Papers ponder Tory 'tolerance'

The Daily Telegraph disagrees with those who believe the decision of Alan Duncan to declare his homosexuality marks a new tolerance in the Tory Party.

In an editorial, the Daily Telegraph says there have always been gay Tory MPs and the news that Alan Duncan is gay will surprise only those who have never met him.

The Independent sees Mr Duncan's move as a brave one.

But the paper believes the Conservatives will be able to boast about their inclusiveness only when they can match Labour, which has several openly gay ministers.

If Alan Duncan ever becomes prime minister, says The Guardian, his interview in The Times, in which he came out, might be seen as a symbolic turning point, when the Tory party began to reinvent itself as a political party of all and for all.

But a more likely scenario, the paper says, is simply Mr Duncan has guaranteed himself a small but honourable footnote in his party's history.

According to The Sun, the problem for the Tories is not that one of their senior politicians is gay, but that no-one knows who he is, or even cares.

As the Daily Mail puts it: "Alan who?"

'Wrong' vaccine

The Times leads on the latest twist in the controversy about the government's deal to buy a smallpox vaccine from a company run by a Labour donor, Paul Drayson.

It says research suggesting the government has opted for the wrong type of vaccine will cause fresh embarrassment to ministers, who already face an investigation by the National Audit Office.

Strikes 'backed'

A poll for The Guardian suggests overwhelming public support for strikes this summer by council, rail and tube workers - 59% of voters apparently back the industrial action, with 29% opposed.

The poll by ICM of more than 1,000 adults suggests a majority of Conservative voters believe the action is justified.

Banks backlash

The Daily Express leads on Consumers Association research suggesting a tripling in the number of dissatisfied customers said to have deserted the big four high street banks over the past two years.

In an editorial, the paper says the big traditional banks have had it too good for too long.

Now there are new breeds of banks and switching is easier.

The Express has little sympathy for the big four.

"It's payback time and it serves them right," the paper says.

Crop threat

A number of papers report fears that some of Britain's favourite vegetables may become impossible to grow commercially because of insecticide-resistant superbugs.

According to The Times, carrots, cabbage, broccoli and potatoes are among the threatened crops.

The paper says the problem is being aggravated by EU regulations banning pesticides which remain effective and have been used safely for decades.

Birth blunder

The Sun tells how a hospital sent an appointment letter for an eye test, asking the parents accompany the patient on his visit.

The request came as a surprise to Joseph Dickinson, from Hartlepool, whose parents died decades ago.

It seems confusion was caused by his date of birth - 1899.

The hospital explained that someone must have thought it was meant to say 1999, making Joseph three years old, instead of his real age, 103.