The Papers: ‘We Kane be heroes’ and ‘jab gap to be cut’on July 11, 2021 at 4:44 am
Sunday’s papers report a “heartfelt message” from the Queen ahead of England’s Euro final against Italy.
Sunday papers are unsurprisingly dominated by England’s Euro 2020 final against Italy.
With the football anthem Three Lions back in the UK Top 10 singles chart, many of the front pages appear ready to burst into song.
“We Kane be heroes” proclaims the Sunday Mirror, with a picture of the England captain and four of his teammates.
The squad is joined on the front of the Sunday People by a photo of a roaring lion, and the headline “pride of England”.
And the Sun on Sunday predicts “tonight’s gonna be a good night” – a headline that’s more of a nod to the Black Eyed Peas than Baddiel and Skinner.
The Observer reports that ministers are facing a growing revolt from doctors and metro mayors, over plans to end the mandatory wearing of face masks on public transport and in hospitals in England on 19 July.
The Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, argues it is “simply wrong” to frame everything as a matter of personal choice and that he’ll be urging Mancunians to keep wearing masks “out of respect for others”.
An Opinium poll in the paper suggests 50% of people now believe the next step of England’s roadmap should be delayed again – versus just 31% who think it should go ahead as planned.
But a leader column in the Mail on Sunday has no truck with what it describes as “the usual siren voices on the Left portending doom”. It urges Boris Johnson to “hold his nerve” over his unlocking timetable and “embrace freedom”.
There’s a controversial “surprise” candidate to take on the role of the chief executive of NHS England, according to the Sunday Times.
“The toughest job in Britain”, its leader column argues, requires political nous – more than it says one of the earlier mooted candidates, Baroness Harding displayed when she pledged to make the NHS no longer reliant on overseas staff, in her public pitch for the post.
“New build homes can’t handle the heat”, warns the Sunday Telegraph. It says the Climate Change Committee, which advises the government, has calculated more than half a million homes built since 2017 will need to be retrofitted to ensure they stay cool – with UK heatwaves expected to occur every year by 2050.
It says adding cooling features will cost more than £9,000 per home – versus just £2,300 if done at the building stage. Ministers say they will shortly set out proposals to reduce the risk of overheating in new residential buildings.
Finally, the Observer reports that the Met Office is forecasting more than just light showers for this evening’s big match.
It warns there’s a threat of an unusual pitch invasion, as humidity – combined with Wembley Stadium’s floodlights – could attract a swarm of flying ants.
It says millions of the insects have been spotted on radar over and around London – as weather conditions become “perfect for mating”.