What the papers say – March 4

Reaction to Rishi Sunak’s Budget and a Buckingham Palace inquiry into bullying claims are among the stories making the front pages on Thursday.

The Times writes the Chancellor will raise taxes to their highest level since the 1960s as he attempts to repair the nation’s finances, which have been hit hard by the pandemic.

The Daily Telegraph also reports on the Budget, saying plans to freeze thresholds for income tax, inheritance tax and capital gains tax are a “five-year tax grab”.

Metro leads with the headline “Risky Sunak”, the Financial Times says the plans are “spend now, tax later”, as does The Guardian.

The i writes 1.3 million people will be “dragged” into the tax system to help pay for Britain’s recovery from Covid-19, while The Sun says Mr Sunak did “all he could … to lift spirits”, writing booze and fuel duty will be frozen.

And the Daily Express carries Mr Sunak’s words that the “recovery begins today”.

Away from the budget, and the “monarchy in crisis” leads the Daily Mirror, which writes the Queen “went to war” with Harry and Meghan as Buckingham Palace ordered an investigation into claims the Duchess bullied staff.

The Daily Mail says the inquiry is “unprecedented”, while the Daily Star‘s take on the news is “unhappy families”.