UK papers split over prisoner releases and Farage's boat plan

Tuesday’s papers are dominated by the latest controversy over the early prisoner release scheme, alongside a string of other front-page stories ranging from Reform UK’s migration plan to a suitcase murder arrest in Athens. Several titles focus on Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to soften the release rules, while others look at high-profile health, climate, business and celebrity stories.

The Sun leads with

“Cop killers will go free”

, saying police officer Andrew Harper’s widow has called the plans, which will not exclude prisoners such as Harper’s killers,

“disgusting”

.

What has the prime minister said about early release?

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has written in the Telegraph that he had

“pushed to the very limit of what is possible”

but could not exempt more prisoners from early release without the prison system

“collapsing within months”

. The Telegraph also reports that the PM is

“on holiday after two weeks in job”

.

highlights that

“rapists and groomers will not be freed early”

. However, it adds that the PM

“will still allow the domestic abusers and killers to go free”

in October, and quotes a watchdog saying this puts the lives of women and girls

“at risk”

.

The Times headlines with

“killers but not rapists to be given early release”

, saying the

“PM waters down scheme but can’t go further”

. It quotes Burnham as saying he was responding to public

“anger, anxiety and distress”

at the proposals.

Why is Reform UK being criticised?

“Farage’s sinking ship”

leads the Daily Mirror as it says Reform UK is in

“chaos”

. The

“hard-right party”

had pledged to use the Royal Navy to stop small boats crossing from France should it win the next general election, but now the Mirror says the plan has been

“torpedoed”

by experts. A spokesman for Reform said:

“We will always stand up for British interests and protect our people”

.

The i Paper also carries the Farage story, as France has accused him of

“violating sovereignty”

with Reform’s small boats plan.

What other stories lead the papers?

The “driest July in 190 years” is the top story for The i Paper, with both England and Wales seeing the driest July since records began. The paper also notes the Farage row alongside the French criticism.

The Times leads on the

“Athens suitcase murder suspect”

, saying the Afghan boxer Sharif Ahmadzai has been arrested on suspicion of murdering Elisabeth-Jane Ross.

As Apple faces a

“new demand for data access”

, it has launched a legal challenge, the Financial Times reports. The paper says the demand is UK ministers’

“latest bid to create a ‘backdoor’ to access encrypted customer data, a year after the Home Office agreed to drop a previous order”

.

“Two jabs a year to target ‘silent killer’,”

leads the Daily Express, saying the treatment

“may help millions of people control their high blood pressure better”

.

The Metro also leads on a jabs story, but instead headlines on weight loss injections. A

“kebab addict’s transformation”

of losing 15 stone (95kg) is its top story, saying

“jabs are just the job”

.

“Gianni: Here’s Donny”

, writes the Daily Star with a nod to The Shining - using a picture of US President Donald Trump breaking through wooden boards like Jack Nicholson’s character in the film. The Fifa president Gianni Infantino

“wants Trump to help him save his job”

, it says.

for our morning newsletter and get in your inbox.

Key Facts

• Many Tuesday papers lead on the early prisoner release scheme.
• The Sun says Andrew Harper’s widow called the plans

  “disgusting”

  .
• The Telegraph reports Andy Burnham said he had

  “pushed to the very limit of what is possible”

  .
• The Daily Mirror says Reform UK’s small boats plan has been

  “torpedoed”

  by experts.
• Other front pages focus on drought, an Athens murder arrest, Apple’s legal challenge and health stories.