Wednesday's papers

A new age of austerity is the theme for the papers this morning

The Conservatives today took their biggest political gamble in a generation when the shadow chancellor, George Osborne, urged the nation to respect his honesty by setting out a painful, if carefully pitched, package of spending cuts.

says the Guardian

The Shadow Chancellor’s brutal warning to the country to tighten its belt came after it emerged that plans to raise the retirement age to 66 were being brought forward by ten years. says the Times adding that

It means that for the first time an Opposition party is entering a general election period pledging tougher medicine than the governing party. Mr Osborne warned that Britain was “sinking in a sea of debt” and outlined a series of measures under a Tory government.

The scale of the Tory plans to tackle the record budget deficit built up by Labour took many by surprise because it risks alienating a large swath of voters, including doctors, nurses and police officers.says the Telegraph

Whilst the Mail reports that

Last night the Tories were holding their breath as they waited to see how voters would react to the prospect of cuts that will affect them and their families.
While polls suggest that most accept the need for spending restraint, Shadow Cabinet ministers admit they are not sure how such specific proposals will be received.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218606/Osbornes-new-age-austerity-Tories-pledge-deep-Whitehall-cuts-public-pay-freeze-squeeze-middle-class-benefits.html#ixzz0TEEmb9SM

Away from the conference the Independent reports how a chastened Brown is set to send more troops to Afghanistan

The decision to deploy up to 1,000 more troops is likely to be made after a cabinet meeting on the conflict within the next seven days.

Meanwhile the Telegraph has learned that

soldiers from The Light Dragoons and other elements of 19 Light Brigade have been told they must remain in Afghanistan beyond the end of their six-month tour, which had been due to end this month.

The Independent leads with the great energy rip-off (and how you can avoid it)as it

launches a campaign demanding that the "Big Six" power companies lower their prices, amid accusations that they failed to pass on cuts in fuel bills after the price of oil fell from last summer's record highs.

Meanwhile the Guardian reports how

The price of sugar on global commodity markets has doubled since the beginning of the year and is close to a 28-year high as hedge funds and speculators jostle to bet on the possibility of an international shortage of the world's favourite natural sweetener.

There is plenty of coverage on the double suicide in Scotland,the Mail says that

One of the teenagers who leapt to her death from a bridge is said to have warned social workers she would take her life.

The Telegraph says that the families of Neve Lafferty and Georgia Rowe, who threw themselves off a road bridge, said they were devastated by their deaths and had no idea why they had taken their own lives.

According to the Times,

The exams watchdog has backed an overhaul of the university applications system that would enable teenagers to sit A levels immediately after Easter and to get their results before the end of the summer term.

Finally the result of the Booker prize was announced last night and as the Independent reports

last night, Hilary Mantel proved the doubters wrong. Wolf Hall, her epic historical tome about Thomas Cromwell, adviser to Henry VIII, had been the clear frontrunner for weeks and was a deserving winner of the £50,000 prize.