What the papers say – September 15

Many of the papers decided to strike out on their own with different news stories on Friday, a stark contrast to the rest of the week of consistent leads and ongoing developing stories. However, one story has dominated multiple front pages this Friday with The Metro, The Times and the i all reporting there is a whopping 7.7 million Brits on waiting lists for NHS procedures as strikes loom. The Daily Mirror kept the lead local to cap off the working week, casting a light on the ‘final betrayal’ from the Conservative Party to the British people: The shuttering of the HS2 line to Manchester. A number of other British fronts focused abroad, with the Daily Express and The Guardian running front pages on Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to turn back the boats coming across the English Channel, slamming the European Union in the process. The Daily Star’s front has shone a light on the Russian military, with the paper running a front on a massive basic bungle by Soviet troops. The school year continues to be an utter headache for UK parents. The Daily Telegraph reveals thousands of pupils are home-schooling yet again thanks to an uptick in measles cases. The German investigation into Madeline McCann’s disappearance could be about to fizzle out, with The Sun reporting a key witness is now refusing to co-operate as police continue to search for the missing girl. Friday’s front for the Financial Times tells the tale of tech company Arm, after the company closed its first day on the stock market on a massive high, bringing the chip manufacturer’s value to an impressive 65 billion dollars.