What the papers say – November 12

A wide range of stories lead the front pages at the end of the working week, from concerns about the health service to tales from the royal family.

The Daily Express writes about the true extent of Covid’s “devastating impact on the NHS” as figures showed 5.8 million patients are waiting for treatment.

Metro carries “shocking new data” which says most heart attack and stroke victims are waiting nearly an hour for paramedics, calling the situation a “999 calls crisis”.

A health story of a different kind leads the Daily Mirror, the paper saying Prime Minister Boris Johnson was asked three times to wear a mask during a recent visit to a hospital.

The Daily Mail leads with a story saying the Prince of Wales’ right-hand man, Michael Fawcett, has left his job as chief executive of The Prince’s Foundation over what the paper calls a “cash for honours” inquiry.

The Queen is pictured on the front of The Sun, the paper saying she will “bravely return to front-line duties” to attend the Remembrance Day service.

To politics, and The Times writes 14 MPs are letting out homes they own in London while claiming expenses for the rent of another property, with the group including Sir Geoffrey Cox, who has come under fire for his earnings outside Parliament.

While the i carries a story on Natalie Elphicke, who said anti-poverty campaigner and footballer Marcus Rashford “should have spent more time perfecting his game and less time playing politics”, has a second job.

In other politics news, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said a decent prime minister needs “more than weird hair” writes the Daily Star, the paper’s headline saying “Klopp Boots Bozo in the Ballon D’Ors”.

Elsewhere, the Daily Telegraph reports the US has warned European allies that Russia could be plotting to invade Ukraine.

The Guardian writes targets agreed at Cop26 are “too weak to prevent disastrous levels of global heating”, according to the key architects of the Paris agreement.

And the Financial Times says the Chinese Communist Party has passed a resolution which paves the way for Xi Jinping to remain in office until at least 2028.