Newspaper headlines: Whitehall 'weirdos' and Northern rail 'faces sack' By BBC News

Staff Published duration 3 January

"Free-wheeling", "bizarre" and "unorthodox" are just some of the words used to describe Dominic Cummings' blog post in which he urges "weirdos and misfits" to apply for jobs in Whitehall.

The Times says his comments will "deepen his row with the civil service" , with union officials pointing out to the paper that employees will find it difficult to offer independent advice if their employment relies on a "guru or minister".

"Cummings seeks to transform Whitehall" is the FT's take on the blog post by the prime minister's chief adviser.

The paper says Mr Cummings wants to end "cautious officialdom" and turn Whitehall into a "dynamic organisation informed by science, data analysis and maverick freethinkers".

Meanwhile, the Daily Express says Mr Cummings' attempt to "revolutionise" the civil service is all part of plans to "drive through" changes promised by the prime minister during the election.

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The Guardian says it has seen a secret report which reveals how much gambling firms rely on a small number of customers, known as "VIPs". The paper says that in one case, a betting firm took 83% of all deposits from just 2% of its customers.

The article goes on to say that the Gambling Commission is considering a ban on VIP schemes - which reward gamblers who lose large sums of money with free bets, cashback on losing wagers and tickets to football matches.

The Betting and Gaming Council said the industry recognised the need to "change practices" and will soon publish the "terms of a review".

The Daily Mail carries what it describes as an exclusive with the Liberal Democrat MP, Layla Moran, who reveals she is in a lesbian relationship and identifies as pansexual

She says the label is for people who "don't care" about the gender of their partner and are "comfortable" with their sexual fluidity.

The MP for Oxford West and Abingdon adds that she decided to go public because politicians have a "duty" to tell the truth about their personal lives.

Ms Moran also reveals that she is "seriously considering" running for the leadership of the Lib Dems.

'Bring football home'

"Cup North" is the headline on pages four and five of the Daily Mirror, as the mayors of Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield urge the prime minister to make the region central to any bid to host the 2030 football world cup.

The region's leaders want games to be played in football's heartlands to boost their economies.

The paper says that staging the "bulk" of the tournament in the Midlands and the North would "form part of the promised payback" to voters in the so-called "red wall" seats which switched to the Tories at the last election.

It also points out that the world cup final has been regularly played away from capital cities - with the most recent example being Rio de Janiero in 2014.

Backbench Labour MPs are "demanding" a new face takes charge of the party once Jeremy Corbyn steps down, according to the Sun.

The MPs are described by the paper as "livid" with Mr Corbyn's entire frontbench team for the election defeat.

Meanwhile, the i is among a number of papers to report that Yvette Cooper is unlikely to stand in the leadership race.

The i also reports that staff at HSBC are braced for another round of job cuts. Sources have told the paper that the bank is considering what has been described as a "summer cull" - with up to 10,000 jobs at risk worldwide.

The paper reveals that 10% of the jobs could be lost in the UK, with positions going at HSBC's investment arm in London and the retail section in Birmingham. The bank declined to comment.

"Get the bug for eating insects" is the message from the Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith on the front of the Daily Telegraph.

In an article for the paper looking back at the culinary decade, she suggests people will need to put aside "cultural prejudices" and try bugs because it may be the only way to feed the world.