A variety of stories lead the papers. The Financial Times reports that European members of Nato are holding talks about increasing the alliance’s spending target to 3% of GDP, up from the current level of 2%. The paper says the proposal is being made in anticipation of Donald Trump’s return to the White House and amid a realisation that currently spending levels are inadequate to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. It says the change would be introduced at Nato’s annual summit next year and that members would be expected to meet the new target by 2030.
The i quotes Mark Rutte, the recently appointed head of the alliance, warning that European members need to “turbocharge” defence spending and “shift to a wartime mindset”. The paper adds that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “risks a showdown” on the issue with Trump unless he hikes spending even further than the rise to 2.5% currently planned.
A close confidant of the Duke of York has been banished from Britain over claims he is a Chinese spy, according to the Daily Mail. The paper says court documents have revealed that the man was barred from the country on “security grounds” following an investigation by MI5.
The Times says the man became so close to Prince Andrew that he was invited to his birthday party and even “authorised to act on [his] behalf to seek investors in China”. It also quotes a letter to him from one of the prince’s advisers saying: “You sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on.”
The Home Office decided to bar the man, named only as H6, in July 2023 after MI5 concluded he had engaged in “covert and deceptive activity” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party was a national security threat, according to the Daily Telegraph. The paper adds that H6 challenged the decision, but that a special immigration commission has now ruled it was justified.
The Daily Express says the prime minister has led calls for action following the death of ten-year-old Sara Sharif, whose father and stepmother were convicted of her murder on Wednesday. The paper quotes Sir Keir describing the killing as “shocking” and saying there are “questions to be answered” about how it could have happened.
A review of safeguarding data has shown Sara was one of 485 children killed or seriously hurt in the year to March, the Daily Mirror reports. The paper says many of the children affected were hurt by relatives who were meant to be caring for them and that babies suffered the most.
The Guardian says jury trials could be axed for some criminal cases in England and Wales as part of plans to ease record backlogs in the crown courts. The paper says a review could create “intermediate courts”, with cases heard by a judge and magistrates, in order to speed up the length of trials.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has “sparked a bizarre food fight” with Sir Keir by declaring that “lunch is for wimps”, according to the Metro. Badenoch is quoted responding to a question about her daily regime by saying: “What’s a lunch break? I have food brought in and work and eat at the same time. There’s no time.” She also declared sandwiches not “real food”. A spokesperson for Sir Keir calls the sandwich a “great British institution”.
The same story leads the Daily Star, which says Badenoch has chosen to go “to war over the most pressing issue of the day… bread-based comestibles”.
And the Sun reports that police were called to an All Bar One and a woman believed to be a Buckingham Palace housemaid was arrested following a fracas at a staff Christmas party. The paper calls the incident a “Palace xmas party punch-up”.
