The Observer headline declares “Blackmail over Greenland” after US President Donald Trump announced “rising tariffs on the UK and European allies until he gets control of the Danish territory”. A striking image of red-and-white Greenland flags waved by protesters in front of snow-capped hills dominates the front page. “Greenland is not for sale!” read several of their posters.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s anger at Trump’s tariffs leads the Sunday Times. Trump “blindsided his Nato allies” with the move, it says. Meanwhile, Sir Keir’s aide Darren Jones has been accused of launching a “briefing war” against Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
For the Sunday Telegraph, Trump’s actions amount to a “trade war”. The paper highlights the PM’s comments that the tariffs are “completely wrong”, and that is backed in an editorial column by former US national security adviser John Bolton, who declares: “This is the worst move of his presidency.” Separately, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch tells the paper the Conservatives are the only party that will stop Britain becoming a “poodle” state.
The Greenland tariffs also lead the Independent website. Trump has said the 10% trade fees will remain in place unless a deal is reached to sell the Danish territory to the US by the start of February, the paper reports. A photo of protesters waving Greenland flags in Copenhagen takes up much of the front page.
The Mail on Sunday has gotten hold of a “secret defection memo” that it says fell into the hands of Tory leader Kemi Badenoch before Robert Jenrick’s move to Reform. The memo is alleged to recommend Jenrick style himself as the “new sheriff in town”, which the Mail dubs “a bizarre plot”. In a royal exclusive, the Mail says Princess Eugenie has cut Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor out of her life.
Following Jenrick’s defection, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage tells the Sunday Express it’s time for the right to unite behind his party. “They want to fiddle with the plumbing and we think it needs a brand new boiler,” Farage said of the differences between the Tories and Reform.
“I will be free” writes the Daily Star, as it says killer nurse Lucy Letby has told “fellow lags and prison staff” her convictions will be “quashed within months”. Letby is currently serving 15 whole-life terms after she was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims.
A photo of the Duke of Sussex next to King Charles leads the Sunday Mirror as they describe “Harry’s lonely trip home”. While “both are in London”, the pair will not see each other this week.
The Sunday People reports Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has undergone a “brain scan after fall”. Her “hospital shock” comes “just days before tour”.
A TV row gives the Sun on Sunday its front page lead. It reports “fury at anti-Muslim posts” that have been discovered in the social media feed of a contestant on the upcoming series of BBC One’s The Apprentice is caught in a “race rant storm”. Contestant Levi Hague has apologised for making comments containing “truly awful language” in posts written more than a decade ago. The series is produced by an independent production company and the BBC said in a statement it had asked the company for “further assurances on their social media checks given the process has not been completed to a satisfactory standard in this instance”.
The Mail on Sunday claims to have obtained a private media plan for the former shadow justice secretary, Robert Jenrick, while he was plotting to join Reform UK. The memo reportedly says he should be styled as “the new sheriff in town” adding his defection would be “the biggest” Reform has ever had. The Sunday Times is also said to have seen the documents. It says they include “handwritten annotations and tweaks that appear to have been penned by Jenrick himself”. His team has told the paper he had no involvement in drafting the original document.
In an interview with the Sunday Express, the leader of Reform Nigel Farage describes Robert Jenrick’s defection as an “historic moment” and something that marks “the coming together of the right”. But “the danger”, the Sun on Sunday says, is that instead of “attacking the failing government” Reform and the Conservatives are “too busy attacking one another”.
Two royal relationships make the front pages. According to the Sunday Mirror, Prince Harry’s return to the UK this week will not involve a meeting with the King. Sources insist the monarch’s week is “packed with engagements”. The Mail on Sunday reports that Princess Eugenie has “cut off all contact” with her father, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. The Princess is said to be taking a dim view of his refusal to apologise to victims of Jeffrey Epstein. Mr Mountbatten Windsor is reportedly “devastated” at the estrangement.
The Sun on Sunday leads on a race row surrounding the BBC programme The Apprentice. One of the contestants, 33-year-old Levi Hague, has apologised for anti-Muslim comments on social media. The BBC has described the remarks as “totally unacceptable”. The production company behind The Apprentice says it will be reviewing the process of background checks.
The Sunday Times joins more than 100 people at a cinema in Reading to watch the Lords of the Rings films in a back-to-back viewing. The screening which lasts just over twelve hours had been arranged to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the trilogy. While viewers were not “venturing to the fires of Mount Doom”, the Sunday Times warns that sitting down for the equivalent of a half a day meant fans may get headaches, eye complaints and some aches and pains.
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