Boris Johnson on backfoot, first Omicron then inflation, Germany vs. Russia, Elon Musk

After Boris Johnson's unconvincing denial of a staff Christmas party at Downing Street at the height of lockdown last year, the people’s verdict came in on Thursday’s by-election in the West Midlands. North Shropshire’s new member of parliament was back at it the next day in the company of the Lib Dems' former party leader. What’s bigger than scandal at number 10 for the right-wing press? The French cancelling Christmas. “Spiteful Macron bans UK tourists”, writes The Daily Mail.