London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2026

Newspaper headlines: Sunak to meet EU chief on Brexit deal and 'Italy tragedy'

Newspaper headlines: Sunak to meet EU chief on Brexit deal and 'Italy tragedy'

The PM's in-person meeting with Ursula von der Leyen over a new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland dominates many of Monday's front pages.

Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland dominates many of Monday's papers, with several front pages featuring the EU's Ursula von der Leyen's visit to Britain. In its lead story, the Daily Express quotes Mr Sunak as saying the agreement is the "best for Britain".


Britain is close to ending its "Brexit nightmare over Northern Ireland", says Metro. The paper reports that the PM will meet the European Commission president for final talks at lunchtime.


"Can Sunak sell his Brexit deal?" asks the Daily Mail. The paper says the new agreement could trigger a Tory civil war.


The Guardian says the PM will have to convince hardline Tory Brexiteers and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), but both have said they will only give a verdict on the new deal once they have read the full and final text. The paper says No 10 is braced for a potentially hostile response.


The potential of a Tory revolt over the new deal is also covered in the Daily Telegraph's lead story. The paper reports that Tory eurosceptics and the DUP say they will not back any agreement unless EU law is "expunged" from Northern Ireland. There are also concerns around whether MPs will be given a vote on the deal, it reports.


The deal is "basically there", both an EU and UK official tells the Financial Times. The paper says the number of MPs opposed to the deal could be limited to about 30, according to the PM's allies. Elsewhere, the paper features an image of survivors sitting on a beach after a shipwreck killed at least 59 people off southern Italy.


And government sources tell the Times new Brexit the deal contains "far-reaching" concessions from the European Union that will safeguard Northern Ireland's place in the UK. They say it will involve changes to the Brexit withdrawal treaty. Like the Financial Times, the paper's main image is of volunteers and the coastguard recovering the body of one migrant who drowned in the shipwreck in Italy.


"Justice for Joanna," reads the Sun's headline. The paper reports that the family of murdered Joanna Simpson will meet the justice secretary amid fears over her killer's parole bid.


The Daily Mirror reports that a 20% rise in energy costs in April could plunge 1.7 million more households into crisis.


The Daily Star reports that TV legend Lassie, a Collie dog, is no longer in favour with pet owners as only 500 of his breed were born last year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China’s Kimi Launches AI-Focused Credit Card With Agricultural Bank of China and American Express
Former Labour Adviser Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for China Held Privileged Access as Top Party Donor
Turkish Parliament Passes Landmark Bill Granting Conditional Amnesty to Disarmed PKK Members
Donald Trump Warns FIFA Against Ousting Gianni Infantino Amid Revolt by Global Football Leaders
Jeff Bezos Joins Investor Group Closing In on $6 Billion Liverpool FC Stake
Police Conduct Cross-Border Raids Against Northern England Drug Network
Nicola Sturgeon Protested at Edinburgh Festival Fringe Event
Major UK Retail Chain Enters Administration With One Hundred Fifty-Four Stores Set to Close
Heathrow Renews Call for Runway Expansion After Losing Europe’s Busiest Airport Ranking
Government Condemns One Million Pound Thames Water Executive Bonus Amid Drought
NHS England Says More Than One Hundred Thousand Hepatitis C Patients Have Been Cured
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Calls for End to West Bank Settler Violence
UK Prepares for Deepest Partial Solar Eclipse Since Nineteen Ninety-Nine
UK Heatwave Triggers Amber Health Alerts as Economic Losses Reach Four Point Four Billion Pounds
UK Offers Electricity Bill Discounts to Communities Hosting New Power Infrastructure
Bank of England Expected to Hold Interest Rates at Three Point Seven Five Percent
UK Government Moves to Ban Subscription Traps and Misleading Retail Discounts
Andy Burnham Gives Councils New Powers to Block Betting and Vape Shops
UK Councils to Receive Sweeping Planning Powers to Ban New Vape and Betting Shops
Nicola Sturgeon Says She Has No Contact With Estranged Husband After SNP Embezzlement Case
Police Arrest Two Men After Aberdeenshire Defense Technology Office Break-In
Greater Manchester Councils Gain Powers to Restrict New Vape and Betting Shops
Coroner Finds Treasury Workplace Failures Contributed to Personal Assistant’s Suicide
English and Welsh Courts Ban Meta Smart Glasses Over Recording and Privacy Risks
Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Double UK Inflation and Trigger Recession, Forecasters Warn
UK Expands Global Talent Visa Scheme to Support Research-Intensive Companies
UK Equity Funds Suffer Record One Point Six Billion Pound Outflow Amid Capital Gains Tax Fears
Three-Quarters of England Enters Drought as Fifth Summer Heatwave Raises Economic Risks
UK Hiring Stabilizes for First Time Since 2022 as Employers Adjust to Higher Payroll Costs
UK Chancellor Orders Whitehall Spending Cuts as Public Debt Exceeds Three Trillion Pounds
UK Manufacturing Output Records Fourth Straight Month of Growth
UK Condemns Russian Torture of Ukrainian Prisoners and Recruitment of Foreign Nationals
Long-Lost Royal Navy Warship HMS Tiger Found in English Channel After 118 Years
Northern Ireland Finance Minister Seeks Urgent Treasury Talks Over Regional Budget Pressures
UK Government Targets Subscription Traps and Misleading Discounts in New Consumer Rules
Alleged Cartel Boss Daniel Kinahan Extradited From Dubai to Face Criminal Charges
AI Chatbots Challenge Traditional News Consumption and Raise Job Concerns
Andy Burnham Government Promises Crackdown on Exploitative Business Practices
UK University Funding Model Faces Growing Pressure From Unsustainable Student Debt
Government Urged to Subsidise Energy Bills for Vulnerable UK Households
UK Military Spending Plans Threaten to Deepen Infrastructure Funding Gap
Israeli Government Rejects US Peace Framework for Gaza
New Labour Government Signals Closer Economic and Strategic Ties With European Union
Amber Heat-Health Alerts Issued Across England as Temperatures Threaten 36 Degrees
UK Economy Expected to Grow Despite Energy and Supply Chain Shock From Iran Conflict
Foreign Social Media Accounts Drove Disinformation During Belfast and Southampton Riots
Record Number of Migrants Cross English Channel in Single Vessel as Smugglers Deploy Mega-Dinghies
Russia’s A7 Builds a State-Linked Payments Network Beyond Western Sanctions
Reports of Mark Zuckerberg-Linked Superyacht Declining Rescue Assistance Draw Maritime Scrutiny
Preserving Three Banksy Artworks in London Has Cost Taxpayers Nearly £150,000
×