“A cheat & a coward” – The UK front pages react to Johnson backing Cummings

Unsurprisingly, the story dominates the news.

Boris Johnson's backing of advisor Dominic Cummings covers the front pages of the UK papers on Monday. Cummings has been under serious scrutiny this weekend following news that he violated the government guidelines by travelling over 200 miles to stay near his family home in Durham while he was experiencing symptoms for Covid-19, while there are also other allegations of travel levelled against him. Monday's papers are even more interesting as The Daily Mail, which usually backs Johnson, has led with the line: "What planet are they on?" “For the good of the government and the nation, Mr Cummings must resign. Or the prime minister must sack him. No ifs. No buts.” https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1264660059222573057 The Guardian, which along with the Daily Mirror, broke the story of Cummings’s lockdown breaches, leads with: “No apology, no explanation.” https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1264666383788445696 The Daily Mirror did not shy away on its front pages, calling Cummings a "cheat" and Johnson a "coward". https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1264661205022576651 The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, quotes Johnson's defence of Cummings. https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1264660520025686017 The Times also offers Johnson's defence of Cummings as it's front-page headline. https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1264663291818901504 The Sun focuses on the plan to reopen schools but manages to meld the two stories with a pun. https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1264661701141712896 The i goes with “Chaos in number 10” and states that a number of Tory MPs have called for Cummings's resignation. https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1264660965246881792 The Independent runs with "No Answers" along with a list of questions for the Prime Minister. https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1264661882947985409 The Daily Express says that Johnson stands by his man. https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1264660778654851073