What the papers say

Journalist Andy Wood reviews Wednesday morning's papers.

Health stories dominate the front pages in this morning's Belfast papers, as the News Letter leads with the headline "Assembly sour at Fat Cat pay".

The story concerns the Northern Ireland Assembly's report into the pay of Health Trust chiefs.

Billy Bell MLA, Chairman of the Assembly Public Accounts Committee which produced the report, tells the paper that concerns about pay increases have had "an adverse effect on public confidence in the effective use of health service resources".

Health Minister Bairbre de Brun is quoted as saying that her department would be "looking into unacceptable, excessive pay increases".

A transparent pay system for executives cannot be taken too quickly

The News Letter

The paper says it is time "for firm action to be taken" and that "a transparent pay system for executives cannot be taken too quickly".

The Irish News focuses on the case of arthritis sufferer Pearse Doherty from Portglenone, County Antrim.

The story details how Mr Doherty's family is facing the prospect of raising £700 a month to pay for supplies of the promising new drug Enbrel.

The paper says this follows a ruling by the Department of Health that further funding for the drug is "on hold" until more is known about side-effects and cost-effective issues are addressed.

'Knee-jerk reaction'

Both papers report the critical reaction to news of pay awards running at four times the rate of inflation to executives of Viridian, the parent company of Northern Ireland Electricity.

The News Letter says Enterprise Minister Sir Reg Empey has told Viridian bosses to "stop alienating customers".

In theIrish News, Felicity Houston, chair of the Northern Ireland Consumer Council on Electricity says "pay rises are supposed to maintain living standards and shouldn't be more than double inflation".

But Viridian's corporate affairs director, Peter Gavan, dismisses her comments as "a knee-jerk reaction" by someone who "doesn't understand the nature of a modern competitive company".

The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail both give front page coverage to the latest Labour poster showing William Hague wearing earrings, lipstick and Lady Thatcher's hair-do.

The 'Iron Lady' herself is pictured on the front page of the Guardian where she is shown enjoying - or perhaps it is more a case of enduring - a kiss from an admirer in Northampton on Tuesday.

'Tory melt-down'

Guardian sketch writer Simon Hoggart records the visit and reports that Lady Thatcher found time to stroke a bald man's head.

But it is the paper's page one headline that has the real drama.

"Tories face poll melt down" stands over the Guardian's latest ICM poll findings.

According to the paper, the predicted Labour lead of 19 points would give Tony Blair the biggest Commons majority since Ramsay McDonald's National Coalition Government in 1931.

However, if all the election coverage and talk of health, crime, tax levels and the euro is the cause of sleepless nights, the Times pocket cartoon is worth a look.

It features a middle-aged couple in bed where the wife is reading "101 ways to beat insomnia".

The comment from her husband - cocoa in hand - "I find thinking about the euro does the trick".