“Tories in turmoil,” declares the Guardian, following the resignation of the immigration minister Robert Jenrick. He quit after concluding the emergency legislation on the Rwanda deportation plans was a “triumph of hope over experience”. The Daily Telegraph reports that Mr Jenrick failed in his attempt to persuade Rishi Sunak to give ministers powers to “ignore the European Convention on Human Rights”. According to the Financial Times, the bill does ignore “swathes of international law” but supporters of the prime minister say it is “at the max” of what he could do.
The Daily Express reports that Mr Sunak’s “first test” on the draft Rwanda bill is expected to come next week when MPs have their initial vote. Some are reportedly calling for the Commons to sit over Christmas so it can pass through Parliament as soon as possible. Writing in the i, Katy Balls points out Mr Sunak suffered his first defeat in the Commons this week and “the worry for ministers is that it could be the beginning of a trend”. As for Mr Jenrick, according to the Guardian, he will return to the backbenches “trying to make waves as another standard bearer for the right”.
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Boris Johnson said he was sorry the “pain and the loss and the suffering”
Pictures of former Boris Johnson giving evidence to the Covid inquiry make many front pages. Metro paraphrases his apology for its headline: “Sorry for your loss.” The Daily Mirror opts for the words of protesters: “The dead can’t hear your apologies.” The Sun leads on how the former prime minister “fought back tears” as he recalled the “Covid-ravaged” year of 2020. The Daily Star is less sympathetic with its front page showing Mr Johnson with a Pinocchio-style long nose.
The performances of the two men at the centre of yesterday’s hearings, Mr Johnson and the lead counsel to the inquiry Hugo Keith KC, are picked apart. Writing in the i, Ian Dunt says all the former prime minister gave was an “endless stream of words, none of them providing any clarity”. Jason Beattie of the Daily Mirror accuses him of “selective amnesia over key questions”. The Guardian calls him an “unreliable witness”. In the Daily Mail, Mr Keith is likened to “one of those chaps in the Old Spice ads” by Quentin Letts – adding “his polished scepticism fell on hard ground” because “Boris had, for once, done his homework”.
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Waitrose says its sales of Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes are up
The Sun reports that the BBC licence fee will rise by more than £10 next year. The paper says corporation’s bosses had hoped the levy would go up by nearly £15 but ministers pressed them to settle for an increase of 6.7%, in line with September’s rate of inflation.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail declares “bangers are back!”, as it reports that families are returning to comfort eating to get through the cost of living squeeze. The results from Waitrose’s annual food and drink report show shepherd’s pie, battered fish and Yorkshire pudding have all seen a revival. Even peas are reportedly on the up. The Guardian says that trend is linked to the end of the “avocado toast years” with experts hailing smashed peas as a lower cost and environmentally friendly alternative.
