'Ring of steel' and 'King will not slow down'
- Published
"Ring of steel" is how the Sunday Mirror characterises an emergency law passed on Saturday giving the UK government control of British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, and saving it from closure. The move, which appears on several front pages is branded "history-making" by the paper. In other news, Queen Camilla says King Charles III will not "slow down" following his brief hospital admission last month, the Mirror reports.
Sticking with steel, the Sunday Times reports the Royal Navy is now "on alert" to escort a fuel shipment to the blast furnaces. It says fresh supplies are needed to ensure the furnaces do not burn out and become "almost impossible to turn back on". Separately, it reports that a Liberal Democrat MP was refused entry to Hong Kong on a trip to visit her family. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he would be demanding an explanation. The Chinese Embassy has been asked to comment.
The Sunday Telegraph likewise refers to a "ring of steel" at Scunthorpe and carries an image of a march in support of saving the plant on Saturday. But leading its front page is news of an attack on three prison officers by one of the men responsible for the Manchester Arena bombing, Hashem Abedi. The case "will raise questions about security measures in Britain's prisons," according to the paper.
Meanwhile, the Observer gives Donald Trump's tariffs another day on the front pages. "Reeves calls for global free trade fightback" reads its headline, as the chancellor says the president's actions will have a "profound" effect on the UK in a column for the paper. She says she will seek an "ambitious new relationship with the EU" and a trade deal with India.
The Mail on Sunday leads on a story about convicted child serial killer Lucy Letby. The paper says it has seen a "bombshell" memo that "casts doubt on court claim the nurse was caught 'red-handed'". Separately, it also touts the "historic" nature of Saturday's steel intervention and describes a day of "high drama" in Parliament.
The Sunday Express splashes on Queen Camilla's endorsement of the King's dedication to his work as he continues to undergo cancer treatment. Reporters asked the Queen during the pair's state visit to Italy last week whether Charles might take things easy. "Dream on," reads the paper's headline.
The Sunday People leads on Davina McCall's announcement that she is "all clear" after undergoing surgery for a benign brain tumour in November. The presenter told her Instagram followers on Saturday that the tumour was "not coming back" following recent scans.
In further entertainment news, a Downton Abbey film actor says the late Maggie Smith "still feels present" in the project, according to the Daily Star Sunday. Paul Giamatti says "everybody was still acting in her spirit," the paper reports.
The Mail on Sunday, external says Downing Street has wrestled control of British Steel from the Chinese, after a law was rushed through Parliament on Saturday to allow it to take control of the company.
The Sunday Mirror, external says the emergency legislation has thrown a "ring of steel" around the Scunthorpe plant.
Elsewhere, the Sunday Times says, external ministers are considering deploying the Royal Navy to escort a fuel shipment to the plant after emergency legislation was pushed through to ensure its survival. A senior source tells the paper the government wants to ensure the cargo is not intercepted or redirected. But the Ministry of Defence told the paper no decision has been made and it later issued a statement saying it was not involved in escorting the shipment.
The Sunday Telegraph argues, external that the attack by Hashem Abedi on three prison officers will raise important questions about security in Britain's prisons. A former prison governor and adviser on extremism in jails tells the paper the assault by one of the brothers involved in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017 is a catastrophe and a "resignation issue". A prison service spokesman said violence in jails would not be tolerated.
The government's intervention to take control of British Steel's Scunthorpe plant featured on several front pages on Sunday
In the Observer, Rachel Reeves calls, external for a strong international response to Donald Trump's economic policy. In a column, the chancellor writes that she is determined to ease the impact on British families.
The Mail on Sunday says, external it has seen a "bombshell" email which it calls a significant boost to convicted child serial killer Lucy Letby's fight to overturn her convictions. The former nurse is serving 15 whole-life sentences for killing seven babies and attempting to kill seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
According to the Sunday Telegraph,, external single-sex spaces would be protected under an overhaul of equality laws being considered by the government. Britain's human rights watchdog is said to have submitted a new code of practice for the government to assess and calls the current guidance, last updated in 2010, "out of date".
"Dream on" is the Sunday Express's headline, external - said to be Queen Camilla's very definitive answer when asked, during their state visit to Italy, if King Charles III might slow down following his brief hospital admission in March. She said the King, who is undergoing cancer treatment, was driven by "helping others" and would not be reducing his workload.
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