Newspaper headlines: Cocaine puns and Boris Johnson\'s income tax pledge
Newspaper headlines: Cocaine puns and Boris Johnson's income tax pledge
By BBC NewsStaff
Image caption
The Metro's front page pokes fun at Michael Gove, making several cocaine-related puns after his confession to taking the Class A drug before he became an MP. He is not the only Tory leadership hopeful in the firing line though, as the paper claims seven other candidates in the contest have their work cut out after admitting to using drugs in the past. The only one of the frontrunners to have denied taking any drugs is Sajid Javid, who told the Telegraph on Friday his only vices were Nando's and the occasional cigarette.
Image caption
According to the Daily Mail, Mr Gove remains "undaunted" by the calls of hypocrisy and claims he should withdraw from the leadership contest as a result of the cocaine revelations. The aspiring prime minister has said he is ready to lead the country and will fight on despite the additional blow of Amber Rudd choosing to back his leadership rival, Jeremy Hunt, the paper says. The Mail's report adds that Mr Hunt is trying to cement his claim as the "Stop Boris" candidate.
Image caption
The i also says Mr Gove's bid in the race is threatened but adds the environment secretary's key supporters have stayed loyal. Its lead story draws attention to criticism faced by Mr Hunt after he repeated his wish to see the abortion limit cut from 24 to 12 weeks.
Image caption
The Times paints Mr Gove as making more of a fawning apology than an impassioned battle cry. "Gove pleads for second chance over cocaine use," the headline reads. The paper quotes supporters of Mr Gove admitting his campaign for No 10 had been "derailed" by his drug-use confession. Asked if he should have gone to prison, Mr Gove told the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday: "I was fortunate in that I didn't, but I do think it was a profound mistake."
Image caption
In yet another approach to the same story, the Mirror chooses to lead with Baroness Warsi's verdict that Mr Gove must pull out of the race to be prime minister. The former Tory chair branded the environment secretary a "hypocrite" for demanding stronger drug laws - in an article written for the Times in 1999 that was republished this weekend - while taking cocaine at social events. The paper describes the whole debacle as Mr Gove's "drugs shame".
Image caption
The Guardian says Mr Gove's bid for the role of prime minister is hanging in the balance after his appearance on the Andrew Marr Show. It reports that Tories who might have otherwise supported Mr Gove's bid might instead now back other candidates who have a similar stance on Brexit - such as Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt and Matt Hancock.
Image caption
The Telegraph departs from the drug debate to hone in instead on the pledged policies of Mr Gove's main rival, Boris Johnson. The former foreign secretary, who writes a column for the paper, has revealed plans to cut income tax for more than three million people by increasing the threshold for the 40% rate from £50,000 to £80,000 if he becomes prime minister. The paper estimates the move would cost £9.6bn a year - a sum funded by a pot of money set aside by the Treasury to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.
Image caption
The Express hones in on another of Mr Johnson's pledged policies if he wins the leadership contest - a vow to refuse to pay a £39bn divorce settlement to the EU until the UK has a more clear idea of its future relationship. The paper reports French President Emmanuel Macron's warning that Britain risks economic turmoil if it does not pay up.
Image caption
The Daily Star slams Jeremy Clarkson on its front page, claiming he moaned about how long it took for a road to reopen after a driver was killed in a car crash. The former Top Gear host tweeted that he knew there had been a "nasty crash" in Hammersmith, west London, but asked why police had taken so long to deal with it. Surrey's Roads Policing Unit tweeted back: "When it comes to life changing or fatal collisions there is often a lot more to dealing with them than you think."
Image caption
In a departure from political dramas, the Sun leads on married Premier League referees enjoying a "boozy night out with party girls" while on a charity trip to Indonesia. The tabloid accuses Martin Atkinson and Andre Marriner of behaving like "randy young footballers" in the nightclub on the island of Batam. The men were part of a group on a self-funded charity trip which raised money for Indonesian children and a UK hospice, the paper said. The national body representing match officials did not provide a comment to the Sun.
Image caption
The Financial Times leads with a fresh bump in the road for two car giants that already have a rocky relationship. The paper says Renault has told Nissan it will block the Japanese company's plan to overhaul its troubled corporate governance - threatening to destroy months of work by Nissan. The decision was revealed in a letter from Renault's chairman to Nissan's chief executive.