Branson lifts ban on the Mail after censorship outcry
VIRGIN Trains has reversed its ban on the Daily Mail after being widely accused of censorship.
Sir Richard Branson ordered the operator to restock the paper, admitting that the ban did not live up to the principle of freedom of speech.
In a post on his blog, the billionaire tycoon insisted the sales ban on the Virgin West Coast service was ‘not part of some grand campaign or at my behest’.
He added that neither he nor the Stagecoach chief executive Sir Brian Souter had been aware of the decision until they read about it in the Press.
Virgin Trains operates the West Coast service from London to Glasgow. It is a separate franchise from Virgin Trains East Coast, although both are joint ventures operated by Sir Richard’s Virgin and Sir Brian’s transport giant Stagecoach. Sir Richard stressed that the initial decision to bar the Daily Mail was made following feedback from some Virgin Trains staff.
He said: ‘Brian and I respect our people when they make decisions and we listen to their views. It is the way we have always run our companies. But we must listen to the concerns voiced widely this week – by those who agree with the Mail’s stance and those who vehemently disagree with it – that this move has been seen as censorship.
‘Freedom of speech, freedom of choice and tolerance for differing views are the core principles of any free and open society. While Virgin Trains has always said that their passengers are free to read whatever newspaper they choose on board West Coast trains, it is clear that on this occasion the decision to no longer sell the Mail has not been seen to live up to these principles.’
He added: ‘Brian and I agree that we must not ever be seen to be censoring what our customers read and influencing their freedom of choice. Nor must we be seen to be moralising on behalf of others. Instead we should stand up for the values we hold dear and defend them publicly, as I have done with the Mail on many issues over the years.’
The row erupted after a leaked memo revealing the ban surfaced in the monthly journal of
‘Core principles of a free and open society’
train drivers union Aslef. The memo, written by ‘head of colleague communication and engagement’ Drew McMillan, said ‘considerable concern’ had been raised by colleagues about the Mail’s editorial position on issues such as immigration, unemployment and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. It concluded that the paper ‘ is not compatible with the VT [Virgin Trains] brand and our beliefs’. The decision triggered a backlash from across the political spectrum.
Yesterday a Daily Mail spokesman said: ‘We welcome Sir Richard Branson and Sir Brian Souter’s support for freedom of speech, which is a cornerstone of our democracy, and his decision to instruct Virgin Trains to restock the Mail. We are sure the many Mail readers who travel on Virgin Trains will be delighted.’
AFTER a decade in which this paper often felt like a lone voice, hardly a day now passes without another victory for the Mail’s campaign against plastic waste.
In the past few days alone, the Prime Minister has taken charge of a government drive to rid streets, rivers and seas of this scourge to the environment and wildlife.
Then Tesco, after years of resisting, took up our call for a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles – a hugely practical measure, which as well as boosting recycling will encourage youngsters to pick up litter, instead of dropping it. Now supermarket chain Iceland has joined the crusade, vowing to rid ownbrand products of plastic packaging within five years – a highly significant decision, as it underlines the availability of alternative, biodegradable materials.
Meanwhile, there are small contributions everyone can make to cleaning up the planet. For a start, shouldn’t shoppers think twice before buying plastic-wrapped, pre-peeled onions from Lidl – and take the trouble to peel their own? WITH the election of three Momentum activists to Labour’s ruling National Executive, this was a terrible day for the party’s moderate MPs, councillors and traditional supporters. For it was the day the hard Left, wedded to Marxist totalitarianism, tightened its ruthless grip on Labour policy and candidate selection. Woe to voters in Labour’s heartlands who have fond memories of the party as the voice of patriotic working families. And woe to us all if Labour’s Momentum hijackers should ever come to power. IT is not only Mail readers who will welcome Sir Richard Branson’s reversal of his company’s ban on selling Britain’s most successful newspaper aboard his trains. So, too, will every freedom-lover who deplores attempts by elements of the Left to silence anyone with whom they disagree. As a persuasive champion of free speech, would Sir Richard now have a word with MPs who face the job of overturning Lords’ plans for some of the most repressive Press legislation seen in Britain for 300 years?