Newspaper headlines: 'PM to seal Brexit deal' and 'Ukraine's victory inevitable'
- Published
Many of Saturday's papers look at the PM's post-Brexit deal, which the Guardian says could be announced as soon as Monday. The paper reports that the deal, tentatively said to have been named the "Windsor agreement", would overhaul post-Brexit arrangements with Northern Ireland. Downing Street hopes it will pave the way for the re-establishment of an assembly in Stormont, it says.
But the Times says the PM will push ahead with the deal as soon as Sunday as No 10 prepares to face a clash with Boris Johnson and Tory eurosceptics. Under the proposed changes, almost all checks and most paperwork on goods crossing the Irish Sea would be scrapped, it reports. The paper's main image is of Ukraine's President Zelensky on the anniversary of Russia's invasion, with his promise that victory is inevitable for his country if allies keep their pledges on military aid.
The Daily Telegraph also leads with the PM's Brexit deal. The paper says No 10 claimed that government had achieved a series of "positive break-throughs" during talks over the past week on the post-Brexit rules governing Northern Ireland. Ursula Von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, is to travel to Britain for a "handshake moment" with Mr Sunak once the deal is struck, it reports.
The Financial Times says the West has warned of a "severe cost" for any nations helping Russia to evade sanctions. The paper reports that in a co-ordinated move with Washington, the UK unveiled new sanctions on Wednesday, while the EU and Japan finalised their own trade bans.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is on course for a landslide victory at the next general election, according to a poll for the i. The paper says Labour holds a 17-point lead and voters prefer the party over the Conservatives on most major policy areas except Ukraine.
The Daily Star again features the UK's fruit and vegetable shortage on its front page. The paper says Environment Secretary Therese Coffey's suggestion that turnips could be a replacement for tomatoes is in tatters after supermarkets sold out of the vegetable.
Like the Daily Star, the Mirror says Ms Coffey's advice sparked a run on turnips yesterday. Growers have warned that the fruit and vegetable crisis could last until May, the paper reports.
And the Daily Mail leads with a grieving mother's plea for the justice secretary to block the release of her daughter's killer from prison. The paper says Robert Brown, who battered his estranged wife Joanna Simpson to death, is due for automatic release this year after serving 13 years of a 26-year sentence.