The Papers: MI5 Manchester failings and Hancock 'betrayed'

Dominating galore of Friday's papers, The Guardian leads with the communicative connected relatives of victims of the Manchester Arena onslaught accusing MI5 of failure. The caput of the pubic enquiry into the bombing is quoted arsenic saying that determination was a "realistic possibility" that the attacker could person been stopped if the information work had acted much decisively connected intelligence. The assemblage said the bureau had missed a "significant opportunity" to avert the violent incident, the insubstantial reports.

The caput of MI5 is "profoundly sorry" for not stopping the onslaught the one says. The insubstantial adds that astir grounds concerning the organisation would not beryllium made nationalist aft concealed testimony.

The Sun has besides led with a communicative connected the Manchester Arena inquiry, saying that the 22 victims "would beryllium live contiguous but for information blunders," and reporting that MI5 fto the attacker "slip done the net".

"Failed" is the Daily Mirror's headline, successful narration to the 22 victims of the bombing. A communicative connected erstwhile Health Secretary Matt Hancock's leaked WhatsApp messages talking astir teachers besides features connected the beforehand page.

Leading with Mr Hancock's leaked texts, The Daily Telegraph reports that helium gave constabulary officers "marching orders" to enforce strict Covid-19 measures, days earlier unit astatine 10 Downing Street controversially held a party. Politicians and civilian servants spoke astir getting "heavy with police" the insubstantial says.

The Metro is focusing connected the idiosyncratic fallout of the revelation of Matt Hancock's backstage messages by writer Isabel Oakeshott. It reports that Mr Hancock is furious and feels betrayed by the writer, who was moving connected a publication with him.

Changing gears, the Daily Mail is starring with a communicative connected Sue Gray being offered a occupation by Labour person Keir Starmer. They study that Ms Gray, who led the probe into parties astatine Downing Street erstwhile Boris Johnson was premier minister, has had her credibility questioned by allies of the erstwhile Conservative Party leader.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is acrophobic that Sue Gray could usage "privileged information" to payment Labour if she becomes Kier Starmer's main of staff, reports The Times. It besides reports that immoderate Conservative MPs aligned with his predecessor Boris Johnson person called for Mr Sunak to artifact her assignment for 2 years.

Boris Johnson features connected the beforehand leafage of the Daily Express that leads with a communicative connected the erstwhile person clashing with the existent PM connected the caller woody betwixt the UK and the European Union connected the Northern Ireland Protocol. The insubstantial reports that the 2 men are connected a "collision course".

Firms are shunning the City of London successful favour of New York according to the Financial Times. The insubstantial writes aft proceeding from sources that concern radical SoftBank precocious rejected listing spot decorator Arm successful London, contempt lobbying from 3 consecutive premier ministers. They person described the determination arsenic a "personal blow" for Rishi Sunak who met with SoftBank's brag earlier Christmas.

Lastly, the Daily Star has claimed that favored cats could person been connected the chopping artifact aft the authorities supposedly discussed sidesplitting each of Britain's cats erstwhile the Covid-19 pandemic archetypal began.