Today’s news summary – Paper Talk 

Most of Tuesday’s front pages lead with the image of the prime minister raising a glass at a gathering in Downing Street during one of the Covid lockdowns. The image was obtained and released by ITV. The latest in the partygate scandal – just ahead of the release of the Sue Gray report, has divided the papers.

Left-leaning newspapers report on the PM’s rule-breaking and ask how the Met Police let him ‘get away with it’ – (the PM was not fined for this event). Newspapers supporting the political right are more lenient – they focus on the fact the police have seen the image as part of their investigation and decided he did not break the rules. 

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Partygate scandal

The Sun, The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Express all lead with the image  – but have cropped it to show only the PM raising a glass. By cutting out the other attendees, the picture looks less like a party. 

The Sun’s front-page coverage of the story is limited to a small top corner. “Nothing to see here” is how the Daily Express sums up Scotland Yard’s verdict on the same photographs. Whilst the Daily Mail does not feature the story on its front page at all. 

The Daily Express is fairly alone in its defence of Boris Johnson. However, the Sun, the Daily Mail and other Conservative-favoured papers do not draw massive attention to the story or shift focus to the Met Police. 

Meanwhile, Daily Mirror asks “How did he get away with this”? With the full image of the PM at the party taking up most of the front page. 

The Metro goes with the headline “Lockdown In One”, before asking “How did Boris not get fined for this booze-up?”

The Guardian says the images pose “fresh danger” for the prime minister. It quotes sources who say Mr Johnson instigated the event and poured drinks – claims repeated by the Daily Mirror, which asks “How did he get away with this?”

A government source tells the i there is a ‘sense of calm’ in Downing Street ahead of its publication. Whilst the Times claims Boris Johnson tried to persuade Sue Gray to reverse plans to publish her full report on lockdown gatherings in the controversial meeting the pair had.