What the papers say – August 8

Urgent calls for Parliament to address the cost-of-living crisis leads the papers at the start of the working week.

The Daily Mirror reports former prime minister Gordon Brown has demanded the immediate recall of Parliament to find actionable solutions to the soaring cost of living.

The i says the issue will be the deciding factor in the Conservative leadership contest, while the Financial Times reports race-favourite Liz Truss is under pressure to promise more help for poor households after expressing her preference for tax cuts over “handouts”.

The Foreign Secretary is considering making direct payments to households, according to the Daily Express.

Two thirds of voters believe the Government should prioritise tackling the cost of living over tax cuts, according to The Times.

Staying with politics, the Daily Mail leads with Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries calling for Tory MPs to resign from the inquiry into Boris Johnson over the ‘partygate’ saga.

Elsewhere, Metro reports charities have warned hundreds of children have been left traumatised by police strip searches.

The Telegraph carries comments from Health Secretary Steve Barclay, who says a “real sprint” will be needed before winter to protect the NHS from the combined threats of seasonal flu, Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis.

The Independent says police officers are being called to cover for medical services as the NHS faces “surging demand”.

According to The Guardian, a leaked Ministry of Justice document suggests Justice Secretary Dominic Raab is considering introducing changes that could limit ministers’ accountability in judicial reviews.

The Sun leads with fire authorities calling for garden barbecues to be “stamped out” ahead of another 40C heatwave.

And the Daily Star says a water company has suggested Britons forego showers in a bid to conserve water.