Sunak faces inquiry and ‘fight for France’s future’

Many of the front pages focus on the first round of the French presidential elections.

The Guardian calls the upcoming run-off between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen a “fight for France’s future”.

The Times says the contest is “in the balance”, with the paper quoting one poll putting Ms Le Pen within the margin of error for victory.

It also highlights the plight of the country’s traditional ruling parties, saying the Republicans and Socialists have been humiliated by the result after attracting a combined total of less than 7% of votes.

The paper’s leader says that Mr Macron’s status as favourite is “good news for the world – but there is no room for complacency”.

The Daily Telegraph columnist, Tim Stanley, notes that the lack of surprise that Ms Le Pen’s electoral success now evokes is a clear sign that the French establishment is not fit for purpose.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Chancellor Rishi Sunak is facing an investigation after he wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking for his ministerial declarations to be reviewed by the independent adviser on ministers’ interests.

He said in his letter to the PM that his “overriding concern” was to retain public confidence.

It comes after it was revealed that his wife Akshata Murty was “non-domiciled” for UK tax and Mr Sunak previously had a US immigration green card.

The i says that any hope Mr Sunak had of becoming prime minister has evaporated, adding that Conservative MPs are concerned about the perception that some ministers are “out of touch” or obsessed with image.

There is also extensive coverage of quotes from the Queen, who has spoken publicly about contracting coronavirus for the first time.

“Covid leaves one very exhausted” is the Telegraph’s headline, after the monarch talked to staff at the Royal London Hospital, on a virtual tour to mark the opening of a new critical care unit.

Experts tell the paper the risk presented by the mines has affected vital safety work at the site, and could result in radioactive material currently dormant in soil being dispersed into the atmosphere if one explodes.

The Financial Times focusses on calls for energy traders to do more to stop Moscow’s war effort, with Ukrainian officials accusing some of the biggest city firms of helping to “funnel blood money” to the Kremlin.

The Telegraph, meanwhile, runs claims from the Ministry of Defence that Russia has resorted to enlisting retired soldiers to maintain its war effort, after suffering large losses of troops.

The MoD also tells the paper that Moscow is recruiting personnel from a separatist region of Moldova to bolster its forces.

The front page of the Scottish Daily Mail features a warning about a sharp rise in the number of people being charged with drug driving offences.

It says an average of four people are being prosecuted every day in Scotland.

The minister calls the demonstrators “selfish”.

A report in the Sun claims that operating theatres could be about to become much more raucous, after scientists found that surgeons were much faster and more accurate while listening to AC/DC.

Researchers from Heidelberg University in Germany said the effects were particularly noticeable when the metal band’s songs were played at high volumes.

The paper says the findings could result in a radical change in hospital listening habits, and put patients on a “highway to heal”.