The majority of Friday’s papers lead with the UK-France “one in, one out” agreement to tackle migrant Channel crossings. The Daily Telegraph reports French President Emmanuel Macron said British people had been “sold a lie” that Brexit would make tackling the crisis easier. The paper says the deal was unveiled hours after hundreds of people were seen being escorted from French shores without being stopped by police.
Macron’s comments on Brexit fuelling Channel crossings also lead the i newspaper. Leaving the EU without a returns agreement created an incentive for migrants to make the crossing, which he said was the “precise opposite of what Brexit promised”.
“What a joke” is the Daily Mail’s assessment of the “one in, one out” scheme with France. The “half-baked” deal “was already threatening to unravel”, according to the paper, after the prime minister conceded it was “not a silver bullet”.
The Guardian also leads with the deal, noting that it is the first time such an agreement has been struck between the UK and France.
The Daily Express front page also carries criticism of the deal, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer being accused of “caving in”. Opponents say it will do little to stop the flow of boats across the Channel, the paper reports.
Metro carries comments from shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, who said the deal would not address the “migrant merry-go-round”. It has been reported that the scheme would see up to 50 people a week being returned, though Sir Keir has not confirmed any figures. But with the agreement being signed on a day that hundreds of people arrived in the UK, the paper says there is “instant doubt it will work”.
The UK-France deal is already facing opposition among some EU politicians, The Times reports. In its lead story, the paper reports that the Department of Health is looking to limit GPs issuing “not fit for work” notes. Last year, the NHS issued 11 million “fit notes”, 93% of which declared people “not fit for work” with no alternative plan to get them back in employment, the paper reports.
The Financial Times leads with accusations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination at Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of luxury brand LVMH. Maria Gasparovic, a former chief of staff to the company’s global head of distribution, is seeking €1.3m (£1.1m) in damages for unfair dismissal after she raised concerns about misconduct about senior colleagues. Moët Hennessy is suing Gasparovic for defamation, saying that she was fired because she made threatening remarks to colleagues.
Celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo’s relocation to Australia makes the front page of the Sun, which reports the former I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here winner is launching “multiple work projects” there.
The Daily Mirror says it has seen a leaked letter from the BBC to former Masterchef host Gregg Wallace following his dismissal. In it, the Mirror says a senior member of staff tells him his behaviour is “unlikely to improve”. Wallace denies the allegations against him and has hired a “top lawyer to fight the claims”, the paper reports.
And the Daily Star leads with US President Donald Trump’s praise of Liberian President Joseph Boakai for his “good English”, despite it being the country’s official language. The paper says Trump’s comments would have left the US president feeling “red faced” during their meeting earlier this week.
