What the papers say – March 18
The national papers are dominated by Westminster’s measures to battle the coronavirus, including government-backed loans worth £330 billion – equivalent to 15% of GDP.
The Guardian reports the Government has promised to battle Britain’s “biggest peacetime threat” in a package described by the Daily Mirror as aimed at helping businesses and families amid the pandemic.
Guardian front page, Wednesday 18 March 2020; £350bn promise to battle 'biggest peacetime threat' pic.twitter.com/HtkBXVwAde
— The Guardian (@guardian) March 17, 2020
Tomorrow's front page: Pandemic fightback: This won't beat Britain #tomorrowspaperstodayhttps://t.co/xy573HMsonpic.twitter.com/xpzJtty90Y
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) March 17, 2020
The Sun also covers the story of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s “huge virus bailout” and offers its readers a free NHS poster.
Tomorrow's front page: Rishi Sunak wrote a £350billion cheque to keep families and businesses afloat in the coronavirus crisis. https://t.co/AJlIBflw1Vpic.twitter.com/qKfBb02zT6
— The Sun (@TheSun) March 17, 2020
The Daily Telegraph calls the package a “lifeline” for Britons, while the Financial Times covers how an Italian town’s aggressive testing “cuts new infections to zero”.
Tomorrow’s Telegraph front page: “Chancellor unveils his £350 billion virus lifeline”#TomorrowsPapersTodaypic.twitter.com/QZJktYKA4U
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 17, 2020
Just published: front page of the Financial Times, UK edition, Wednesday 18 March https://t.co/Ufy4j8gPp7pic.twitter.com/JOSWKBwMkt
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) March 17, 2020
The Independent reports the bail-out will allow those struggling with bills to get a three-month mortgage holiday, The Times says hospitals will cease “routine operations for months” and Metro says “we’ll do whatever it takes” next to a photograph of Mr Sunak.
Tomorrow's @independent front page #tomorrowspaperstoday To subscribe to the Daily Edition: https://t.co/koJc3LN1axpic.twitter.com/k6xH7EZxbk
— Thair Shaikh (@ThairShaikh) March 17, 2020
£350bn bailout launched to save Britain's economy#TomorrowsPapersToday@hendopolispic.twitter.com/mLD384KjvQ
— The Times Pictures (@TimesPictures) March 17, 2020
Wednesday's front page:WE’LL DOWHATEVERIT TAKES#tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpapers#skypaperspic.twitter.com/LVEcmAXlK0
— Metro Newspaper UK (@MetroUKNews) March 17, 2020
The Chancellor’s “war chest” will be used to keep Britain in business, according to the Daily Express, while the i details more of the bail-out including the cancellation of Mother’s Day and the suspension of rates for hospitality businesses.
Tomorrow's front page: '£330bn war chest to keep Britain in business'#TomorrowsPapersTodaypic.twitter.com/pik7p8nmkK
— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) March 17, 2020
I: UK’s £330bn jobs rescue #TomorrowsPapersTodaypic.twitter.com/S01bvbtaN5
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) March 17, 2020
The Daily Mail refers to the bail-out as a “kiss of life”, and covers the temporary release from prison in Tehran of British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
And the Daily Star says those “defiant” people in lockdown have invoked Britain’s bulldog spirit by saying “Stick it up yer virus”.
Tomorrow's front page: 'Stick it up yer virus!' https://t.co/i6l3jZEfFI#TomorrowsPapersTodaypic.twitter.com/9B6itOWGiP
— Daily Star (@dailystar) March 17, 2020