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What the papers say – January 31

Monday’s papers are led by Boris Johnson’s policy blitz and Brexit bill.

PA Reporter
Monday 31 January 2022 03:20 GMT
What the papers say – January 31 (PA).
What the papers say – January 31 (PA). (PA Archive)

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The nation’s front pages carry the embattled PM’s fight to save his leadership with announcements as Whitehall and the UK await the release of the “partygate” report.

The Guardian reports that Boris Johnson will try to “take back control” of the Government this week with a policy blitz, Brexit bill, and visit to Ukraine as his leadership remains under threat from the Sue Gray report and police probe.

i also carries the PM’s fight to “divert attention” from his “leadership crisis”, with the paper reporting that Government insiders have given “unflattering verdicts” on the Tory party’s levelling up policy.

The Daily Express adds that Mr Johnson has vowed to “unleash (the) benefits of Brexit” with a “bonfire” of red tape which will “save British companies £1bn a year”.

The Daily Mail leads with a vow from Mr Johnson to move “ever faster” cutting red tape as he unveils a Brexit Freedoms Bill.

Elsewhere, Metro covers the reaction of Tory backbenchers to Mr Johnson and the Chancellor’s pledge to push ahead with a £12 billion tax rise to National Insurance.

The Independent and the Daily Telegraph both report on the looming deadline for mandatory vaccination of NHS and social care workers, with the  latter saying the Health Secretary is now planning to scrap the requirement after he was warned it could lead to a shortage of 80,000 workers.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror and the Daily Star both report that Manchester United player Mason Greenwood has been arrested on suspicion of rape and assault towards a woman.

The percentage of solved burglaries has nearly halved in the space of seven years across England and Wales, according to The Times.

And the Financial Times leads with a warning from the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund that investors face years of low returns as the surge in inflation becomes a permanent feature of the global economy.

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