Women and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson is blocking the publication of trans guidance that would require businesses and public bodies to protect women-only spaces, describing them as “trans-only”, according to the Daily Telegraph. The document also focuses on Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s criticism of the government’s plan to tackle misogyny in schools, saying it must tackle immigration from cultures that “do not respect women”. And the outdoor family Christmas photo of the Prince and Princess of Wales with their three children takes first place under the title “New Heir.”
A photo of actress Olivia Coleman at the launch of Labour’s strategy to stop violence against women and girls appears on the front page of the Metro. The government has unveiled a series of new measures aimed at combating the “national emergency” and changing men’s behavior towards women.
The Independent is taking its cue from the government’s promise to make women and girls “finally safe”. The document also focuses on a call from Under Secretary of State for Protection and Violence against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, for “all of society to step forward and end the epidemic of abuse and violence that shames the country.” Elsewhere, a smiling Rory McIlroy lifts the BBC Sports Personality of the Year trophy.
The i Paper predicts a “spring mortgage price war” after the Bank of England cut interest rates to 3.75%, the lowest since 2023. Mortgage brokers are expecting a “golden era of home buying” early in the new year as the central bank expects inflation to fall faster than expected, the paper says.
Signs of cooling inflation also occupy the first article in the Financial Times. Elsewhere, there are fears of financial retaliation from Russia among some EU states if a move goes ahead to agree a multibillion-dollar loan in frozen Russian money to fund Ukraine’s military and economic needs. According to the newspaper, Western companies had at least $127 billion in assets in Russia last year.
Staying on Russia, the Daily Express features comments from Badenoch, who says the Conservatives are the only party that has the “competence” to confront threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Conservative leader added that the UK cannot afford to be complacent and must “stand up” to Russia, the paper reports.
In news closer to home, almost 10 million voters face a delay in their local elections until 2027 as part of Labor’s plans to reorganize local government, the Times reports. The newspaper says the government has asked more than 60 districts and county councils if they want to suspend elections scheduled for May next year.
“Labour is afraid of voters,” says the Daily Mail. The UK’s reformist leader, Nigel Farage, has compared this measure to the actions of a “dictator,” says the newspaper.
The Guardian focuses its attention on new photographs of the estate of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein released by Democrats in the US House of Representatives. Among the new batch of images are what appear to be lines from the novel Lolita written on different parts of a woman’s body, the newspaper says.
As Christmas approaches, around 1.8 million people will spend the day alone, according to the Daily Mirror. Survey results have prompted pleas from ministers for people to “visit a friend” and look after their lonely neighbours.
The Sun reports that former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Thomas Skinner is suing the BBC over allegations the broadcaster rigged the vote to boot him off the show. A BBC spokesperson said: “Strictly Come Dancing’s public voting is robust and independently monitored and verified to ensure complete accuracy.”
Finally, the Daily Star pays tribute to darts ace Ally Pally’s “lucky wasp”, which was sadly crushed and killed after landing on the face of PDC World Championship winner David Munyua. “Rest, peace,” is the headline.
On its front page, the Sun blames what it calls an “unprecedented breach by the Foreign Office” on a hacking group that has been accused of attacking critics of the Chinese state. The newspaper says Storm 1849 is believed to have attempted to collect sensitive political information from politicians and parliamentary staff in the UK. According to the report, this latest incident has “raised major fears” that any stolen information could be used for fraud and bribery.
“Labor are afraid of voters,” headlines the Daily Mail, reporting on the government’s consultation on postponing next year’s local elections in some areas. The move is described as “extraordinary”, with the paper claiming it would “steal the vote from more than 10 million people in May” and could boost the prime minister’s “chances of survival”.
According to the Times, the decision has “angered” Reform UK, which has accused Labor and the Conservatives of “collusion” to prevent the party from coming to power.
Women and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson is accused in the Daily Telegraph of blocking the publication of new guidelines that would ban transgender women from female toilets. Sources told the newspaper that she has insisted on additional bureaucratic processes that have delayed approval. The government insists Phillipson wants to ensure the advice is legally watertight.
The Guardian reports that former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner is writing a memoir that she says “will be seen as an attempt to set the narrative ahead of any leadership contest.” According to the newspaper, she is “often seen as a potential successor” to Sir Keir Starmer, with speculation that her ambitions continue even after she resigned over a dispute over her failure to pay stamp duty on an apartment.
And the Daily Mirror highlights a YouGov poll which suggests around 1.8 million people will spend Christmas Day alone this year. In its main column, the newspaper urges its readers to “check on someone.” “Knock on a neighbor’s door, call an old friend,” he says, “spend five minutes with the person you want to visit.”
