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Newspaper headlines: UK faces ‘major’ outbreak and ‘mansion tax’ plans

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Sunday Times front page

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Britain could suffer a “major outbreak” of coronavirus, according to the microbiologist who co-discovered ebola and the presence of Aids in Africa, reports the Sunday Times. Prof Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is said to be “increasingly alarmed” by the rapid spread of the virus, the paper says.

Sunday Telegraph front page

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The Sunday Telegraph reports that Boris Johnson is weighing up “shock plans” to impose a “mansion tax” on owners of expensive homes, in a move the paper says will “infuriate” the Conservative Party’s grassroots and “stun” MPs. The paper says the prime minister and Chancellor Sajid Javid are also considering cuts to pension tax relief for the Budget next month, in a bid to fund a “huge increase” in public spending.

Sunday Express front page

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The government is set to deliver the “biggest revolution in transport and communications in Britain since the Victorian era”, according to the Daily Express. The paper says the planned infrastructure spending is designed to ensure the whole country enjoys a “renaissance of prosperity” after Brexit.

Observer front page

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The Department of Health and Social Care has been selling the medical data of millions of NHS patients to American and other international drug companies, according to the Guardian. The paper says the department had misled the public into thinking the information would be anonymous.

Sunday Mirror front page

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The Sunday Mirror reports that a soldier lay dead in an Army camp for three weeks before he was found late last month. Bernard Mongan’s superiors failed to spot he was not on duty, according to the paper.

Sunday People front page

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The Sunday People leads on a story about Jeremy Bamber, who was convicted of murdering his adoptive parents, sister and her twin sons in 1985. The paper quotes what it calls his “closest friend”. The case has become publicised again because of a new ITV drama, White House Farm, which is based on the real-life events in 1985.

Daily Star Sunday front page

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England footballer Dele Alli sent a video making fun of an Asian man over the coronavirus, reports the Daily Star. The paper says he has since apologised for his comments.

The latest coronavirus developments make many of the front pages.

“UK faces major outbreak” is the headline in the Sunday Times.

It reports that top microbiologist, Prof Peter Piot, has warned the virus could be more deadly than ebola.

He tells the paper he is increasingly alarmed by the speed that it is spreading, and that dealing with the virus could overwhelm the NHS.

The paper’s Asia correspondent provides insight into how “heroic” doctors in Wuhan are working in grim conditions. Some have been wearing nappies to avoid bathroom breaks which would risk infection, while others are going without protective suits because of a shortage of supplies.

The Observer’s coverage focuses on the Britons infected in the Alps and on the “final flight” returning Britons from Wuhan to the UK.

Anyone on board with symptoms will be taken to hospital for treatment, it says – the rest will be quarantined for a fortnight, near Milton Keynes.

The Sunday Express warns that fears of a possible pandemic are increasing and that as one expert, Prof Robert Dingwall, puts it: “The genie has escaped from the bottle.”

Prof Hugh Pennington tells the paper the government should be modifying plans for any pandemic on a daily basis.

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Getty Images

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The latest coronavirus developments make the front pages of several newspapers

The Sunday Telegraph leads on what it describes as “shock plans” being considered by Boris Johnson to impose a mansion tax and make severe cuts to pension relief.

The paper says it has been told by two separate sources that ideas to raise more tax from wealthy homeowners had been discussed on a number of occasions recently at the Treasury and Number 10.

The paper suggests the PM’s trying to show the Tories are no longer the party of the middle classes and Southern shires, but that the move could infuriate grassroots supporters.

On the inside pages, Bob’s cartoon shows a bemused flat-capped gent with accompanying dog – possibly a whippet – eyeing a Tory campaign billboard emblazoned with the slogan: “We’ll tax them soft southerners: T’Conservatives.”

HS2 ‘to get green light’

The fate of the high speed rail project, HS2 is also extensively covered.

“Johnson to give HS2 green light despite Tory fears” is the headline in the Observer.

The Sunday Times reports that the prime minister will give the go-ahead, after Tory donors with links to the construction industry warned that cancelling would result in about 250,000 job losses.

“HS2 trains to hit top speeds on just half the line” is the possibility presented by the Sunday Telegraph.

The paper lines up critics to point out that this fundamentally undermines the reason for the high-speed rail line.

Questions are raised by the Mirror about what it suggests is another Army scandal which has left a furious and grieving family looking for answers.

Under the headline “Soldier lay dead in barracks for three weeks” it details how the body of Lance Corporal Bernard Mongan – a veteran of the Iraq War – was eventually discovered in his room at Catterick barracks in late January.

The soldier, who’d reported being bullied, had last made contact with his family on New Year’s Day.

His widow, Beth, told the paper it was “outrageous” that a soldier could be dead in his room for three weeks without anybody noticing.

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PA Media

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The Sunday Telegraph leads on what it calls “shock plans” being considered by Boris Johnson to impose a mansion tax and make severe cuts to pension relief

“Harry Dunn’s killer was a CIA spy” is the splash in the Mail on Sunday.

It says it can exclusively reveal that Anne Sacoolas, who returned to the United States under diplomatic immunity after the accident which killed the teenager, was actually a more senior CIA agent than her husband.

The paper claims multiple sources in both Washington and London have confirmed her background and that British ministers and officials are aware.

The Observer leads on a claim that the medical data of millions of NHS patients has been sold by the Department of Health and Social Care to international drugs companies without proper anonymity.

The paper says senior NHS figures have raised concerns that data from GPs and hospitals, which patients had been told would remain anonymous, can routinely be linked back to their individual records via their GP surgeries.

It suggests the sale of such data raised £10m in 2018 alone.

The Department of Health and Social Care has insisted thorough measures are taken to ensure anonymity and confidentiality are maintained.

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And finally, the Sunday Times warns that “idle gardeners” who value a quick fix and all-year round greenery are contributing to a massive upsurge in demand for plastic and synthetic plants.

The paper’s leader encourages us to “Vote Leaves” to stem the rise and rise of “polyester privet” and “bogus box”.

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