What the papers say – March 6
Most of the papers splash with reaction to the Government’s recommendation of a 1% pay rise for NHS workers.
The threat of industrial action by nurses in response to the offer leads the i weekend and the Daily Express, with the latter describing the proposed increase as “pitiful”.
THE i WEEKEND: NHS nurses threaten strike over 1% pay rise #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Ofqf24cAnb
— Helen Miller (@MsHelicat) March 5, 2021
EXPRESS: Nurses strike threat #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/yBHw1NslsR
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) March 5, 2021
The Independent says NHS Providers have accused the Government of “snatching away” the 2.1% pay rise which was promised prior to the pandemic, which the Daily Mirror describes as “Boris’ slap for carers”.
INDEPENDENT DIGITAL: PM accused of ditching NHS pay rise promise #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/8ozdw44njA
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) March 5, 2021
Saturday's Front Page: Boris' slap for carers #TomorrowsPapersToday https://t.co/1YmCTYiHJZ pic.twitter.com/GIAUVvWo1E
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) March 5, 2021
The Daily Star goes further in its criticism of “short-memoried Bozo” over the move, which the paper says “betrays NHS heroes who saved his life”.
Tomorrow's front page: I'm NOT giving them a decent pay rise but do you think they'd settle for another clap? #TomorrowsPapersToday https://t.co/rxdgkbJDqV pic.twitter.com/TmV1Fktdwf
— Daily Star (@dailystar) March 5, 2021
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has defended the small increase as “what’s affordable as a nation” due to the economic toll of coronavirus, according to The Guardian.
Guardian front page, Saturday 6 March 2021: Nurses threaten strike as Hancock defends pay offer pic.twitter.com/I5imeYeLvo
— The Guardian (@guardian) March 5, 2021
The Times, meanwhile, quotes the head of the UK’s genomics body as saying new variants of Covid-19 are “very unlikely” to stop the country getting back to normal in the summer.
THE TIMES: Variants will not hold UK back says top scientists #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/1SM1JDsI9Q
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) March 5, 2021
A permit allowing essential travel only internationally is expected to stop Easter holidays abroad, reports The Daily Telegraph.
Tomorrow's Daily Telegraph front page:
'Travel permits to stop Easter holidays abroad'#TomorrowsPapersToday
📩Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/JwtqJYScJY pic.twitter.com/UDxYmr5Wft
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 6, 2021
The FT Weekend carries the first hard data showing a steep decline in trade activity between the UK and other large EU countries since the hardening of “Brexit barriers” at the start of the year.
Just published: front page of the Financial Times UK edition Saturday March 6 https://t.co/DgpmtQNGXL pic.twitter.com/NKuXs62KQS
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) March 5, 2021
And the Daily Mail claims the Prime Minister “persuaded Tory chiefs to secretly pay for Carrie Symonds’s makeover of his official flat”.
Saturday’s @DailyMailUK #MailFrontPages pic.twitter.com/YlsyCVuq4T
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) March 5, 2021