'Goodbye to all that': what the papers say about Brexit's culminating act

The Daily Mail jubilates in “a new dawn for Britain” today, saying the signing of the deal and approval of the Oxford Covid vaccine represent “Two giant leaps to freedom”. The point size then halves as a concession is made: “But 20m more in Tier 4.”

The Guardian splashes with “Schools chaos as 21m more people face toughest curbs” and the picture splash is “Brexit takes shape after PM signs EU trade deal”. The Oxford jab story is covered from the angle of changes being made to rollout plans, “in a bid to return the country to some normality by the spring”.

The Brexit trade deal goes downpage in the Times which says “It’s goodbye to all that”. The paper’s five-column splash is “Jabs mean freedom ‘by Easter’”.

The Sun takes the bad with the good. “44m are now tier 4. Primary schools blow. But Brit jab gets nod”. Depicting a syringe as a rocket taking off, it blares “One giant hope for mankind”.

“Britain FINALLY free from the EU”, boasts the Express, as the PM signs up to trade ties with the EU … but anyway … On Covid deaths, tier 4 and the vaccine it reports “Grim but light at end of the tunnel”.

The Telegraph reports on the “Race to roll out Oxford jab to stave off full lockdown”.

“Virus surge paints grim picture but jab hailed as game changer” – the FT also blends a couple of different coronavirus angles. At the bottom of the page we have “Brexit trade deal passed by parliament, marking abrupt end to 47-year alliance”. The story points out that what is being vaunted as free trade deal will still cost businesses “£7bn a year in new paperwork”, according to HMRC.

“Vaccines for all” says the i, explaining that enough of the Oxford concoction has been ordered for all UK adults.

And the view from France’s Libération is simply “Brexit: The End”.