The Papers: Thomas Cook ‘fat cats’ and Meghan’s dancing joy

The Daily Mirror front page 24/09/19 — Image caption Most of Tuesday’s front pages focus on the fallout from the collapse of Thomas Cook. The Daily Mirror reports that bosses at the travel company shared £50m in pay and perks over the last decade. Many of the papers also feature photos from the first leg of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Africa tour. The Mirror shows Meghan hugging a boy in Cape Town, and another photo of her holding her son, Archie, alongside the caption “Meghan’s motherly love”.

The Daily Express front page 24/09/19 — Image caption “Thomas Cook fat cats must pay back bonuses,” reads the front page of the Daily Express, as it reports “fury” over salaries and bonuses for executives at the firm. The paper also has a picture of Duchess of Sussex dancing with women during her visit to Cape Town.

The Daily Mail front page 24/09/19 — Image caption The Daily Mail also splashes on reports about the pay of Thomas Cook bosses. The paper says government ministers have opened an investigation into how the firm collapsed under £1.6bn of debt.

The Times front page 24/09/19 — Image caption The Times reports that Thomas Cook was told last year by its auditor, EY, to stop using an accounting method that could have been used to “flatter its financial performance and improve the pay of bosses”. It says executives were coming under pressure to pay back their bonuses on Monday.

The Sun front page 24/09/19 — Image caption “Dayflight robbery,” puns the Sun. It says holidaymakers looking for alternative flights were being “preyed on” by other airlines on Monday, claiming that some companies had increased their fares by up to 400% following Thomas Cook’s collapse.

The Daily Star front page 24/09/19 — Image caption The Daily Star runs a photo of frustrated holidaymakers queuing at an airport check-in desk alongside the headline “Vultures!” It too reports that other airlines have been profiting from the Thomas Cook chaos. Its main story is about boxer Carl Froch – the paper reports the sportsman as saying the Earth is flat.

The Guardian front page 24/09/19 — Image caption The Guardian has the same photo of fed up holidaymakers, but leads on Jeremy Corbyn quashing an attempt by party activists to force Labour to adopt a Remain position before a general election. The paper says that the Labour leader would prefer to delay a decision about which side the party would take in a referendum until after an election.

The Daily Telegraph front page 24/09/19 — Image caption The Daily Telegraph also splashes on Labour conference’s Brexit policy vote. It quotes a shadow cabinet source who describes the result as a “total stitch-up”. But a senior ally of Mr Corbyn said those crying foul needed to “get over themselves and accept they lost”, the paper says.

The i front page 24/09/19 — Image caption Departing from the rest of the front pages, the i splashes on climate change activist Greta Thunberg’s “powerful” address to world leaders at a UN summit. “This is all wrong. I should be at school on the other side of the ocean,” the 16-year-old says.

Several of the front pages express their anger at the bosses of Thomas Cook – branding them “fat cats” for the millions of pounds which they received in pay and bonuses in the years leading up to the travel company’s failure.

The Daily Mirror, the Daily Express, the Daily Mail, and the Times all lead with attacks on the executives’ pay, with criticism coming from Boris Johnson and Labour as well as customers who’ve seen their holidays ruined.

The Sun takes a different angle. It expresses anger at airlines, which it says have raised fares by up to 400% as holidaymakers struggle to return home.

Image copyright PA Media

Image caption The Daily Telegraph and the Guardian both agree the Labour conference vote to decide the party’s Brexit policy was “chaotic”.

The Daily Telegraph and the Guardian both agree the Labour conference vote to decide the party’s Brexit policy was “chaotic”.

Supporters of Jeremy Corbyn successfully saw off an attempt to force Labour to back Remain should there be another referendum.

The Telegraph hears accusations from within the party that what happened was “a total stitch up”, with the conference chairwoman, Wendy Nichols, appearing to change her mind about the show of hands after having a conversation with one of Mr Corbyn’s closest allies, Jennie Formby.

The Times hears a claim that the conference hall had been packed with supporters of the pro-Corbyn grassroots campaign group Momentum, who helped reject the Remain motion, even though they didn’t have the right to vote.

Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning

Questions about a potential conflict of interest continue to haunt Boris Johnson. The Daily Mail reports the prime minister repeatedly declined to clarify what sort of relationship he had with the American entrepreneur, Jennifer Arcuri, while he was mayor of London.

She’s alleged to have been given access to overseas trade trips and received thousands of pounds in public grants, while Mr Johnson was in City Hall.

The Guardian believes the prime minister is “under mounting pressure” because of the story.

Mr Johnson insists there was “utter propriety”. Ms Arcuri has previously insisted any grants received by her companies were purely in respect of her role as a legitimate businesswoman.

Several papers cover a report which reveals one in three bank branches has shut in the UK during the past five years. The Telegraph says the Royal Bank of Scotland and Co-op have seen the most closures.

In one parliamentary constituency – Wenworth and Deane in South Yorkshire – all the local branches have gone despite it being home to 98,000 people.

Don’t worry, your cat loves you back

There’s also coverage of an American study which – as the Times puts it – suggests cats love humans just as much as dogs do.

During the research, people were asked to spend two minutes with their kitten, then told to leave the room before returning for a two-minute reunion.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Cats – not as aloof as they seem?

The report’s authors say two-thirds of the animals appeared less stressed during the reunion and also displayed behaviour suggesting they had secure attachments.

For the Guardian, the findings have shattered the idea that cats are “aloof, contrary and utterly nonplussed” by their owners.