Father Ted creator Graham Linehan’s arrest and skyrocketing borrowing costs dominate Wednesday’s papers. The Metro leads with Linehan’s “fury” after he was arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of inciting violence in relation to social media posts. The paper says Linehan was arrested by five officers after arriving on a flight from the US, and he later wrote in an online Substack article that he was taken to hospital after officials became concerned for his health.
The Times reports on what it calls the public “backlash” sparked by Linehan’s arrest. The paper says Sir Keir Starmer has told the police to prioritise serious crimes, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the arrest as a political act rather than a matter of policing. Also looming large on the front page is its headline saying borrowing costs have hit a 27-year high, putting further “pressure” on Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
“When did Britain become North Korea?” asks the Daily Mail. The paper lists a series of events on Tuesday including “nervy bond markets” and the arrest of Father Ted’s creator as signs of “another day in Starmer’s socialist utopia”. Sharing the top spot is a picture of Angela Rayner’s return to Downing Street following Tory criticism of a flat purchase she made in Hove.
The PM “attacks Met over trans tweet arrest” is the Daily Telegraph’s take on Linehan’s arrest. Alongside that story, the paper reports that Sir Kier will push through welfare reforms following the reset of his No 10 team. The Telegraph says the PM is determined to overhaul the disability payment system despite opposition from Labour MPs.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warns Europe and the West’s “double standard” over the wars in Ukraine and Gaza risk undermining its global standing, according to the Guardian. In an interview with the paper, Sánchez called Europe’s response to Gaza “a failure”, but said he was pleased other European nations were following Spain’s lead in recognising a Palestinian state.
“Britain’s fecked” is the Sun’s blunt assessment of the Father Ted case. The paper quotes Linehan saying he was “treated like a terrorist”, and adds that Reform leader Nigel Farage will bring up the incident during a speech to the US Congress on Wednesday. The Met Police said it is “routine for officers policing airports to carry firearms” and that they were “not drawn or used at any point during the arrest”.
The PM is considering introducing digital ID cards for all UK citizens as a way to reduce “pull factors” that draw migrants to cross the Channel, according to the i. The paper says France has indicated that a lack of ID cards is a big incentive to migrants who can find work in the UK black economy. According to sources that spoke to the i, talks are still at an early stage but there is belief at the top of government that public debate on ID cards has shifted.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un takes “centre stage” on the Financial Times. The paper shows a smiling Kim on his private train in Pyongyang before departing for Beijing. He will join Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s formal surrender in World War Two and China’s victory.
New Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is a former hypnotherapist, has apologised for “giving women breast enlargements by hypnosis at his clinic”, reports the Daily Star. The paper says Polanski addressed his time as a Harley Street hypnotherapist after his win on Tuesday saying: “We are all more than one mistake.”
Health campaigners warn that up to “100,000 cancer patients’ lives” could be endangered by being asked to travel too far for treatment, the Daily Express says. The paper features Macmillan Cancer Support saying a postcode lottery means ovarian cancer patients are missing out on the best treatment options because of where they live. It also notes an NHS spokesperson saying the health service is “working to ensure all patients get the timely, personalised cancer care they need”. Elsewhere, the “grand finale” for Downton Abbey’s Lady Mary and Countess Cora is also teased by the paper.
Finally, the Daily Mirror reports that a British teenager on trial in Georgia for drug smuggling has been told she could walk free if she pays a hefty fine. Bella Culley has been held since May after marijuana was allegedly found in her luggage at Tbilisi airport. The paper says she is working on a plea deal with prosecutors.
