The Papers: 'Normal by Christmas' and 'secret' royal wedding

4 years ago 310

By BBC News Staff

Image caption Like many of Saturday's front pages, The Daily Telegraph leads with Boris Johnson's announcement that the UK will be "back to normal" by Christmas. The public should start "looking ahead with optimism", the paper quotes the PM saying, as he urged people to return to work from the start of August as advice to avoid public transport was rescinded. A photo of the Queen knighting Captain Tom Moore dominates most of the front pages. Image caption The Daily Express also leads on the PM's hopes that the UK will be "back to normal by Christmas". The paper says Mr Johnson offered hope to millions of families as he unveiled the next steps in the easing of lockdown restrictions. And centenarian Captain Tom Moore, who features on the front page, is quoted as telling the Queen: "If I kneel down I may never get up." Image caption Elsewhere, the i weekend says Mr Johnson's plans for the UK to return to "normality" have been given a "reality check" by his top scientific advisers. Despite the PM's hopes for a normal Christmas, and setting out a timetable to relax rules on office working and transport, the country's chief medical officer has warned that distancing rules must be in place "for a long period". Image caption And the PM has been accused of making policy "on a wing and prayer", according to the Guardian. The paper notes that Mr Johnson was careful not to claim that his proposals for easing lockdown had been endorsed by his chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance. Image caption Moving away from the PM's speech, The Times leads with a report that Mr Johnson will mark his first anniversary in office by giving Brexit loyalists, including former England cricketer Sir Ian Botham, a peerage. Other new peers to be announced this month, the paper reports, are former Labour MPs Frank Field, Gisela Stuart, Ian Austin and John Woodcock. Former Tory MPs Ken Clarke, Philip Hammond and Ed Vaizey are also on the list. Image caption The FT Weekend reports that a deal between EU leaders is being blocked by Dutch demands for a veto over how Europe distributes a proposed €750bn of post-pandemic recovery funding. EU leaders, the paper says, face a struggle this weekend to bridge deep divisions over Europe's response to pandemic recovery. Image caption Elsewhere, the Daily Mail leads with the first "secret" royal wedding for 235 years, as Prince Andrew's daughter Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Friday. Prince Andrew walked the bride down the aisle, that paper reports, adding: "The clandestine nature of the hastily arranged nuptials meant the Queen's beleaguered son was spared appearing in public." Image caption The disappearance of Madeleine McCann is the Daily Mirror's front main story, with the paper reporting that suspect Christian B allegedly had a secret female accomplice during a string of Algarve burglaries. Image caption And finally, "Greedy Willy Wonkas" is the headline on the front page of the Daily Star, as the paper reports that Cadbury plans to reduce the size of its chocolate bars but keep the same price. "2020 just got worse," the paper says.

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