Newspaper headlines: 'NHS leaders despair' and 'civil service crisis'

By BBC News
Staff
A variety of stories lead Tuesday's papers. The i reports Health Secretary Steve Barclay is "optimistic" a majority of NHS unions will vote to accept the government's offer of a 5% pay rise when leaders meet on Tuesday. The paper says the current waiting list of 7.2 million patients is set to grow as a result of staff walkouts and that hospital bosses are "desperate" for strike action to end.
Striking nurses refused to provide "life and limb" care on an intensive care ward at Colchester Hospital in Essex despite a plea for help from hospital bosses, according to the Express. The paper says the move is "just not on" and that it will "fuel public concern about escalating strike action".
Britain's support for the royal family remains "rock solid" ahead of the King's coronation, the Mail reports. The paper says a poll suggests the country would "decisively" back the monarchy if a referendum were held tomorrow, though it adds that almost three quarters of respondents agreed it "needs to modernise to have any chance of surviving".
The Metro says some 62 million pints will be sunk over the three days of celebrations for the coronation, bringing in an extra £120m for pubs and giving them a "king-sized boost".
Ant and Dec will top the list of stars attending the coronation, the Mirror reports. The paper says the pair were invited by the King in their roles as goodwill ambassadors for his charity, The Prince's Trust.
The Times reports that historian Sir Anthony Seldon, who has written studies of every prime minister since John Major, has called for Simon Case, the UK's most senior civil servant, to resign from his post. Speaking to the paper, Sir Anthony said the civil service had "never been weaker, more demoralised, or less powerfully led".
A report is set to say that Sue Gray, the civil servant who led the investigation into the Partygate scandal, held talks with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer about becoming his chief of staff while still working for a team that was advising a separate Commons inquiry into the saga, according to the Telegraph. Ms Gray's report was published in May of last year, but the Telegraph says she was still working with the Cabinet Office's propriety and ethics team (PET), which advised an ongoing inquiry by the Commons Privileges Committee, until news of her talks with Labour emerged in March. A Labour source tells the paper Ms Gray had no role in PET's Partygate work while she was in contact with Sir Keir.
The Guardian reports that the Home Office is planning to acquire 10 disused cruise ships, ferries and barges to house asylum seekers in ports across the country as ministers struggle to address backlogs in asylum applications. The paper says the backlog is now 1,500 higher than in December, when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to clear it within a year.
"Brits say no to woke," according to the headline in the Sun. The paper says a poll suggests the Labour Party is "at odds with the electorate on a number of massive woke cultural issues".
JPMorgan Chase is stepping in to buy most of First Republic Bank after US regulators orchestrated a deal to shut the embattled lender down, according to the Financial Times. The paper quotes the US Treasury department saying it was "encouraged" that First Republic depositors had been protected under the deal, though it adds that the bank's shareholders have been "wiped out".
And the Star says that David Attenborough has been "lined up" to represent humans in talks with aliens. The paper says the naturalist has "been everywhere else so why on Earth not"?

A variety of stories lead Tuesday's papers.

The Times believes Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to drop his party's commitment to free university tuition within weeks. A senior Labour source is quoted as saying that, at a time when spending commitments are being so carefully watched, it's a "glaring anomaly" that the party hasn't changed its stance on tuition fees.

The Labour leader also features on the front of the Daily Telegraph. The paper's main story focuses on a Cabinet Office report which it says will reveal that Sue Gray - the former senior civil servant who is set to become Sir Keir's chief of staff - held talks with Labour while still working with a team that was advising a cross-party group of MPs investigating the Partygate scandal. A Labour source has told the Telegraph that Ms Gray had no involvement with the team's Partygate work while she was in contact with Sir Keir, but the paper says the findings will heap pressure on the Labour leader not to confirm the appointment.

PA Media
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to drop his party's commitment to free university tuition within weeks, according to the Times

The Home Office is planning to acquire up to ten disused cruise liners, ferries, and barges to house asylum seekers in ports across the country, according to the Guardian. The paper says officials have been told to look at "all options" to find housing for migrants who've been caught up in processing delays.

The Financial Times reports that accounting firms Deloitte and PwC have noticed that recruits whose education was disrupted by the pandemic have weaker teamwork and communication skills than previous generations. The firms report that young staff members who spent time away from the classroom during lockdowns appear to be good at working independently but struggle with speaking up in meetings and making presentations. Both Deloitte and PwC are offering staff extra training, which the paper says demonstrates the challenges faced by employers in dealing with the long-term impact of pandemic restrictions.

Reuters
The royal family have shared a new photograph of Princess Charlotte to mark her eighth birthday

Most of the front pages feature a new photograph of Princess Charlotte shared by the royal family to mark her eighth birthday. Many also continue the countdown to the King's coronation on Saturday. The Daily Mirror says the event is expected to give the UK economy an £8bn boost as people celebrate the occasion. "Wad save the King," reads the headline. The Daily Express is one of several papers to include a picture of the heavy golden robe the King will wear for the ceremony, saying he will "feel the weight of history".

The story of a South Korean student who ate a banana that was part of a renowned art installation is carried in the Guardian. The artwork, which was on display at a museum in Seoul, consisted of the fruit duct-taped to a wall. The student is reported to have said he ate the banana because he was "hungry" after missing breakfast. He also tried to argue that "damaging a work of modern art could also be interpreted as artwork".