Papers still focus on snow woes

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With much of Britain under snow and ice, the papers continue to report what the Sun calls <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2780853/Whitemare-before-Christmas-Britains-transport-system-goes-into-meltdown-as-snow-brings-chaos.html">"a winter blunderland".</a>

It is a place, the Daily Mirror says, where <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/12/23/britain-braced-for-more-road-rail-and-airport-chaos-as-temperatures-plunge-to-6c-115875-21917091/">officials are under fire</a> over un-gritted roads and planes are grounded.

The Independent speaks of the <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/fury-of-the-travellers-grounded-by-snow-storms-1848109.html">"fury of the travellers"</a> and the Daily Mail highlights the <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1237765/AA-blames-councils-failing-grit-roads-sooner-thousands-motorists-left-trapped-overnight.html">"rage of the drivers".</a>

For the Times, the big question is: <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article6965794.ece">Will you be able to get away for Christmas? </a> <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.express.co.uk/home">Can the gritters cope? </a> The Daily Express wonders.

Endangered marriages?

The <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6965821.ece">cutbacks in funding for universities</a> in England make the lead for the Times and the Independent.

The Guardian reports Conservative spokesman on the family believes <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/dec/22/marriage-preserve-of-middle-classes-tories">marriage in Britain is in danger of becoming exclusively middle-class.</a>

David Willetts says this is likely unless action is taken to bolster it.

Mr Willetts also tells the paper that it would be extremely dangerous if marriage became something only for the affluent elite.

'Labour rift'

The Daily Telegraph says it can reveal <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/6866268/Gordon-Brown-Lord-Mandelson-rift.html">a rift between Gordon Brown and Lord Mandelson</a> that is threatening to derail Labour plans for a New Year fightback.

Central to the falling out, the paper adds, is the Prime Minister's refusal to change his plan to fight the general election on "investment versus cuts".

The agreement to hold live TV debates during the election campaign is welcomed in several of the papers.

The Guardian says the <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/dec/23/tv-election-debates-format">party leaders deserve a pat on the back.</a>

Modern-day manger

The most surreal picture from the snowy conditions is of shoppers stranded at a John Lewis store in High Wycombe.

The shoppers were offered accommodation for the night in the bedding department.

The Daily Express has a picture of some of them <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/147679/Stranded-shoppers-spend-the-night-in-John-Lewis">snuggling up for what it calls their impromptu sleepover.</a>

The paper says staff turned the store into a modern-day manger, and provided tea, coffee and duvets for about 50 grateful customers.