'Leap into the unknown': what the papers say about Brexit day

The British papers on Friday as the country prepares to leave the EU Composite: Various

Poster-style front pages abound this morning as the newspapers mark Britain’s looming departure from the European Union.

The Daily Mail says it is “A new dawn for Britain”, with the headline running over an imposing picture of the white cliffs of Dover.

MAIL: A new dawn for Britain #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/FAAUZSDK6I

— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) January 30, 2020

The Guardian also uses that classic symbol of Britain’s separation from the continent but has a different take, with a small sandcastle with a union jack seen in front of the cliffs and the headline “Small island”.

Guardian front page, Friday 31 January Photograph: The Guardian

For the i, it’s not much a new dawn as potentially lights out for Britain. Its headline reads “UK’s leap into the unknown”, with a night time picture of Europe. The Independent wonders “Is it inevitable that we will one day rejoin?”.

I: UK’s leap into unknown #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/dST7rY3mOL

— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) January 30, 2020

The Sun has picture of Big Ben, which will be famously silent tonight, and the headline “Our time has come”.

The Sun Photograph: Supplied

The pro-leave Express trumpets a souvenir edition with a front page that has a collection of its Brexit-oriented front pages (there’ve been quite a few) photoshopped into a map of Britain. “Yes, we did it!” the splash headline says.

Tomorrow's @Daily_Express #frontpage:

- Yes, we did it! #BrexitDay #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/IXRz1gDgFs

— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) January 30, 2020

The Times’s poster-style front also has an image of Big Ben and a list of the key events in Britain’s history with the EU.

BREXIT - IT'S TIME#TomorrowsPapersToday @hendopolis pic.twitter.com/AGQPdx6fbU

— The Times Pictures (@TimesPictures) January 30, 2020

The Telegraph has an interview with its sometime columnist Boris Johnson. Alongside a huge picture of the prime minister, the headline reads “This is not an end, but a beginning”. It also boasts an eight-page Brexit supplement.

TELEGRAPH: This is not an end, but a beginning #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/hMGBuSDw5q

— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) January 30, 2020

The FT tries to sum up the national mood with the headline: “Britain bows out of the EU with a mixture of optimism and regret”.

"The Bank of England further downgraded its forecasts for the economy to the lowest level since the second world war"

Front page of the FT tomorrow: pic.twitter.com/f66CeDPqxE

— Best For Britain (@BestForBritain) January 30, 2020

The view from north of the border is rather different. The Scotsman says “Farewell, not goodbye” while the National says “Leave a light on for Scotland”. The Herald says “Hello, Goodbye”.

Farewell, not goodbye.

The front page of tomorrow's @TheScotsman on the day the UK - and with it, Scotland - leaves the EU. pic.twitter.com/o6NKYDpTmP

— Martyn McLaughlin (@MartynMcL) January 30, 2020

The Mirror ignores the Brexit story opting for “Killer Flu: 150 Brits in quarantine”