Today’s news summary – Paper Talk

Most of Friday’s papers lead on Parliament’s decision to investigate whether the prime minister misled the House of Commons over Partygate. 

Partygate investigation

The Daily Mirror is in a celebratory mood – declaring “At last … Tories turn on PM”. 

The Guardian leads with Tory MP Steve Baker’s comments that the PM should be “long gone” as a “humiliating blow.” 

“Calls to Turbanate PM” is the Metro’s headline, combining pictures of Boris Johnson’s trip to India with former minister Steve Baker calling for the PM’s resignation. 

Backbencher Mark Harper spoke to the Daily Telegraph saying he believes the PM will face a no-confidence vote by July.

For the Times, they says Downing Street’s plan to delay any vote was withdrawn after six members of the government told Conservative whips they could not support the amendment.

The i notes this initial plan lasted for just 14 hours, a former minister describing what was happening called it “extraordinarily shambolic.” 

However, the Daily Mail’s headline paraphrases the prime minister: “How long can the partygate farce go on?” The PM has warned this third investigation could “crowd out” the public’s priorities. 

The Sun is equally weary. It says Labour must have “no policies worth mentioning” if they “devote every moment” to focusing on what happened in Downing Street two years go. 

Ukraine war: ‘Russia can still win’ 

“Revitalised Russia can still win the war,” is the warning from western intelligence reported in the Times. 

Officials believe the Ukrainian army is outnumbered three to one in the east and the flat terrain of Donbas will give Russian artillery and tanks an advantage compared with the forests north of Kyiv. 

The Daily Mail describes the briefing as the “bleakest assessment of the campaign since the very first days.”