Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP, who resigned as the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party after being charged with rape and historical sexual offences, is featured in many of the front pages of Saturday’s newspapers. A 57-year-old woman has also been charged with “aiding and abetting additional offences.” Meanwhile, patients at some of England’s hospitals with the longest waiting lists will be offered treatment in the private sector to reduce the wait times. The i newspaper has an exclusive report on cash-strapped English councils, which have cut more than 90% of their bus services, blaming it on a reduction in central funding. Local leaders fear that hard-line candidates will take over after Sir Jeffrey’s resignation, leading to a potential executive collapse.
The Daily Telegraph article raises a controversy over a consideration given to the publication of migrant “crime league tables” that would inform MPs in England and Wales about the “migrant nationalities with the highest rates of crime.” The report shows that ministers are considering this publication. Meanwhile, schools in England appear to be shutting down discussions on the Gaza conflict, as teachers lack guidance on teaching controversial issues and are worried about a lack of support from the Department for Education.
The Daily Mirror runs a feature on the actor Rufus Sewell, who portrays Prince Andrew in the upcoming Netflix film Scoop, who bases his performance on David Brent, the fictional character played by actor Ricky Gervais in BBC mockumentary The Office. The Sun reports on what it calls an “Easter chocolate crisis,” as West Africa’s weather and crop disease have led to cocoa shortages and the price trebled to an all-time high. Channel 4 is considering removing Bake Off’s chocolate week due to the increasing cost of cocoa prices.
The Daily Mail reports that voters no longer view the Tories as the party of defence, while the Times urges the government to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP. There are growing concerns among Tory MPs that Rishi Sunak may face a confidence vote after he increased national spending amid the coronavirus pandemic. Lord Iain Duncan Smith warns that anyone planning to vote for Reform UK at the next general election is taking away only from the Tories, helping Labour re-enter the European Union
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