Newspaper headlines: PM faces Tory 'wrath', and 'bombshell' tax hikes
By BBC News Staff
Published
1 hour ago
image captionSome papers carry photos and tributes to Chadwick Boseman, who died on Friday at the age of 43 from cancer. Celebrities and fans have shared what the late American actor's work meant to them, particularly his hugely-successful role as Black Panther. Meanwhile, the lead story on the front page of The Observer is that Boris Johnson is facing the wrath of furious Conservative MPs over the government's handling of coronavirus, according to a new poll. Charles Walker, vice chair of the 1922 committee of Conservative backbenchers, told the paper that a host of recent U-turns had left many colleagues frustrated. "Whether this approach is by design or by accident, the climate of uncertainty it creates is unsustainable and erodes morale," Mr Walker said.
image captionThere is pressure from Treasury officials to raise taxes to plug the holes in public finances, the Sunday Telegraph reports. The proposals, which would see the largest tax rises in a generation, is reportedly being resisted by Downing Street. The move could allow the Exchequer to raise at least £20bn a year, the paper adds, but the proposals have been met with stiff opposition from No 10. Capital gains, pensions, internet sales, fuel and inheritance tax could all be affected under the proposals, it is reported.
image captionA "best case scenario" could see a vaccine for coronavirus ready by mid-October, according to the Sunday Express. But the next six weeks are "critical", the paper says, as a range of measures - such as mass screening of students and local lockdowns - are brought in. The paper quotes a senior government source who said that scientists at Oxford University and Imperial College London are "extremely close" to developing and testing a vaccine.
image captionFormer Downing Street adviser Sir Robbie Gibb is behind a project to set up a television news channel to rival the BBC, the Mail on Sunday reports. There is a drive to raise funds for the proposed 24-hour station, called GB News. Sir Robbie was a senior BBC executive before joining No 10 under Theresa May as director of communications.
image captionCelebrities and reality television stars, such as Love Island contestants, have been paid thousands to promote the government's test and trace programme, the Sunday Mirror reports. Some influencers can get up to £10,000 for such ads, but the government will not say how much has been spent, according to the paper.
image captionElsewhere, video sharing app TikTok is being used to "glorify" street gang violence, according to the front page of the Sunday People. The paper says that posts on the app show video game-style scorecards of the number of rivals who are allegedly injured. "Sickening" is the headline on the paper's front page.
image captionAnd "I'm a celeb beam me out of here" is the headline on the front page of the Daily Star Sunday. The paper reports that the north Wales castle hosting this year's new series is a UFO sightings hotspot.
