Wednesday 23 October 2019

Newspaper headlines- 23 Oct 2019: Parliament 'puts brakes on Brexit'

The papers are dominated by Tuesday's momentous votes on Boris Johnson's Brexit deal.

Financial Times front page
Image captionMost of the papers focus on Tuesday's momentous Brexit votes, where Boris Johnson got MPs to back a withdrawal agreement for the first time but then faced an immediate setback when his proposed timetable for the legislation was rejected. The Financial Times says the prime minister succeeded where his predecessor, Theresa May, failed three times - but MPs rebuffed his attempt to drive the bill through Parliament in time for the Brexit deadline of 31 October.
The Guardian front page
Image captionIn the wake of his defeat, the prime minister said he would speak to EU leaders and urge them not to agree to a prolonged Brexit extension, the Guardian reports. There are suggestions the EU could recommend delaying the Brexit deadline until the end of January next year.
Daily Telegraph front page
Image caption"Brexit in purgatory" is the Daily Telegraph's front-page headline. It says Mr Johnson signalled he would accept a short delay to Brexit after MPs backed his deal but thwarted his "do or die" pledge to leave the EU on Halloween.
Daily Mail front page
Image caption"Trust this lot to turn triumph into disaster", declares the Daily Mail. The paper says Downing Street refused on Tuesday night to say whether it still thought the UK could leave the bloc in time to meet the current deadline.
Metro front page
Image captionFor the Metro, Mr Johnson was left "clinging by his fingertips" to that pledge.
Daily Mirror front page
Image captionBut the Daily Mirror goes further, saying the prime minister doesn't stand a "ghost of a chance" of getting the UK to leave by then. "PM's Brexit horror" is how it describes Tuesday's developments, in a nod to the upcoming festivities at the end of the month.
The i front page
Image captionIn a similar vein, the i says Mr Johnson's Halloween Brexit has been left in "tatters".
The Sun front page
Image caption"Yeah but no but" is the Sun's headline, noting that nine former Tories voted against the government to inflict defeat on the prime minister's timetable plans.
Daily Express front page
Image caption"Historic deal but MPs spoil it with yet more dithering" is the Daily Express's take. For the paper, Mr Johnson's victory was "soured by fresh Parliamentary skulduggery from Remainers" on a night of "high farce".
The Times front page
Image captionThe Times is one of the few papers not to lead on Brexit. Instead, it reports on what is being hailed as a "turning point" in the treatment of Alzheimer's, after a drug was developed that apparently slows down the progression of the disease.
Daily Star front page
Image captionAnd finally, the Daily Star reports that it has found the man who stole a cardboard cut-out of Sir Cliff Richard, prompting an airport to be shut. The paper previously reported on "cheeky" Jeffrey Marraway's exploits.

The papers are dominated by Tuesday's momentous votes on Boris Johnson's Brexit deal.

Several of them are critical of MPs - after they backed the prime minister's withdrawal agreement, but rejected his plan to get the legislation through Parliament this week.

The Daily Mail has a photograph of Mr Johnson addressing the Commons alongside the headline "Trust this lot to turn triumph into disaster!"

The Daily Express is also dismayed, arguing the "historic" deal was "soured by fresh parliamentary skulduggery from Remainers... on an evening of high farce at Westminster".

"Defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory in 15 minutes," according to the Daily Telegraph.

There's widespread agreement that Tuesday's defeat has ended Mr Johnson's hopes of leading the UK out of the EU at the end of the month.

The Mirror insists he "doesn't stand a ghost of a chance of leaving on Halloween after a nightmare in the Commons".

But the Guardian suggests Mr Johnson could continue to try to steer his deal through parliament, rather than push for an election as he threatened.

It says he may be "swayed" by the larger-than-expected government majority in the vote on the principle of his deal.


House of Commons as the result of Tuesday's votes are revealedImage copyrightAFP/GETTY IMAGES

Image captionThe papers are dominated by Tuesday's momentous votes on Boris Johnson's Brexit deal.

Several papers call for an election.
According to the Sun, Westminster turned into a "tragic roundabout" last night as politicians got trapped in a never-ending circle, leaving the nation "stuck in limbo".
"Voters", it says, "are desperate to fire this abysmal parliament".
For the Telegraph, "this parliament has forfeited its right to remain in existence", given its inability to resolve the greatest political issue of recent times.
The paper's leader column argues that any credibility Jeremy Corbyn has left "will be shredded" if he refuses an election for a third time, given that the Labour leader has consistently demanded the opportunity to challenge the government at the ballot box.
The lead story in the Times highlights how doctors have welcomed a "turning point" in the treatment of Alzheimer's, following the development of a drug which appears to slow the disease if it is caught in its earliest stages.
A study of patients who took high doses of the drug found they experienced 25% less mental decline after 18 months.
According to the paper, Alzheimer's charities are "excited" by the research, which the Times suggests could be "one of the most stunning reversals in the history of pharmaceutical development".
Like several similar products, the drug had originally failed in trials.
There could soon be a change of leadership in Hong Kong, according to the Financial Times.
The paper says China is drawing up plans to replace Carrie Lam with an interim chief executive following violent protests against her administration.
Sources have told the paper that Ms Lam's successor could be installed by March.
Leading candidates are said to include the former head of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Norman Chan, and the former chief secretary of the territory, Henry Tang.
The FT says Chinese officials want the situation in Hong Kong to stabilise before they make a final decision on whether to replace Ms Lam, as they don't want to be seen to be giving in to violence.
Finally, the papers have welcomed the government's decision to lift a ban on direct flights between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh, following improvements in airport security at the Egyptian resort.
The Mirror says the move is "fantastic" for British tourists, as other Red Sea destinations are "not in the same league".
The Express describes it as "an absolute win-win" - for holidaymakers and the beleaguered local economy - and says it expects bookings to be open "very soon."

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-the-papers-50147563