What the papers say – August 29

Here are the biggest stories making headlines this Thursday.

A collection of British newspapers (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Archive)

The European Union takes much of the focus of Thursday’s front pages.

The Daily Mirror and  The Independent both run with Sir Keir Starmer’s efforts to hit reset on Brexit, with the Prime Minister meeting with German and French leaders to reforge ties with the EU.

The i reports EU leaders are eager to leverage Britain’s desire for a bolstered bond with the bloc, calling on the  Prime Minister to ease youth immigration rules in exchange.

Also in Brussels, the Financial Times reports the EU is to investigate Russian-owned encrypted texting service Telegram after concerns surfaced of falsified user data which may contravene the bloc’s digital regulations.

Moving onto immigration, The Guardian says a thinktank has claimed the then-Conservative-run Home Office “woefully understated” the cost of immigration to the British public during its time in office and has accused the Tories of a fiscal cover-up.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has accused the Prime Minister of “failing to act” on asylum seekers after more than 500 were intercepted crossing the English Channel on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, in Westminster, the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail claim anti-motorist tax hikes could be on the way despite pre-election promises to the contrary.

The Times writes that Westminster has been warned that disaster would be “inevitable” if the Government chooses to release thousands of convicted criminals early to ease prison overcrowding.

The Sun splashes with a possible ban for both smokes and booze in beer gardens across the country.

Ryanair wants to impose alcohol restrictions on airline passengers after an uptick in alcohol-fuelled violence on planes, as per the front page of the Metro.

Lastly, the Daily Star runs with a tale on the lucky survival of a pilot and passenger after a glider crash-landed in the middle of a Gloucestershire motorway on Tuesday.