12:26โขWinter Fuel U-Turn
โจThe newspapers report on Chancellor Reeves executing a major U-turn on winter fuel payments, with millions of pensioners set to receive the allowance again after voter backlash (Daily Mail, HuffPost UK, The Independent, The Mirror, Sky News). The reversal affects three-quarters of pensioners, though some will face tax implications on the payments. Sky News describes it as a "huge, huge U-turn" with calls for the PM to apologize. Meanwhile, LA protests appear to be subsiding overnight as the mayor urges demonstrators not to engage in chaos (BBC News), with California officials maintaining that National Guard deployment remains unnecessary. Separately, Reform UK leader Farage has called for reopening Welsh coal mines to revitalize Britain's steel industry, positioning this as opposition to Starmer's government (Breitbart London).