Newspaper headlines: Boris Johnson's 'Christmas message of healing' By BBC News

Staff Published duration 14 December 2019

Many of Saturday's papers lead on Boris Johnson's victory speech in Downing Street.

The Sun says he urged the nation to take a well-earned break from Brexit, and welcomes his comments with the headline "Brexcellent".

"We did it!" declares the front page of the Daily Mail. The paper says he's lifted Britain's spirits with a soaring Christmas message of healing.

The Daily Telegraph detects a "distinct shift" towards the centre ground in the Prime Minister's promise to repay the trust of those first-time Tory voters whose pencils wavered over the ballot paper.

image copyright Reuters

But the Times says Mr Johnson's efforts at unity were put to an early test , when he set out his opposition to another Scottish independence referendum in a phone conversation with Nicola Sturgeon yesterday evening.

In Scotland, the Daily Record pictures Ms Sturgeon, with the headline: "Don't stand in my way Boris".

While the Scotsman describes the two leaders as being on a "collision course".

It reports that party grandees are lining up to urge Jeremy Corbyn to quit now.

The Guardian features an account of the Labour campaign , highlighting confusion and paranoia among those close to Mr Corbyn.

One insider complains of "policy incontinence"; another of a strategy that was too aggressive and failed to adapt to polls pointing to a Conservative majority.

A sketch on the front page of the Financial Times likens the coming Labour leadership contest to a fist fight.

It notes that Emily Thornberry's speech in her seat of South Islington and Finsbury sounded like a pitch for the top job. Just what the party needs, the FT says, a third consecutive leader from north London.

image copyright Getty Images image caption Emily Thornberry is among the potential runners and riders in the Labour leadership race

In Europe, many of the papers lead on the election result. Le Monde in France picks up on Boris Johnson's conciliatory message to Remainers - who it says will now have to mourn membership of the European Union.

The German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine emphasises European leaders' calls for clarity about the UK's future relationship with the EU.

And an editorial in the Irish Times questions Mr Johnson's claim that the result would "bring the nation together".