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What the papers say – December 18

A wide range of stories feature on Monday’s front pages.

Rachel Vickers-Price
Monday 18 December 2023 07:08 GMT
What the papers say – December 18 (Peter Byrne/PA)
What the papers say – December 18 (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Archive)

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The papers on Monday span Baroness Michelle Mone’s PPE scandal and the conflict between Israel and Gaza.

Metro, the i and The Guardian all lead with Lady Mone, who sat down with the BBC to confess she had lied about her links to PPE firm Medpro, which profited £60 million during the Covid-19 crisis. She believes, however, she has “no case to answer” for as lying is “not a crime”.

Meanwhile, The Independent dubs Lady Mone’s explanation as the “worst PR comeback since Prince Andrew”.

The Daily Telegraph places its focus on the Middle East, with former defence secretary Ben Wallace’s warning to Israel against continuing its brutal and indiscriminate killing of Palestinians, adding that if the “rage continues” it will radicalise a new generation of Muslims for years to come.

Defence secretary Grant Schapps leads the Daily Express, with the paper running on his claims the UK must lead an “international conversation” on reforming global asylum regulations in order to thwart people smugglers.

The Daily Mail splashes on veteran Tory MP Esther McVey, the Government’s “minister for common sense”, as the Tories continue their war on “wokery” in the public sector.

The Times leads with a piece on the 3,000 admissions to hospital across the UK that are linked to obesity.

Nigel Farage appears on the front page of The Sun, with the paper describing the former Ukip leader as “stunned” after the parents of his daughter’s boyfriend were arrested during a drug raid.

The Financial Times runs with a piece on Ukraine’s economic recovery, with International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva revealing the besieged nation is in need of extra aid from its allies.

The Daily Mirror splashes with a story on a British company that boasts it “is pleased to be able to offer moose and trophy reindeer hunting in the North Eastern part of Norway”, with the trips set to take place late in the summer.

Lastly, the Daily Star uses its Monday front to look ahead to Christmas in seven days, with the paper stating that a lie-in could save our lives this holiday season, as per medical experts.

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