Concerns over rising gas prices dominate Tuesday’s front pages, with many calling it an energy “crisis”. The i says taxpayers face footing the bill for energy firms which go bust. It also says the food industry is in turmoil over shortages of CO2, with meat, fresh vegetables, fruit, frozen goods and fizzy drinks production all in jeopardy.
The Herald highlights that the cap on energy prices will not be removed – but suppliers say they cannot provide fuel at a cost affordable to them as a result.
The Scottish Daily Express says ministers have promised to protect people from “crippling” fuel bills this winter – but consumer groups have warned that price hikes could force some families to choose “between heating or eating”.
The same message appears on the front page of the Press and Journal from the charity Energy Action Scotland, which says the end of pandemic support schemes and ongoing home working will leave many “facing difficult choices”.
The Daily Telegraph says Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is under growing pressure from energy companies to scrap the price cap, as the UK wholesale price of natural gas soared to a record high. But it reports that Mr Kwarteng insisted it “will remain in place” and assured consumers that their bills wouldn’t rise as a result of the crisis.
Dozens of energy firms will be left to collapse, the Times says, as it reports that the government will not bail out energy companies on the brink of going into administration.
The Scottish Daily Mail forecasts a “winter of chaos” as a result of increasing bills. The paper says energy firms fear the price shock could trigger a three-day week for factories and leave gaps on supermarket shelves.
The Daily Star of Scotland also leads on the gas crisis and its knock-on effects in the food industry, picturing rows of empty supermarket shelves. It puns on Vera Lynn’s famous wartime song with its headline “We’ll meat again” as it reports shortages of pork, lamb, chicken and turkey.
The Scotsman leads with the impact of a CO2 shortage on hospitality, with industry leaders saying it will be felt in pubs and bars “of all sizes”. The Scottish Hospitality Group warned that the alternative was to temporarily or completely close venues, the paper reports.
The Daily Record leads with a £20m plan to tackle a “crisis” in the Scottish Ambulance Service. The paper says Health Secretary Humza Yousaf is expected to announce the funds on Tuesday alongside plans for firefighters to drive ambulances.
A father told a public inquiry he was left “shell shocked” after he almost lost his son to a hospital-acquired infection, reports the Metro. The paper says Cameron Gough’s 10-year-old son became seriously ill after surgery to remove a kidney as part of cancer treatment.
The National says the BBC has been accused of failing to meet impartiality guidelines, claiming the News at Six programme did not run any negative stories about the UK government last week.
The Scottish Sun leads with a man who was convicted of murdering a 15-year-old boy being allowed out of jail to visit his mother.
The Evening Express leads with further evidence heard by a fatal accident inquiry into the death of a man in an Aberdeen police station. Warren Fenty died in June 2014 hours after being discharged from hospital where he received emergency treatment for a drug overdose, the paper reports.
The Glasgow Times has published a list of areas with the highest and lowest fine rates for fly tipping in the city.
The Courier claims that one of Scotland’s largest care home providers has started sacking staff who decline the coronavirus vaccine. The paper says it understands several care workers in Fife have now lost their jobs despite the GMB union warning of legal action.
And Edinburgh’s Christmas festival is to expand to a new site below the castle and bring an ice rink back to the New Town under plans to revive the event this year, reports the Edinburgh Evening News.
