Newspaper headlines: Rayner says 'bring it on' and 'honeytrap sex plot'

Several of the papers feature images of Angela Rayner on their front pages, after the deputy Labour leader said she would resign if she was found to have broken electoral law over her living arrangements. She has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The Mirror says the "defiant" MP has "vowed to clear her name", adding that she accused the Conservatives of reporting her to the police to distract from their record. The paper's leader column agrees -- arguing that the Tories' response was "inevitable". It claims the Conservative attacks "will only get more personal" as they get more desperate, and accuses them of preferring to brawl in the political gutter than fight the next election on which party will be best for Britain.

Other papers are not so sympathetic to Labour. In an editorial, the Times suggests Sir Keir Starmer's handling of what it calls "this toxic affair" has been "naive, petulant and hamfisted".

The Sun questions why Ms Rayner has not stood down immediately, as she called for Boris Johnson to do when he was being investigated for lockdown parties - asking "why is it one standard for her and another for everybody else?"

The Daily Mail says there is a "distinct whiff of arrogance" about Labour's attempts to make excuses. Claims that Ms Rayner is being smeared because she's working class, a woman and a Northerner, it says, are "all utter claptrap, of course".

The Guardian reports that pressure is growing on Rishi Sunak to end what's been described as the "scandalous" prosecution of carers, after three former secretaries of state for work and pensions "joined the growing chorus of anger". It says Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Alan Johnson and Lord Blunkett are among those demanding to know why thousands of people have been pushed further into hardship, after being "hounded" by officials for unwittingly breaching earnings rules.

The paper also highlights the case of Karina Moon who says she "broke down" after being told to repay more than £11,000 or be prosecuted for fraud. The Guardian says it approached the Department for Work and Pensions for comment.

The chancellor has told the Daily Express that Britain has "done the hard yards" and the government is now ready to cut taxes and bet on growth. Writing in the paper, Jeremy Hunt said the economy is "bouncing back" and it's time to "release the handbrake" by cutting taxes that hold back growth. Its leader column says Mr Hunt and Rishi Sunak "have shown they have what it takes to steer the UK through truly treacherous economic waters" and the chancellor is "absolutely right" to be optimistic about the future.

The front page of the Sun nods to one of Gordon Ramsey's TV shows with its headline - revealing that the celebrity chef is facing a "Kitchen Nightmare" after a gang of squatters used cooking appliances to barricade themselves inside his London pub.

The paper says the "brazen invaders" have "slapped" a legal notice to the Grade-II listed York and Albany pub near Regent's Park, "threatening action against anyone who tries to force them out". A source is quoted saying that Mr Ramsey called the police on Wednesday and is trying to secure an eviction notice - "but it's proving an absolute nightmare".

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