What the papers say – December 7

Several front pages feature a whistleblower’s claims that the UK government failed Afghans after the Taliban swept to power.

Claims about the evacuation of Afghanistan after the Taliban swept to power feature on many of Tuesday’s newspaper front pages (PA) (PA Archive)

The front pages are led by a whistleblower’s claims that the Foreign Office failed to help many Afghans to escape after the Taliban swept to power.

The Guardian reports junior civil servant Raphael Marshall’s claims that Afghans were left to die due to UK red tape.

The Daily Mail says thousands of emails asking for help were opened but not dealt with while Foreign Office staff worked from home and refused overtime.

The Independent also reports the claims that tens of thousands of pleas for help went unanswered as then Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab failed to understand the severity of the situation.

Meanwhile, The Times says scientific advisers to the Government believe cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant are doubling every three days in Britain.

The Daily Telegraph says that the Covid-19 booster campaign has failed to ramp up despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s pledge that it would be accelerated.

While the i reports that further restrictions on socialising, transport and office working are unlikely unless Omicron is confirmed to be more dangerous than the Delta variant.

Elsewhere, the Daily Mirror reports claims that the Government covered up the fire risk of cladding for years before the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The Daily Express says a Bank of England warning over price rises will mean there is a challenging time ahead.

The Daily Star reports on research that suggests an injection made from grapes could lead to a longer life.

Metro leads on the trial of Danish golfer Thorbjorn Olesen who is accused of sexually assaulting a woman on a British Airways flight. The Ryder Cup winner denies the allegation.

And the Financial Times says US regulators are stepping up scrutiny of so-called blank cheque company listings.