What the papers say – May 19

The front pages feature a lack of clarity over international travel and the nurse credited with saving the Prime Minister’s life quitting the NHS, among other stories.

The Daily Telegraph reports health minister Lord Bethell has encouraged Britons to “abandon” summer trips abroad, while the Daily Mail exclaims “Wish you were clear, ministers!” over conflicting travel advice from the Government.

The Independent  says it has calculated five million Britons will defy official orders by travelling to “amber list” countries including France, Spain and Italy.

Boris Johnson has been threatened with a Commons revolt if he attempts to reintroduce local lockdowns to control the Indian coronavirus variant’s spread, according to the i.

The Daily Mirror and Metro report the nurse Mr Johnson credited with saving his life last year during his time in intensive care with Covid-19 has quit the NHS over his 1% pay increase offer.

The story also runs on the front of The Guardian, which additionally carries a parliamentary watchdog’s finding that the pandemic “has exposed decades-long weaknesses in Government and divisions in wider society”.

The story of a grandmother with cancer who instead was diagnosed over the phone with indigestion is “shocking proof” of “why we need to see a GP face to face”, claims the Daily Express.

The Times reports the PM is prepared to offer Australia tariff-free access to British food markets “despite warnings that it could put farmers out of business”.

Shareholders have “overwhelmingly” backed Royal Dutch Shell’s plans to shift to cleaner fuels as the International Energy Agency warned all new fossil fuel projects must stop for the world to reach net zero emissions by 2050, according to the Financial Times.

And the Daily Star says a new ‘expert’ theory supposes Loch Ness Monster sightings are actually people glimpsing erect whale penises.