Newspaper headlines: Johnson's plea to MPs after sealing Brexit deal By BBC News

Staff Published duration 18 October 2019

image copyright Getty Images image caption A picture of a smiling Boris Johnson surrounded by EU leaders appears on the front of the Guardian, the Times and the Daily Telegraph.

"Knife-edge", "cliff-hanger" and "historic" are just some of the words used to describe the vote on the Brexit deal which will take place in the Commons on Saturday.

"He's done his duty", declares the Daily Mail alongside a picture of Boris Johnson pointing directly at the camera, before adding: "Now MPs must do theirs."

In a similar vein, the Sun's front page reads: "Get Real... Take the Deal."

The paper says that, against all the odds and in defiance of his sneering critics, BoJo has pulled off a "miracle" Brexit deal. But it concedes that he has a mountain to climb in the Commons.

"Just Do it!" is the headline in the Daily Express , which says its own online poll suggests a majority of voters want MPs to pass the deal.

The Times thinks the final hurdle is in sight but says the prime minister will spend the next 24 hours frantically trying to sell the deal to MPs.

It believes the prime minister's chances depend in large part on how far he can win over Brexiteers who opposed Theresa May on three occasions. The paper urges MPs to bring a swift end to a four-year drama with those same words "Just Do It".

But the Daily Mirror argues that just because there's an appetite to get Brexit sorted, it doesn't mean it should be done at any price. The paper argues that the deal is worse than Theresa May's and worse than what the UK has at the moment.

The Telegraph believes MPs are being given a "my deal or no deal" ultimatum as Mr Johnson returns to London to take charge of what it describes as "an intense whipping operation".

The paper warns Parliament not to scupper this chance, saying if MPs reject the deal it will officially be a case of Parliament versus the people.

media caption Boris Johnson: "They will want to vote for it on Saturday"

The Guardian sums it up as "a numbers game" where the arithmetic looks daunting for the prime minister.

The paper reports that Boris Johnson is hoping to frame tomorrow's House of Commons clash as a dramatic "new deal or no deal" moment - but EU leaders declined to come to his aid in Brussels, refusing to rule out any further delay to Brexit.

"Johnson gets his deal" says the i - "now for the tricky part".

The Financial Times thinks the deal is hanging in the balance without the support of the DUP. The paper warns against "Brexit fatigue" and suggests that voters have the final say on the new Brexit deal.

Ugly scenes

The day the commuters fought back is how the Daily Mail summarises clashes on the London Underground between Extinction Rebellion activists and passengers.

The paper says ugly scenes unfolded after protesters tried to block a Tube train during the morning rush hour.

The Guardian reports that there is a fractious debate about the tactics being used by some campaigners.

One activist tells the paper that a handful of protesters have jeopardised the movement by turning public opinion against them and creating a potential schism within the group.

The Daily Star says while most people have sympathy with the Extinction Rebellion cause, disrupting people on one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transport available is simply not the answer.

media caption Climate protesters dragged from top of Tube train

Terrible burns penetrating deep into the flesh of a 13-year-old boy add to a growing body of evidence that Turkey has used white phosphorus against Kurdish civilians, according to the Times.

The paper admits that it is difficult to identify what caused such frightful burns, but one leading British expert, who was shown photographs taken by the paper, believes phosphorus could have been the cause.

The Times says the effect of the chemical is so terrible that it is banned for use on civilian targets by the Geneva and Chemical Weapons conventions.

"A real Halloween horror" is how the Guardian describes figures suggesting that two thousand tonnes of plastic waste - equivalent to 83 million bottles - will be generated from throw-away Halloween clothing sold by leading retailers this year.

The environmental charity, Hubbub, found that 83% of the material used was polluting oil-based plastic likely to go to landfill. Hubbub is urging people to buy from charity shops, re-use costumes or make their own from non-plastic materials.

Sainsbury's has become the first big British supermarket chain to stop selling fireworks, according to the Times

The company has made the decision amid concern for pets and older people - as well as frustration at antisocial behaviour. The paper says Britons spend more than £20m a year on fireworks, and other supermarkets have indicated they will continue to sell them.

480 million-year queue

When you're stuck in a queue it can sometimes feel never-ending.

So, says the Daily Mail , spare a thought for a patient trail of trilobites who have been waiting in line for 480 million years.

Fossils of the primitive sea creatures, forming what scientists believe to be the world's first ever queue, were discovered in rocks in Morocco.