Papers react to sentencing debate

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The Lord Chief Justice's comments over sentencing at the High Sheriff's Law Lecture in Oxford receives much coverage in Wednesday's papers.

It prompts the Sun to call him "a liability" over his views that sentences now are as shocking as the noose, the whip and the ducking stool.

It goes on to accuse him of pulling the rug from under the government's efforts to be tough on crime.

The Daily Express says it shows judges are out of touch with public mood.

'Take him out'

There are more revelations in the Guardian from the diaries of the former home secretary David Blunkett.

He says Gordon Brown offered unequivocal support for the war in Iraq only after deciding Tony Blair would sack him if he did not.

In its take on Mr Blunkett's diaries the Daily Mail is more blunt - "If Gordon doesn't bat on Iraq, Tony will take him out."

According to Mr Blunkett, Blair and Brown had heated debates over the war.

Healthy eating

As the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph puts it Britain is now the fat man of Europe.

Following the publication of reports into the health of the nation the Daily Mirror urges Britons to eat more like people on the Continent.

The Independent says the government cannot force people to eat more healthily, but can do a lot more to encourage it.

But the Daily Star says the approach smacks of the "nanny state".

HIV test

Showbiz features on page one of both the Sun and more surprisingly the Daily Telegraph.

For the Sun it's a picture of the pop star Madonna with the African baby she's adopting.

For the Telegraph it is a report that actress Scarlett Johansson has two HIV tests a year.

What the paper describes as "a highly unusual disclosure" by Ms Johansson has apparently been welcomed by health campaigners in Britain.