What the papers say – January 20

Today’s papers report the Prime Minister is continuing to doggedly “cling to power” despite facing a coup, a loss in the polls and an explicit direction from one ex-minister to “in the name of God, go”.

The Daily Telegraph says Boris Johnson is refusing to quit despite around a dozen Tory MPs submitting letters of no confidence, with the paper citing former Cabinet secretary David Davis as saying the PM will need to be dragged “kicking and screaming” from his office.

The Guardian, the Daily Mirror and Metro also quote Mr Davis as directing the PM: “In the name of God, go!”. The latter also features Mr Johnson’s scrapping of Covid rules, with masks no longer mandatory and a return to the office in England.

The Prime Minister is determined to cling onto power despite more MPs turning on him as well as the public, says i.

The Times reports Tory “plotters” have agreed to grant Mr Johnson a reprieve until the investigation into Downing Street’s lockdown parties is concluded.

The Daily Express carries a plea from Sir Edward Leigh to “back (the) PM”, while the Daily Mail splashes with a comment piece, telling the “narcissistic rabble of Tory MPs” planning to topple Mr Johnson to “grow up”. The latter paper also has a splash featuring a story about Mr Johnson’s baby daughter who reportedly contracted Covid but has now recovered.

The Independent covers both the PM and the easing of Plan B Covid restrictions.

The Sun writes Mr Johnson has come out “just ahead of the Pork Pie plotters” after a day of “extraordinary drama” in Parliament.

The  Financial Times adds the PM is buying time after a defection of one of his MPs to Labour and ex-minister Mr Davis telling him to quit.

And the Daily Star also carries the drama, declaring on its front: “Our lame duck Prime Minister still refuses to do the right thing”, with a depiction of Mr Johnson as an actual rubber ducky.