CORONA VIRUS

The Independent leads with a warning from Boris John that the new variant Covid-19 could be up to 30% more deadlier than the original virus. Boris Johnson said there is evidence that the highly-transmissible variant may be “associated with a higher degree of mortality” among those infected – though Sir Patrick Vallance, No 10’s chief scientific adviser, said there was still a “lot of uncertainty” surrounding the findings.

 

WOKERY

The Times reports that the BBC has rejected a complaint against Laura Kuennssberg for using the phrase ‘nitty gritty’ in the latest sign apparently of the corporations move away from so called ‘wokery’. Some anti-racism campaigners say that the term is unacceptable because they say it has links to the slave trade, although etmologists say there is no convincing evidence.

 

FISHING

The Daily Express reports that the EU will never allow British fishermen to have “100 percent control” over UK fishing waters due to the Brexit deal secured with the bloc which will lead to “ongoing compromise”, according to Liam Campling, Professor of International Business and Development at Queen Mary University.

 

VACCINE

THE SUN reports that one in ten adults in England have now had their first dose, including 71 per cent of over-80s and 67 per cent of care home residents. Boris Johnson said “We remain on track to reach our goal of offering a first dose to everyone in the top four priority groups by the middle of February. I want to thank all the doctors and nurses, especially at GP-led sites who are vaccinating at a phenomenal rate.”

 

MPs PAY

The Express reports that taxpayers forked out £126.6 million for MPs’ salaries and expenses in the financial year 2019/20, with the SNP accounting for almost half of the most expensive politicians with the average MP costing taxpayers £154.747.

 

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

The Daily Mail carries a report that Donald Trump, now starting a new life in Florida, is hinting that he’ll be back on the political scene. ‘’We’ll do something, but not just yet’, he told the Washington Examiner during a brief conversation at the private Trump International Golf Club restaurant.

 

CONSERVATIVES  LAUNCH  ANTI-SEMITISM INVESTIGATION

The Independent reports that the Conservative party is launching an investigation into allegations of anti-semitism directed at a Jewish Labour Party candidate during a local election in Hertfordshire last year. Dan Ozarow made the complaint after campaign material implying that he supported Hezbollah was distributed.

 

BREXIT

The Daily Express reports that Michael Gove has been sent a meddling letter from a House of Lords committee in which peers demand he offers them answers about how the Government’s post-Brexit deal will impact Northern Ireland – raising concerns about possible foot-dragging by the Upper House.

 

SCOTLAND

The Daily Telegraph reports on a Holyrood enquiry in ‘unprecedented ‘legal move to ‘ force’  the release of Salmond documents. Its convenor, an SNP MSP, said the “unprecedented” move, designed to force the release of  documents obtained in the criminal investigation into Mr Salmond and passed to his defence, was needed to uncover the truth.

 

STORM ALERTS

The Daily Mirror warns that the UK is on alert for a weekend of winter chaos with freezing temperatures, heavy snow and ice forecast with hundreds of flood warnings in place. In the wake of Storm Christoph the wet conditions will be replaced by an Arctic blast and some areas  may see falls of snow that may reach four inches in depth.