The Papers: \'Mask muddle\' and Brexit publicity \'blitz\'

Newspaper headlines: 'Mask muddle' and Brexit publicity 'blitz'

By BBC News Staff
Metro front page 13/07/20
Image caption "Clear up the mask muddle," is the headline for the Metro, which says "mixed messages" on face coverings are causing confusion. The paper quotes Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove as saying "good manners" were enough to persuade people to wear face coverings in places such shops, suggesting they do not need to be made compulsory in England. Just 36 hours earlier, a mask-clad Boris Johnson promised "a crackdown on avoiders", the paper adds.
i front page 13/07/20
Image caption Meanwhile, the i reports that peers are planning to challenge ministers to stop customers smoking outdoors in return for allowing pubs and cafes to serve drinks in extended pavement areas. Campaigners are warning the bid to boost the Covid-hit hospitality sector "must not be at the expense of public health", according to the paper.
Guardian front page 13/07/20
Image caption The Guardian carries a warning that councils in England are likely to shed thousands of jobs and cut services because of lost income from multi-billion pound investments in office blocks, retail parks, airports and cinemas. With the lockdown forcing many of these locations to shut, the paper say councils' rents and other revenues have been hit.
Daily Express front page 13/07/20
Image caption The Daily Express leads on what it describes as a "£93m publicity blitz" to get the UK ready for Brexit. The "Let's Get Going" campaign has been masterminded by Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and is being launched by the government on Monday, the paper reports.
The Times front page 13/07/20
Image caption The Times has a less optimistic take on the story, warning that the post-Brexit era will bring a rise in holiday insurance costs. The government information campaign aims to raise awareness about how travelling to the continent will be different for Britons from next year, including changes to mobile phone roaming charges and advice on travelling with pets, the paper reports. Travel insurance premiums are also expected to rise once eligibility for free healthcare in EU countries ends, it adds.
The Daily Telegraph front page 13/07/20
Image caption The Daily Telegraph also leads with a story about the UK's post-Brexit future, previewing the government's plans for its new points-based immigration system, which will replace freedom of movement from next year. Under the rules, which Home Secretary Priti Patel will set out on Monday, foreign criminals sentenced to more than a year in jail will be banned from Britain, the paper reports.
Financial Times front page 13/07/20
Image caption The Financial Times reports that the government is planning to withhold power to control state aid from the UK's devolved nations when the Brexit transition period ends. The paper says the proposal, which would give Westminster powers to control policies for the entire UK, is expected to appear in a bill this autumn - a move it says would "outrage" Scotland and Wales.
Daily Mail front page
Image caption The Daily Mail says it has new evidence of what it describes as "Beijing's infiltration" of the British establishment. The paper says a leading figure in a Chinese group allegedly created to groom foreign elites has been pictured with five British prime ministers - including Boris Johnson and Tony Blair. Zhirong Hu is a director of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, which is reportedly controlled by the country's Communist party, according to the Mail.
Daily Mirror front page
Image caption "Time to honour our Jack", declares the Daily Mirror, which leads with calls from Jack Charlton's brother Tommy for him to be posthumously knighted. The England World Cup winner and former Leeds defender died on Friday aged 85.
Daily Star front page 13/07/20
Image caption The Daily Star reports that Coronation Street character Todd Grimshaw is to return to the show. However, the paper says bosses have ruled out a comeback for the actor who originally played the role, Bruno Langley, who was axed after being convicted of sexually assaulting two women in a bar in Manchester. Instead the role will be recast.

The Daily Telegraph says Whitehall could temporarily take over the running of Leicester City Council once a review of the lockdown imposed there is concluded this week.

Ministers are said to have been "highly critical" of the response from the local authority and the city's Labour mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby.

The paper goes on to say that while Health Secretary Matt Hancock is "expected to stop short" of taking over in Leicester, he is likely to announce closer monitoring of the performance and decisions of the council.

"Get a grip" and "Clear up the mask muddle" is the Daily Mirror and the Metro's take on the mixed messages from ministers about whether face coverings should be mandatory in shops in England.

The Mirror describes the situation as "another area of confusion caused by this shambolic government".

But the Telegraph says that avoiding making masks compulsory is good because such an insistence might lead people to think that they are "life-preserving" like crash helmets and seat belts.

Image copyright No 10
Image caption Boris Johnson was wearing a mask as he visited a shop in Uxbridge on Friday

"Pubs and cafés face al-fresco smoking ban plea," is the headline in the i.

With the government reportedly keen on a continental-style "cafe culture" to boost the hospitality sector, a cross-party group of peers will challenge the emergency legislation that will allow for more outdoor tables amid fears over increased smoking in public areas.

Some local councils are also said to be sympathetic. A government spokesperson has told the i that local authorities will be able to set guidance for granting licences and they should consider public health when setting conditions.

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"Johnson set to pull the plug on Huawei," is the headline in the Financial Times, as it reports that the prime minister is to perform a U-turn over the Chinese company's involvement in the UK's 5G network.

The Times reports that some Conservative MPs want Huawei excluded by 2024 - but Vodafone and BT have said there should be a seven-year timetable to avoid mobile blackouts.

The FT's report says the Chinese firm wants to hold eleventh-hour talks with No 10 so they can remain in the network until 2025.

Image copyright PA Media

"Will the Beeb see sense?" is the question posed by the Daily Express in its editorial, as it urges the corporation to reverse its decision not to pick up the bill to provide free TV licences for over-75s, previously paid for by the government.

It says the end of the benefit is "particularly galling" when Alan Shearer is paid more than £400,000 for his opinions on Match of the Day once a week.

But in an article for the same paper, the BBC's chairman, Sir David Clementi, says that even if the corporation paid no presenter more than £150,000, it would save only £10m - a fraction of the cost needed to fund the free licences.

"Time to honour our Jack," is the message from the brother of Jack Charlton, Tommy, following the 1966 World Cup winner's death.

He tells the Daily Mirror that his brother was "loved everywhere he went" and that a posthumous knighthood would be a "fitting tribute".

The paper points out though, that the rules regarding honours would need to be changed to allow it, with the Sun's editorial adding: "It shouldn't need a Russian linesman to put this one right."