Welby quits and hospital chiefs get waiting times warning
Many of the papers lead with the news that Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned after a damning report into a prolific child abuser associated with the Church of England. The review found Mr Welby “could and should” have reported John Smyth’s abuse of boys and young men to police in 2013. The Daily Mirror says his resignation letter spoke of his “sorrow” for Smyth’s victims and expressed a “profound sense of shame” over the episode.
The Metro says Mr Welby’s resignation comes after criticism from bishops and victims as well as a petition – started by a member of the Church’s parliament, the General Synod – that gained 12,000 signatures.
The resignation has thrown the Church into “crisis”, according to the Daily Mail. The paper says victims of Smyth’s abuse have insisted Mr Welby must not be a “sacrifical lamb” and other senior clergy must go.
The Times says the resignation is without precedent since the position of Archbishop of Canterbury was established 1,427 years ago, but adds senior colleagues of Mr Welby’s have said it was necessary in order to “change the face” of how the Church handles cases of abuse. The paper also says hospital chiefs will be sacked if they fail to cut waiting times under a set of reforms to be announced by Health Secretary Wes Streeting. The paper says Streeting is planning to introduce a system of performance league tables for all NHS services and wants to see a policy of “zero tolerance for failure”.
Former prime minister Gordon Broan has staged a “rare intervention” in government policy and challenged Labour’s decision to keep the two-child cap on benefits, the i reports. In an interview with the paper, Brown says child poverty remains a “far bigger problem than pensioner poverty” and calls for a “complete review” of the current approach to tackling it. The paper says there has already been anger from Labour backbenchers over the limit and Brown’s comments will “add pressure on the government” to scrap it.
The Daily Telegraph says one of its writers is facing a “Kafkaesque” hate crime inquiry over a year-old social media post. Columnist Allison Pearson says two officers came to her home on Sunday to tell her about the investigation, but were unable to say which post it concerned or who had made the complaint. The paper says that this time last year Pearson was posting a lot about the 7 October attacks on Israel and the subsequent pro-Palestinian protests in London. Essex Police tells it the investigation relates to a now-deleted post and was opened under laws prohibiting material “likely or intended to cause racial hatred”.
A row has “kicked off” over the question of who should replace Gary Lineker as host of Match of the Day, according to the Sun. The paper says the BBC wants Mark Chapman and Kelly Somers to alternate as hosts, but insiders have told it Chapman isn’t keen on the idea. A source is quoting saying: “It’s a headache for the BBC”.
And the Financial Times says Saudi Arabia and the UAE have both signalled their commitment to improving relations with Iran as they prepare for the return of Donald Trump as US president. The paper says both countries cheered Trump’s more confrontational approach to Iran during his first term, but that they are now increasingly aware of their vulnerability to Iranian hostility and keen to avoid further tensions. A senior Arab diplomat is quoted saying: “If Trump puts you in a situation where you have to decide, because he’s going against Iran, it’s a big problem”.
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