Virgin West Coast train firm stops offering Daily Mail

Virgin Trains has actually announced that it has stopped offering the Daily Mail paper on its West Coast trains.

A representative for Virgin said it regularly examined products offered on its trains, adding that “after paying attention to feedback from our people” it decided to stop equipping copies of the paper.

A Daily Mail spokesman called the choice “disgraceful”.

The Virgin spokesperson added that when it stocked the paper, which it stopped bring in November, it only offered one copy for each four trains.

The spokesperson told the BBC that the paper had never been stocked on its East Coast trains under the management of Virgin/Stagecoach.

And Drew McMillan, head of coworker interaction and engagement at Virgin, informed personnel in an internal memo: “Countless people opt to read the Daily Mail every day. However they will no longer read it courtesy of VT.

“There’s been considerable issue raised by coworkers about the Mail’s editorial position on problems such as immigration, LGBT rights and joblessness.

“We have actually chosen that this paper is not suitable with the VT brand and our beliefs.

“We will continue to offer The Times to clients, but we will not be stocking the Daily Mail for sale or as a free gift.

“This will not fit all our customers or all of our individuals – it’s specific to draw some criticism. We have actually listened to lots of colleagues over the last few months, and we feel that this is the right move to take.”

‘Assault on totally free speech’

Previous UKIP leader Nigel Farage tweeted: “We are heading in a worrying instructions.”

The Daily Mail representative struck back, stating that at a time when fares were increasing, it was “disgraceful” that Virgin was announcing that “for political factors it is censoring the option of papers it offers to passengers”.

He included: “It is equally abundant that Virgin opted to release this attack on totally free speech in the Aslef trade union journal.

“For the record, Virgin used to offer just 70 Daily Mails a day. They informed us last November that to conserve area, they were restricting sales to simply 3 papers: the Mirror, FEET and Times.

“They gave no other reason, however it might be no coincidence that those titles, like Virgin owner Sir Richard Branson, are pro-Remain.”

The Mail has recently been important of Sir Richard after the news that the Virgin/Stagecoach East Coast franchise will be permitted by the government to end its agreement three years early.

The collaboration had actually originally pledged to pay ? 3.3 bn to run the service until 2023.

Virgin West Coast runs trains between London, the Midlands, the north-west of England and Scotland.

Meanwhile, in action to a report that British Airways was going to stop providing the Daily Mail to guests, a spokesperson informed the BBC: “We continue to supply a choice of free papers for our customers – at the boarding gate, in our lounges and on board.

“Some papers that offered bulk supplies have decided to alter their industrial policy. This will result in changes to the option of free newspapers available to consumers.”