What the papers say – June 28

The fall-out from Matt Hancock’s scandal-tainted resignation as Health Secretary leads most of the nation’s papers, along with more news on the target date for the lifting of restrictions.

The Daily Mirror leads on some effects of the “disgusting” Hancock scandal, including a payout he will receive for leaving office, and the anger of bereaved families at his “hypocrisy” on social distancing.

Metro says Mr Hancock has been reported to police by a Labour MP for his breach of social distancing rules.

The Guardian says Boris Johnson “still has big questions to answer” over Mr Hancock, including a potential abuse of public money.

The i, meanwhile, says a “Whitehall security row” has broken out over the leaking to the media of the CCTV footage showing Mr Hancock kissing his aide Gina Coladangelo.

The Daily Mail asks whether the affair between the two started a year ago, while leading on a report showing 100,000 school pupils failed to return to full-time education when their schools reopened.

And the Daily Express says experts fear Mr Hancock’s apparent distancing breach will trigger “mass rule-breaking” before the country is officially “set free” on its new target date for the lifting of restrictions, July 19.

The Daily Telegraph focuses on the job ahead for Mr Hancock’s replacement as Health Secretary Sajid Javid, saying he will push for the “swift easing of restrictions”.

The Times also carries that story on its front page, with Mr Javid “confident” restrictions will end on July 19, but leads on a plan from Home Secretary Priti Patel for would-be migrants to be held in an “offshore hub”.

Meanwhile, The Independent steers clear of the Hancock saga, and leads on an urgent call for volunteers in the trial of a third coronavirus jab.

The Daily Star says a Ministry of Defence staffer left top secret files about a British navy face-off with Russian forces and troop movements in Afghanistan at a bus stop.

And the Financial Times says cryptocurrency exchange Binance has been banned from Britain amid a global crackdown on cryptocurrencies.