Just two newspapers led with the Prime Minister’s chief aide seemingly flouting measures designed to stop Covid-19’s spread today.
Dominic Cummings’s encounter with police for allegedly breaching the pandemic lockdown leads The Guardian and the Daily Mirror, with the latter quoting a neighbour who saw the political adviser as saying: “It’s one rule for Dominic Cummings and one rule for the rest of us.”
SCOOP! Saturday’s @DailyMirror front page: Boris Johnson’s chief aide Dominic Cummings breaks coronavirus lockdown rules. https://t.co/U1SH1mHW8c pic.twitter.com/keRUYVSDu1
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) May 22, 2020
But elsewhere there was a dearth of coverage, however this could have been due to the other newspapers already going to print, as the Guardian & Mirror conducted a joint investigation. The other national publications have followed up the story on their digital platforms.
The Times reports Treasury has drafted up plans to have employers pay at least 20 per cent of the wages of furloughed staff as Rishi Sunak prepares to unwind the Government scheme.
And the Chancellor also features in the FT Weekend, which says Mr Sunak has created “tensions” with the PM over the speed at which lockdown measures are lifted.
Staying on Downing Street and The Daily Telegraph reports Mr Johnson will “scale back” Chinese firm Huawei’s role in Britain’s 5G network roll-out “in wake of virus”.
Metro, The Sun, the Daily Mail and the i all chose different stories too.
BBC
The BBC’s Laura Kuennsberg has also been criticised for her coverage of the Cummings scandal.
She was accused of defending the PM’s aide by saying there was “no breach of lockdown rules”.
It comes as Brits face another Bank Holiday with restrictions in place.
The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg is now commenting on other journalist’s posts in an attempt to defend Cummings.
— NHS Million ? (@NHSMillion) May 22, 2020
In what world is that ok?!
More than 300 health and care workers have died for heaven’s sake. https://t.co/XGbFrsI25n
I usually roll my eyes at zoomers on all sides blarting about such and such a journalist being biased but Laura Kuenssberg tweeting another journalist who has just broken a huge story to tell them they’re wrong and give them the Government line is not a good look.
— John Usher (@jwusher) May 22, 2020
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