The Papers: 'Tory MP arrested' and PM urged to stop 'chaos'

Image caption A Conservative MP has been questioned by police following allegations of rape and sexual assault, the Mail on Sunday reports. The paper says the former minister, who has not been named, is accused of assault and has been questioned by police at a London station. Image caption The Sunday Times leads with a report that a judge has ordered Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to explain why evidence that a rogue SAS unit "executed" Afghan civilians was withheld from a High Court case. The paper says the special forces regiment is accused of covering up war crimes, as serious concerns have been expressed about the killings of 22 people in 11 night raids. The Times also carries the report that a Tory MP has been arrested following allegations of rape and sexual assault. Image caption Leading scientists and the head of a teaching union have raised concerns about plans to reopen schools in September. Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, which represents more than 300,000 teachers across the UK, said parents and teachers need to be convinced schools will be safe and urged the government to provide greater clarity. Meanwhile, Labour's biggest union backer, Unite, will review its political donations after party leader Sir Keir Starmer decided to pay damages to former staffers who claimed anti-Semitism had not been dealt with properly. Image caption The prime minister has asked officials to prepare a blueprint of possible measures that could help to avoid shutting down the economy for a second time, the Sunday Telegraph reports. Enhanced shielding, stricter local measures and imposing a city-wide lockdown in London if infection numbers rise are among the proposals. Meanwhile, new homes, hospitals, schools, shops and offices will be given an "automatic green light" under new proposals to overhaul the planning system, the paper reports. Image caption "Virus fears put lives back on hold," is the headline leading the Sunday Express. Millions of people have said they will not go away this year due to concerns around coronavirus, the paper says. Those living in popular UK destinations are also keen to stay inside in case tourists bring the infection with them, it adds. Image caption "Stop this chaos," is the headline on the front of the Sunday Mirror, with the paper reporting that Boris Johnson is under pressure to "get a grip" on the government's "chaotic" handling of the pandemic. "Transparency and clarity are key to public trust. We're not getting it," Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran tells the paper. Image caption The Sunday People leads its edition with a plea to the PM not to "let another 20,000 die", as Mr Johnson is told to plan to save care homes before a second wave of infections. The paper says the PM has been told he threw the elderly "to the wolves" in the crisis. Image caption And television presenter Phillip Schofield is in talks to be in the first same-sex pairing on Strictly Come Dancing, according to the Daily Sunday Star.

The Sunday Telegraph leads on what it says is a "ministers' blueprint" to avoid another lockdown - which would see elderly people and others at high risk from Covid-19 being asked to stay at home.

It says those being shielded could be allocated specific times to have exclusive access to some shops and services.

According to the paper, other options put forward by officials include a city-wide lockdown of London if there is a spike in infection rates, and tighter quarantine restrictions on those flying into the UK.

The Sunday Times has similar details which it says are the result of Boris Johnson and his officials having "wargamed nuclear options to prevent a second national lockdown this winter"..

Fears of catching Covid-19 is putting millions of us off getting back to our normal lives, according to the Sunday Express.

Its own opinion poll found many people have decided not to go away this year. It adds that people who live in popular UK destinations are staying inside too - in case tourists bring the infection with them.

Image copyright Reuters

Mr Johnson's handling of the crisis comes in for criticism in the Sunday Mirror, which has the headline "Stop this Chaos".

The paper says millions of people in the north of England are baffled by the new restrictions.

Its editorial accuses the PM of "lurching wildly in a lockdown meltdown" and "imperilling lives by creating confusion".

The Observer suggests there is a threat to Labour party funding from its biggest union backer.

In an interview with the paper, Unite's leader, Len McClusky, says it will review its political donations after Sir Keir Starmer's decision to pay damages to ex-party workers who spoke out about anti-Semitism. Mr McClusky called it an "abuse of members' money".

The Observer describes his intervention as "robust" and predicts it will intensify the infighting caused by the settlement, which was opposed by the former leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

Image copyright EPA Image caption Sir Keir Starmer's decision to pay damages to former party workers has reportedly angered Labour's biggest union backer, Unite

The Sunday Times says that first-time buyers looking to get on the property ladder can no longer rely on the "Bank of Mum and Dad" to help them come up with a deposit.

It reports that Britain's second biggest mortgage lender, Nationwide, will start asking for proof that at least three-quarters of the cash paid up front has come from the buyer's own savings.

The paper's editorial notes this will come as a blow to parents too - suggesting that helping their offspring get a deposit is not entirely philanthropic - "but sometimes the only way to get your child to leave home".

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