THE UK's press has turned on Boris Johnson with the Tory sleaze row dominating the front pages of today's newspapers.

Most of the "splashes" of the London based publications relate to the Prime Minister skipping the debate on the issue in the Commons yesterday.

Only a few do not carry the story as their main front page article in what is bound to be a major concern for the UK Government as opinion polls on the PM slip behind Labour.

Those opting not to put the sleaze story as the main front page article include the Daily Telegraph, where Johnson used to write a regular and continues to have close ties, the Financial Times, the Sun and the Daily Star. 

READ MORE: Sleaze-hit Boris Johnson loses UK opinion poll lead over Labour

Writing on Twitter last night Pippa Crearer, the Mirror's political editor, commented on the vast array of negative headlines.

"It’s a pretty shocking set of papers for the PM tomorrow - including from several Tory backing ones. This isn’t going away...," she tweeted.

 

 

Metro leads on criticism of Johnson for “dodging” the Commons debate on sleaze by instead attending a hospital photo-op, running the headline “I’m a prime minister … Get me out of here!”

The i reports on the PM’s refusal to apologise for an attempt to “weaken anti-corruption rules to protect (MP) Owen Paterson”.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer urged to make complaint to Met over Boris Johnson and senior Tories

“Anger as PM skips sleaze showdown in Commons”, says The Times, adding Conservative MPs have demanded an apology from Johnson over the Paterson case.

The Daily Mirror launches a scathing attack on the PM, showing him bare-faced on his hospital visit above a headline of “No apology, no shame, no respect and no mask”.

The Guardian splashes with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer saying Johnson is leading his party “through the sewers”.

The Independent also leads on the Labour leader’s attack, saying Johnson is “running scared” over the “Tory sleaze storm”.

The Daily Express says Johnson has been urged to say “sorry” for “igniting the divisive Westminster lobbying row”.

And the Daily Mail has another “sleaze” angle with an exclusive saying Tory MP Geoffrey Cox has earned “hundreds of thousands of pounds” from a second job “that saw him vote in Parliament remotely from the Caribbean”.

The Daily Telegraph steers clear of the sleaze debate and leads on figures showing 11,600 people have died from Covid in the UK after catching the disease in hospital.

The Sun leads on a Strictly story concerning Katya Jones and a “backstage meltdown” but inside it carries a prominent article on the sleaze issue.

A "strap" headline in the paper reads "Bo Jo Misses Showdown" with the main headline reading: "PM's Chicken Run for Sleaze Debate Mocked over Commons swerve".

The Financial Times's front page story was about central bankers in the midst of an interest rates “puzzle” due to their divergent slants on inflation.

The Daily Star reports on a “crisps crisis” as shelves run dry of Walkers products.