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Newspaper headlines: Joe Biden's 'message of unity' and PM's 'mole hunt'

By BBC News
Staff

Published
image captionFull page photographs of a smiling Joe Biden appear on the front of many of Sunday's papers following his win in the US presidential election. The Sunday Telegraph quotes Mr Biden in its headline: "It's time for America to heal." His running mate, Kamala Harris, becomes the first woman of colour to be elected vice-president in the country's history, the newspaper adds. But, it also highlights Donald Trump's warning that the election "is far from over" as he vowed to fight on through the courts.
image caption"God Bless America" is the Sunday People's headline. On its front page the newspaper pictures the president-elect, his running mate Kamala Harris and US President Donald Trump, who was photographed playing golf as Mr Biden's win was announced.
image captionThe Sunday Times reports that joyous scenes erupted in parts of the US after four days of deadlock in the presidential election. The newspaper reports Mr Biden's comments that he is "honoured and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me".
image caption"Time to heal," says the Sunday Mirror, saying Mr Biden has a "message of unity" as he is set to become the 46th US president.
image captionThe Sunday Express also leads on Mr Biden's message to "unite and heal". Away from the presidential election, the newspaper pictures the Queen wearing a face mask at the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey. The pandemic won't stop her leading tributes to heroes, the Sunday Express says.
image caption"It's Joe," announces the Observer. The newspaper says Mr Biden has promised to be a president "for all Americans".
image captionThe Daily Star Sunday also reports on Joe Biden's victory in its own unique way - reporting the "senile one beats the lunatic".
image captionInstead of the US election, the Mail on Sunday splashes on the prime minister's "astonishing bid to nail leaker who bounced him into lockdown". Boris Johnson sent security experts to the homes of cabinet ministers to examine their personal mobile phones, the newspaper reports. It says it's part of a hunt for a "mole" whose "secret briefings" forced the prime minister to make an early announcement of the new lockdown in England.

A smiling Joe Biden in sunglasses is pictured on the front of the Observer with the simple headline: "It's Joe" and his promise to be a "president for all Americans".

The Sunday Telegraph focuses on the president-elect's call "for America to heal".

image copyrightReuters

The Sunday People says the "free world can breathe a sigh of relief", but it warns that through President Donald Trump's defeat, Boris Johnson has lost a friend and "gained a strident White House critic".

The result will bring uncertainty for Number 10, the Telegraph points out, as Mr Johnson has a close working relationship with Mr Trump, but now will need to form one with Mr Biden.

The Sunday Times suggests their first chat could be "somewhat awkward". It quotes a US politician tipped to be in the Biden administration telling a friend: "If you think Joe hates him, you should hear Kamala."

Diplomatic sources say that Joe Biden will rip up Donald Trump's post-Brexit trade template, according to the Mail on Sunday, making it unlikely that the UK will face the prospect of chlorinated chicken.

Mole hunt

The Mail on Sunday reports that security experts have been sent to the homes of cabinet ministers in an attempt to find out who leaked details of Boris Johnson's planned lockdown.

The paper says Michael Gove and Matt Hancock were among the senior figures asked to surrender their mobile phones.

Meanwhile, there are claims in the Sunday Mirror that Conservative MPs are being recruited to topple Boris Johnson. The paper suggests they want their leader to stand down before the local elections.

The Sunday Mirror says a senior Tory has complained that the prime minister keeps making mistakes. The head of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, Sir Graham Brady, tells the Observer there would be mass revolts in the party if the lockdown is extended.

The Mail on Sunday suggests it could trigger a leadership contest.

Rashford win

image copyrightEPA
image captionMarcus Rashford led a campaign to tackle school holiday hunger and child poverty

The Sun on Sunday welcomes the decision of the government to change its policy on school meals in the holidays after a campaign by England striker Marcus Rashford. The paper sums it up as a football score: Rashford 2 Boris 0.

The Mail on Sunday says Tory MPs privately branded the plans a U-turn, and demanded to know why they'd been forced to vote down the Commons motion on the issue.

The head of the government's vaccine taskforce, Kate Bingham, is said by the Sunday Times to have spent £670,000 on what it calls a "boutique of public relations consultants". The Times says their salaries exceed that of the prime minister.

And doubts are raised in the Sunday Mirror about the funding of councils taking over Covid-19 testing. Local authorities say they have not been told whether they will get any of the £12bn allocated to the testing scheme.

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The Mail on Sunday reports that five other countries have reported coronavirus cases on mink farms as concerns grow about the a new strain which has jumped from animals to humans in Denmark. One of them, the Netherlands, says it has no plans to cull any mink.

Elsewhere, an archaeologist warns in the Observer that half a million ancient artefacts could be lost if plans for a road tunnel near Stonehenge are approved this week.

Druids and campaigners are threatening to lie in front of any bulldozers. But a director from English Heritage insists that they have planned a mitigation programme to ensure that any archaeology that is not preserved is recorded.

'Warrior Queen'

The Queen is pictured on the front of the Sunday Express all in black, her head bowed next to the tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey.

image copyrightReuters
image captionThe Queen made a private pilgrimage to the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey

The paper calls her the "warrior Queen" for not letting the pandemic stop her from leading the Remembrance tributes.

The Sunday Mirror notes that she's wearing a mask in public for the first time.

The Mail on Sunday says she requested the private ceremony after being advised against joining the church service on Armistice Day.

Elsewhere, the Sun on Sunday reports that Britain has spent nearly £1bn on PPE supplies from China. Critics have objected to these government contracts. The Department of Health says that soon almost three quarters of its PPE demand would be met by UK suppliers.

But the Sun on Sunday leads with news that a star on the ITV programme, I'm a Celebrity Get Me out of here, has tested positive for Covid-19 days before the start of filming for the series.

A source suggests it could put the whole show in jeopardy.