Boris Johnson
Newspaper headlines: PM’s Brexit offer and ‘furious’ Prince Harry
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Boris Johnson on Tuesday, the third day of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester The government’s new Brexit plan gets widespread coverage in Wednesday’s newspapers – but the Daily Telegraph is one of the few claiming to know what’s in it. The paper says Boris Johnson is proposing a…
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Getty Images
Boris Johnson on Tuesday, the third day of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester
The government’s new Brexit plan gets widespread coverage in Wednesday’s newspapers – but the Daily Telegraph is one of the few claiming to know what’s in it.
The paper says Boris Johnson is proposing a “radical two borders for four years” option to break the deadlock over the Irish backstop, which will keep Northern Ireland in the single market until 2025.
The plan includes a regulatory border between Britain and Northern Ireland in the Irish Sea, and customs checks between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
The Telegraph adds that the proposal is expected to meet fierce opposition from EU leaders and the Irish government.
The newspaper’s Europe editor, Peter Foster, says Mr Johnson “has rolled the diplomatic dice, but it seems the rules of this game of high European politics are stacked against him”.
The papers are unanimous about how Mr Johnson will deal with EU resistance to his new offer.
Paraphrasing Downing Street’s line on the UK’s offer, the Daily Express, the Metro and the Daily Mail all have the phrase “take it or leave it” in their headlines.
The Mail’s editorial says after three years of stonewalling, the “endgame is almost upon us”.
It believes we will finally discover if the EU is “serious about about forging a viable Brexit deal” or just stalling for time in the hope that the referendum result will be overturned.
The prime minister tells the Sun he has “10 days to do a deal” and is prepared to listen to counter-offers – and he would not rule out putting a time limit on the Irish backstop.
Harry’s statement
The Times leads on what it calls “an unprecedented attack” on the tabloid press by Prince Harry, who accuses media outlets of waging a “ruthless” bullying campaign against his wife, Meghan.
The paper says the prince wrote the “lengthy and passionate” statement himself, condemning the treatment of Meghan and evoking memories of the way his mother Princess Diana was hounded by reporters.
It came as he announced the duchess was suing the Mail on Sunday over an allegation it unlawfully published one of her private letters.
Royal author Penny Junor tells the paper it feels like “an over-emotional and somewhat ill-advised outburst”.
The Mail on Sunday says it stands by its story and will defend its case vigorously.
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EPA
The couple are currently on a royal tour of Africa
The Daily Star is among those carrying photos of PC Stuart Outten who is preparing to go back to work three months after being wounded in a machete attack.
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Become a founding memberThe officer is pictured with a large scar above his left ear which he got after attending a routine traffic stop in east London.
The Sun reminds its readers that despite injuries to his head and hand, PC Outten zapped the suspect with a Taser.
An inset picture in the article shows the paper’s previous front page labelling him “Britain’s hardest copper”.
Several papers are amused by a moment at the Tory party conference where Boris Johnson is handed a coffee – only for another aide to snatch it off him seconds later, saying: “No disposable cups”.
The Daily Express describes the PM’s aides as “steamed up”, while the Daily Mirror’s pictures are captioned “what a mug”.
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