Newspaper headlines: ‘Labour war on tax cheats’ and winter fuel ‘revolt’

Stories looking ahead to the chancellor’s party conference speech dominate a number of the front pages on Monday. The Times says Rachel Reeves will use her address to praise the country’s “immense potential” and “offer a more positive version of the future” after a host of dire warnings about the state of the economy since winning power.

A new crackdown on tax dodgers is the top story for the Daily Mirror. It reports on the chancellor’s plan to close the gap between how much tax is owed and how much is collected – it says the £39.8 billion shortfall will be recovered with the help of a newly set up taskforce.

The i leads with a warning to the chancellor to keep public spending under control to avoid returning to austerity. Labour’s West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin told the paper “we’ve been here before, we’ve seen this movie”.

The Daily Express reports that retired members of Unite will try to force a U-turn on the decision to scrap winter fuel payments by protesting at the second day of Labour’s conference in Liverpool.

The Guardian’s top story reveals the chancellor has launched an investigation into £600m worth of Covid contracts awarded under the previous Conservative government. It says that Reeves will refer more than half the contracts for material goods such as masks to a newly-appointed Covid corruption commissioner.

The Metro leads with a take on the first day of the Labour Party Conference. It writes that Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner “seemed close to tears” during her speech that came as she and other senior members have been embroiled in a freebies row.

Leading The Daily Telegraph is a story saying Reeves will use her conference address to argue that “tough decisions” will lead to economic growth, which the broadsheet writes “will further raise fears of a raft of tax rises” in the forthcoming budget.

The FT leads with a plea from steelmakers. It reports the price of European steel has been driven below the cost of production because of a surge in Chinese steel exports. Producers and trade bodies have told the paper that a new tarriff system was needed to cope with “the market-distorting effects of global overcapacity” in the industry.

The Daily Mail reports that Angela Rayner has hired a “vanity photographer” on a £68,000 salary. It claims that although it is standard practice for the government to employ a photographer for the prime minister, Rayner is the first deputy PM to get her own.

The return of Strictly Come Dancing leads The Sun, which reports that Saturday’s show registered the lowest ever viewing figures for a series-opening live show since the programme began.

“The future is orange” is the headline for the Daily Star. It reports on Donald Trump’s comments that he will “colonise Mars” with Elon Musk if he wins the US presidential election.