Newspaper headlines: Labour on EU vote and 'snap election plot' By BBC News

Staff Published duration 23 September 2018

image copyright Getty Images image caption The prime minister will meet cabinet ministers on Monday

The majority of Sunday's newspaper front pages are dominated by political stories - including comments from Labour ahead of the party conference and the latest on Brexit.

The Sunday Times reports that two of Theresa May's aides have secretly begun drawing up contingency plans for a snap election in November "in a bid to save the Brexit talks and her job".

It comes after EU leaders met at a summit in Austria and rejected a major part of her Brexit plan, which was agreed by ministers at Chequers.

The newspaper claims one of the unnamed senior members of Mrs May's Downing Street team asked a Tory strategist: "What are you doing in November? Because I think we are going to need an election."

The Mail on Sunday also reports that two senior Downing Street advisers have been "wargaming", after they have been "rattled" by the EU's rejection of Theresa May's Chequers plan.

'Hogwash'

Last night, a Downing Street source dismissed the reports as "categorically not true".

The Sun on Sunday notes that Number 10 ruled out a snap autumn election, calling the reports "hogwash".

Meanwhile, the Sunday Telegraph leads with a threat by Conservative donor Jeremy Hosking, who says he will fund a new Brexit party if Mrs May fails to deliver on the EU referendum result.

The City financier - who reportedly donated £1.5m to the Leave campaign - tells the paper he has carried out private polling showing "clear support" for a new party that would help achieve "what the electorate thought it would be getting".

Labour on new EU vote

An interview with Labour's deputy leader, Tom Watson, ahead of the party conference in Liverpool is the main story for the Observer.

Mr Watson told the paper the party must be prepared to back a further Brexit referendum if its members decide they want one.

Contrasting his approach with what it describes as the "more cautious" one taken by Jeremy Corbyn and the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, the paper says the stage is set for a "potentially explosive debate on Brexit" at the Labour conference.

Agreeing with his deputy Mr Watson, the Labour leader adds that if the party conference decides to back a further referendum, he will "act accordingly".

image copyright Getty Images/PA image caption Jeremy Corbyn and Tom Watson say they will respect the decision of members, even if they want a new referendum.

On the opening day of the Labour conference, the Observer reports on a plan from Labour to double council tax on second homes. Second properties used as holiday homes would face an average levy of about £3,000 a year.

The money will be sent to the Treasury to ease the shortage of homes and generate funds to cut homelessness.

For the Telegraph, the measure "will intensify the fears of higher earners".

It also notes that 36 Labour councils have endorsed plans to replace council tax with domestic rates - which made way for the poll tax in England in 1990.

The Mail on Sunday leads with a story about an unnamed Labour MP who is reportedly in talks with Commons security officials about being given a 24-hour armed guard - on a par with the home secretary - after being subjected to "specific" death threats.

The Mail says it's not identifying the backbencher because of the safety risk, but the MP has received frequent abuse on social media for criticising Labour leader Mr Corbyn.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Express quotes the prime minister on its front page, after Mrs May called for the country to "hold its nerve".

The former politicians have been named in a dossier listing people who campaigners say have questions to answer about the scandal, which left at least 2,400 people dead. Preliminary hearings open on Monday.

'Cheers to Chas'

There are many tributes to Chas Hodges, one half of Chas and Dave, who has died at the age of 74.

The Sun on Sunday calls him a "Rockney Genius" and says there will be an "almighty knees-up at the Pearly Gates".

The paper says the pair's "catchy blend of music-hall humour, boogie-woogie piano and rock 'n' roll" was a "winning formula".

image copyright Getty Images image caption Chas, who recently received treatment for oesophageal cancer, died peacefully in his sleep

The other half of the duo, Dave Peacock, tells the Sunday People that Chas kept singing and playing guitar even while he was having chemotherapy.

In its leader column, the Daily Star on Sunday says Chas and Dave "are as much a part of British culture as fish and chips".