The Sun criticised over front cover depicting Boris Johnson as Santa delivering Brexit

This comes as reports emerge of a possible trade deal with Europe being announced in the next few hours.

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Other right-wing papers shared similar front pages. The Daily Mail ran with “Hallelujah! It’s a merry Brexmas” while the Daily Express captured Boris Johnson in a Churchillian pose, splashing “The Deal is Done”.

But it was The Sun‘s front cover that caught a lot of attention online.

The New European writer Ian Dunt posted in response to a tweet by The Sun‘s Harry Cole: “Imagine how shameful it must be to take a career as a journalist and end up as a PR agent for the prime minister.”

@RussInCheshire wrote: “The EU employs 55,000 staff across 27 nations The UK Institute for Government says Britain will need to employ 400,000 people to deal with the post-Brexit increase in red tape. Even with a deal. Harry isn’t telling you this, cos Harry isn’t a journalist. He works in PR.”

Nick Lowe commented: “And so the great rebranding of this utter shit show begins. #brexit #brexitreality”.

The Guardian‘s Owen Jones described it as propaganda “that would make tinpot dictatorships blush”.

Kirsty Hughes added: “Facts: staggering, vicious tory infighting for 4 1/2 yrs, huge damage to UK politics, society, reputation, influence, economy – and all for what?”