By BBC News
Staff
The front pages all focus on the government’s new measures to support jobs when the furlough scheme ends next month, with mixed views.
his “daring £5bn escape plan”, but the Mirror suggests millions could be out of work by Christmas – describing the package as “too little, too late”.
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The paper’s leader column describes Mr Sunak’s latest measures as “a sticking plaster on a bullet hole”, and suggests that his successive bailouts, though vital, “have kept Britain in denial that the worst hardships for generations lie immediately ahead of us”.
It argues that rising numbers of Covid-19 cases have spooked the nation out of all proportion to the actual danger – and urges the government to “wake up” if it is taking comfort from public support for restrictions.
The focus of ministers, it claims, “should not be on closing down, but on finding ways to open up”.
It says Mr Sunak’s new slogan, “Live Without Fear”, sets out an approach that could not be in greater contrast to the “latest draconian crackdown” announced by Mr Johnson – who is described as being reduced to a “political piggy in the middle”, forced to mediate between two cabinet factions divided over the need for another lockdown.
‘Failing’ tracing system
Teething problems with the new contact-tracing app on the first day of its release in England and Wales are widely reported.
And the Mirror is furious – arguing the whole thing is “worthless” unless ministers sort out the testing regime, which it claims has got worse despite billions of pounds of investment.
The King’s College London survey – of almost 32,000 people between March and August – also found only 11% of people who came into contact with an infected person went into quarantine.
The study found those least likely to follow the rules had dependent children, low incomes or worked in a key sector.
She warns that football clubs have been “especially” hard-hit by failures of the track and trace system, and accuses ministers of having had “months” to get things right.
The Mirror agrees that an “urgent” government plan is needed. It says money at the top of football should be redistributed down the leagues, and lottery funding should be directed to help clubs most in need.
Dirty laundry
A member of staff at the White House guesthouse has told the Post that Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu “are the only visitors who bring actual suitcases of dirty laundry – and after multiple trips it became clear this was intentional”.
Mr Netanyahu’s office has denied the allegation.