Newspaper headlines: Vaccines at work and online giants 'face tax raid'
- Published
Online giants including Amazon and Asos - whose revenues have soared during the pandemic - could face a "double tax raid" later this year, according to the Sunday Times, external.
It says the Treasury will hold talks with tech firms and retailers this month to discuss the practicalities of an online sales tax. Ministers hope the levy could stem the collapse of the high street and boost the Treasury's income at a time when several major chains have gone bust.
Downing Street is also reportedly drawing up plans for a one-off "excessive profits tax" - as Chancellor Rishi Sunak tries to recoup some of the £300bn it has already spent during the coronavirus crisis.
The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, tells the Observer, external that he is braced for Britain to go on a spending spree once lockdown restrictions are eased.
The paper says the Bank is monitoring what households are doing with the estimated £125bn of extra savings they have accumulated in the last 10 months.
Mr Bailey says he thinks there is a chance that people will "go for it" after being "locked up for this long" - but warns that a "desire to spend" might come up against a supply chain "that doesn't recover immediately".
The Sunday Telegraph, external reports that a £5bn fund to pay for the removal of dangerous cladding from blocks of flats in England could be announced in the next seven days.
One senior government source says Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick is "within touching distance" of securing the money - to support homeowners who currently face average costs of £40,000 to replace the cladding themselves.
"The money is so great", admits the source, "but then the position of the leaseholders is so awful".
The Mail on Sunday, external claims that David Beckham has signed a "lucrative" agreement to promote Qatar ahead of next year's football World Cup in the country.
The paper says the former England captain risks heavy criticism for cutting a deal with a nation where homosexuality is illegal.
His spokesman declined to comment.
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"Spy bugs put in our bins" is how the Sunday Express describes an initiative by Redcar and Cleveland Council to check how much people are recycling.
It says residents will be given bins fitted with ID chips that will start collecting information next spring about their refuse habits.
The council says the scheme will help identify where more recycling education is needed, while reducing the bill for replacing stolen bins. But the TaxPayers' Alliance tells the Express, external that it is a "wasteful" exercise.
The sport sections make grim reading for England's rugby union squad - after their first loss at home to Scotland in 38 years.
"Scottish Raiders" is the headline in the Sunday People, external - while the Sun on Sunday, external calls it a "tartan trouncing".
The Sunday Mirror, external thinks it is "one huge Ed scratcher" for the England head coach, Eddie Jones - whose tactical decisions "backfired badly" and led to a "calamitous, self-inflicted" defeat.