Newspaper headlines: Pension pinching and potential tax hikes By BBC News

Staff Published duration 22 April 2017

image copyright AFP

Many of the papers focus on the Chancellor's plans, if the Conservatives win the general election.

The headline in the Financial Times is "Fears of Hammond tax bombshell".

The paper says his statement yesterday about "flexibility" prompted alarm in No 10 - with claims from Labour that he was planning a post-election tax rise.

The Daily Mirror warns of a "VAT bombshell" which could hit struggling families after 8 June.

The Sun is even more critical - saying "No, No, No Prime Minister" - to the possibility of tax rises, an end to the pledge to protect pensions, and a commitment to maintain current levels of spending on foreign aid.

It claims the Tories are ready to hit White Van Man - as well "strivers" and OAPs.

But the Daily Mail strikes a more positive tone, saying Theresa May has made clear she will not shirk difficult decisions about tax and pensions - and that both her and the Chancellor have made clear that they will not make promises they can't keep.

Paris elections

The Guardian says the police shooting in Paris has cast a long shadow over the first round of voting in the French presidential election tomorrow.

It reports there will be more than 50,000 police officers and 7,000 soldiers on duty for the election.

The Daily Mail is one of a number of papers to profile the policeman who was killed.

It describes Xavier Jugele, who was 37, as a hero who had rushed to the Bataclan theatre during the attacks in Paris in November 2015.

It quotes a colleague describing him as "a sensitive, pleasant man, a man passionate about his job".

The Daily Telegraph adds that Mr Jugele - who was shot twice in the head - was gay and in a civil partnership, and had recently adopted a child.

US deal with EU

The Times claims that Britain has been pushed behind the European Union in the queue to strike a free-trade deal with the United States.

It says President Trump has softened his opposition to negotiating with the EU, after attempts to open talks with individual European countries were rebuffed.

It quotes a White House source as saying that the Trump administration has now realised that a trade agreement with the EU is more important to US interests than a post-Brexit deal with the UK.

The Sun says the general election means there will be delay to what it calls a "controversial" air quality plan that threatens to penalise the drivers of diesel vehicles.

It claims the proposals, which are currently being consulted on by the Department for Environment, may not be published until mid-September.

It adds that motoring groups are calling for a scrappage scheme to help people with older diesel cars.