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| Virgin West Coast train firm to stop selling Daily Mail | Virgin West Coast train firm to stop selling Daily Mail |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Virgin Trains has announced that it is going to stop selling the Daily Mail newspaper on its West Coast trains. | Virgin Trains has announced that it is going to stop selling the Daily Mail newspaper on its West Coast trains. |
| A spokesperson for Virgin said it regularly reviewed products sold on its trains, adding that "after listening to feedback from our people" it decided to stop stocking copies of the paper. | A spokesperson for Virgin said it regularly reviewed products sold on its trains, adding that "after listening to feedback from our people" it decided to stop stocking copies of the paper. |
| A Daily Mail spokesman called the decision "disgraceful". | A Daily Mail spokesman called the decision "disgraceful". |
| Last year, stationery chain Paperchase apologised for a promotional giveaway in the Mail following criticism. | Last year, stationery chain Paperchase apologised for a promotional giveaway in the Mail following criticism. |
| The Virgin spokesperson added that when it stocked the paper, it only sold one copy for every 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 colleague communication and engagement at Virgin, told the ASLEF union's monthly magazine: "Thousands of people choose to read the Daily Mail every day. But they will no longer be reading it courtesy of VT. | |
| "There's been considerable concern raised by colleagues about the Mail's editorial position on issues such as immigration, LGBT rights and unemployment. | |
| "We've decided that this paper is not compatible with the VT brand and our beliefs." | |
| 'Attack on free speech' | |
| The Daily Mail spokesman hit back, saying that at a time when fares were rising it was "disgraceful" that Virgin was announcing that "for political reasons it is censoring the choice of newspapers it offers to passengers". | |
| He added: "It is equally rich that Virgin chose to launch this attack on free speech in the ASLEF trade union journal. | |
| "For the record, Virgin used to sell only 70 Daily Mails a day. They informed us last November that to save space, they were restricting sales to just three newspapers: the Mirror, FT and Times. | |
| "They gave no other reason, but it may be no coincidence that all those titles, like Virgin owner Sir Richard Branson, are pro-Remain." | |
| Virgin West Coast runs trains between London, the Midlands, the north-west of England and Scotland. |