Milburn quits and Meghan lifts economy

The resignations of the board of the government’s Social Mobility Commission are the lead for the Observer and the Sunday Times.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, the commission’s chairman – Alan Milburn – compares its attempts to tackle social mobility in the face of government inaction to “pushing water uphill”.

He dramatically undermines Theresa May’s claim to be building a “country that works for everyone”. Mr Milburn told the paper that Downing Street has been consumed by Brexit.

The paper – in its leader column – acknowledges there’s much still to do, but says that although Brexit has been the over-riding priority for Theresa May’s government, it has not entirely ignored other matters.

The Observer is more downbeat, saying that at every stage of the education system, the government is failing to produce the reforms needed to make it an engine of social mobility rather than a replicator of privilege.

In an article for the paper, Lord Hattersley says Momentum now poses a far more serious threat to Labour than Militant did in the 1980s.

According to the paper, Lord Bassam has promised to pay back the money he claimed for commuting between Westminster and his Brighton home.

The paper adds that the peer faces further questions over claiming another allowance worth £260,000 designed to cover expenses for a second home in London, despite not having one.

Lord Bassam tells the paper he has “not been advised that any breach of the rules has taken place” over the “second homes” allowance.

According to the paper, Sir Richard Aikens – a Court of Appeal judge until 2015 – has described a proposed “compromise” on oversight by the European Court of Justice as “dangerous” and “tantamount to reversing the result” of the referendum.

The Sunday Times focuses on Britain’s special forces – the SAS and the SBS – are considering changing their selection tests to give women a better chance of joining.

The initial test involves a series of long marches carrying heavy rucksacks over mountainous terrain but The Times says women would be allowed to carry lighter loads and be given longer to complete the test.

It says the trip has been in the diary for at least 10 days, according to those familiar with the plans – and is expected to be scaled down, with no meeting with the Queen.