunday Telegraph headline reads 'FA knew of complaints against Sullivan' — The Sunday Telegraph reports that the Football Association was aware of concerns over David Sullivan, who stepped down as co-chairman of West Ham United on Saturday, at least three years ago. Sullivan left the club with immediate effect after a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and the Times newspaper into his behaviour. In a statement, the 77-year-old says he categorically denies the accusations against him. The BBC says Panorama's story is due to be broadcast and published on Monday.

The Independent headline reads 'Stalker could hold key to freeing UK couple in Iran jail' — British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman, who are in jail in Iran on espionage charges, believe their best hope of freedom is if Britain deports an Iranian prisoner who has been detained for 23 years in the UK. After their arrest in January last year, the couple were accused of spying - charges they adamantly deny - and were given a 10-year sentence in February.

The Observer's headline reads 'The forgotten war' — The Observer is leading on the Ukraine war, with a report on how Kyiv fought Russia to a standstill.

The Daily Star headline reads 'Three, er, leopards on a shirt' — And finally, the Daily Star reports that historians believe the animals on the England badge are in fact leopards, not lions. It quotes one expert as saying the crest dates back centuries to when the animals were not considered lions, but were traditionally known as leopards.

The Sunday Times says Hampshire Police tried to intervene during the trial of Henry Nowak's murderer, by releasing a public statement to address what it described as disinformation circulating online. The force said it had wanted to remind the public that nothing should be published that could prejudice the trial. But the paper says the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) advised the police that such a step could jeopardise the integrity of the case.

The Sunday Telegraph says the Football Association was aware of concerns about the former West Ham co-chair David Sullivan, in 2023. Sullivan has stepped down from the board, saying he wants to fight what he calls "entirely false, decades old" allegations, after a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and the Times newspaper, due to be published on Monday.

The Mail on Sunday says the Royal Navy's entire fleet of five hunter-killer submarines is "unfit for war and stuck in dock". The paper calls this a "fresh humiliation" for Britain's Armed Forces, which leaves the country at risk from Russia. In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said British waters were always protected with a range of assets including warships, patrol aircraft and submarines.

"These men belonged to a special generation," notes the Sunday Express, in four pages of coverage of the D-Day commemorations. Hailing the centenarian warriors who returned to Normandy to honour those who fell, the paper says "we can never thank them enough". The Sunday Mirror says the veterans continue to inspire us. It says it is vital to continue the commemorations long after the old soldiers are gone to remind us of the cost of preserving the freedoms we take for granted.

There is nothing like a royal wedding to cheer up the papers. King Charles III's nephew Peter Phillips is pictured protecting his bride - the NHS nurse Harriet Sperling - from the rain in the Sunday Times and the Sunday Express. They both describe the day as a "brolly good show". The Sun on Sunday says the Princess of Wales was the star guest at the bash - noting the King and Queen Camilla missed the lavish reception, as they had to "race" to the Epsom Derby.

'Cuts to fund defence spark chaos' and 'Kate the cream of hearts'

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