Western Morning News (Saturday)
The things they say
■ “We’re in for a pretty grim period, I’m afraid,” - Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance reacts to the Government’s daily reported coronavirus death toll reaching a new high.
■ “The companies in question - or certainly one of the most notorious pictures, the company responsible for that, and others - have been hauled over the coals and asked to explain how this has happened,”
- Boris Johnson says suppliers have been asked to explain photos on social media showing meagre free school meal food parcels.
■ “This year has shown us how dangerous and life-altering many children’s access to food is and frankly too many children have been falling through the cracks, at risk of being seriously left behind,” - Footballer Marcus Rashford calls for a major review of the free school meals system.
■ “This detailed and highly painful report is a moment for us as a society to recognise a profound failure of empathy, understanding and basic humanity over a very lengthy period,”
- Irish premier Micheal
Martin apologises to the survivors of homes for unmarried mothers and their children.
■ “Seeing him in the neighbourhood is like seeing the Loch Ness monster... and I saw him driving his car,” - Actor Rob Lowe tells James Corden how rare it is to see his Los Angeles neighbour the Duke of Sussex.
■ “New York City doesn’t do business with insurrectionists,” - Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York City, says business contracts with US president Donald Trump will be terminated after the riot at the Capitol.
■ “What is happening is that the Government is tackling this issue, dealing with it as quickly as possible, and the key thing is we’ve got our fish back. They’re now British fish and they’re better and happier fish for it,” - Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg.
■ “There was a little trepidation but it’s good, everything has gone fine, apart from the weather,” - Robert Salt, 82, after getting his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at a high street pharmacy.