What the papers say – January 11

Heath service problems and striking staff are splashed across the national papers.

11 January 2023

The front pages cover death, illness and machinations in the halls of power.

NHS delays are blamed in analysis by The Times which shows 50,000 more people than normal died over the past 12 months.

The same number of people – a record, up from 30,000 just two months earlier – are forced to wait more than 12 hours for treatment in accident and emergency departments each week, according to leaked data given to The Independent.

Nurses urge Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the Daily Express to “do a deal for Britain” to prevent a two-day strike next week that could cripple the health service.

The i, meanwhile, reports the Government is considering new laws which could stop up to six million UK workers from going on strike.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps is quoted by Metro as proposing the laws aimed at keeping ambulance, fire and rail services running during industrial action because “common sense tells us we need minimum safety levels”.

Unions have reacted to the anti-strike bill with a coordinated “day of action” involving strikes and rallies, says The Guardian, while the Daily Mail reports Labour will block the new laws.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson is accused in the Daily Mirror of “sponging off billionaires” by living rent-free in a Tory donor’s £20 million home.

The Daily Telegraph has US Federal Reserve head Jerome Powell saying central banks should avoid wading into social issues, while the Financial Times reports Goldman Sachs has started its biggest cost-cutting drive since the financial crisis.

And the Daily Star carries the story of a ticket inspector who quit his job on the buses and used his redundancy payout to become an Elvis impersonator.