A NEWSPAPER THAT STANDS UP FOR BRITAIN

Dear Reader

Let me introduce myself.

I’m Gary Jones, your new editorin-chief, who has been in the job for just a few weeks.

I first started reading the Express as a five-year-old.

When I say read, I mean, I would glance at what Rupert Bear had been up to and see how my team Liverpool had done.

It was my job come rain or shine to pick up the Express from our newsagents round the corner.

My mission – and believe me failure wasn’t acceptable – was to bring the Express home in pristine condition.

Once, I creased the paper horribly and tried to make amends with the use of an iron. The blackened front page did not go down well.

Fifty years later and the Express has the same values and aspirations my mum and dad believed in so strongly.

They wanted a newspaper that stood up for Britain, talked common sense, and fought for the rights of men and women who worked hard throughout their lives to support their families and show care and consideration for others less fortunate than themselves.

Above all my parents wanted a better future, not just for their children but for a generation that strived in post-war Britain to improve their lot, when austerity was very much a daily way of life.

Thank you for your continued loyalty to the Express over the years, and for many of you, decades. Now for the tricky bit… Because of increased costs we’ve had to put up the price of your Express – the first rise since December 2013.

We recognise that money is tight, and that successive governments have failed to protect your standard of living, but I hope you’ll agree that newspapers still offer great value for money, especially for those who like a posh coffee.

We will endeavour to give you the very best journalism, to inform and entertain you, and continue to bring you your favourite columnists and their thought-provoking views.

I hope you will continue to buy us. And if you think we can do anything better please let us know.

I wish you all health and happiness, and I thank you for allowing us into your homes and life. All the best,