Branson overrules VTWC - Daily Mail once again to be available onboard

[thenorthern]

I am confused by this Virgin doesn't want its brand tarnished by The Daily Mail but Virgin Media advertises in The Daily Mail.

I know Virgin Trains is only owned 51% by Virgin Group and Virgin Media isn't owned by Virgin Group at all but still its the Virgin brand people see.

 

[Groningen]

Starting at 13.46 and now already at page 3. And i thought i had something that was unknown to you all.

 

[Welly]

It would never have occured to me to buy a newspaper on board a train! Most people get their rags before boarding.

 

[Airline Man]

I work for British Airways and we give the Daily Mail away on our aircraft and I've never heard anyone complaining.

 

[Darandio]

I work for British Airways and we give the Daily Mail away on our aircraft and I've never heard anyone complaining.

Because it's free. Everyone will always be happy with something to wipe their arse.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I am confused by this Virgin doesn't want its brand tarnished by The Daily Mail but Virgin Media advertises in The Daily Mail.

Virgin has only a tiny stake in Virgin Media, which is mostly the merger of NTL and Telewest with a neutral name.

I'm more surprised at Virgin (West Coast) saying they disagree with the Mail's view on LGBT issues. VTWC is almost half owned by one Brian Souter, who spent millions of pounds of his own money to campaign against gay people having the same rights in school as straight people.

Maybe I've been unfair on old Brian, and he's seen the light in recent times. Or maybe it's just a PR stunt.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I work for British Airways and we give the Daily Mail away on our aircraft

Not for much longer, by all accounts.

https://www.flyertalk.com/articles/ba-cuts-daily-mail-daily-telegraph-on-short-haul-flights.html

They want money for it now.

 

[aylesbury]

With respect that's old news and it has been a totally different paper for many years nowadays the editorials and content are very intune with today and I enjoy reading it every day so I expect I have upset many people!

 

[Requeststop]

The Daily Mail? Isn't that the newspaper that thought Hitler was Ok up until 3rd September 1939?

Sadly, my parents used to buy it. I hated it. The only good thing was Fred Bassett.

 

[Up_Tilt_390]

Maybe I've been unfair on old Brian, and he's seen the light in recent times. Or maybe it's just a PR stunt.

Souter, according to his own spokesman, is a committed Christian, and though things such as the Daily Mail won't tell you this, Islam isn't the only religion that would kill homosexuals if it had it's way. On that basis alone, I seriously doubt that Brian Souter would change his views with such commitment. He might not want to kill gay people, but if he's really a committed Christian he won't see them as equals, but rather people who are amoral and/or committing blasphemous acts against God who do not deserve acknowledgement and must be punished for their ways.

So no, I don't think you're being unreasonable or unfair in this case, and I lean towards the fact it's a PR stunt if anything. I don't know why Virgin would make it a political thing when there was a valid reason to stop selling it, which was simply the fact they weren't making enough money off it. I like Virgin as a company, but sometimes Richard Branson can be a bit too loving of publicity. He's appeared in all these Virgin Media adverts even though he has no control of the company, all cause it's his brand.

 

[Butts]

Souter, according to his own spokesman, is a committed Christian, and though things such as the Daily Mail won't tell you this, Islam isn't the only religion that would kill homosexuals if it had it's way. On that basis alone, I seriously doubt that Brian Souter would change his views with such commitment. He might not want to kill gay people, but if he's really a committed Christian he won't see them as equals, but rather people who are amoral and/or committing blasphemous acts against God who do not deserve acknowledgement and must be punished for their ways.

So Beardy will not do business with the Daily Mail but will with Souter ?

 

[Martin66]

Saw this on Facebook

Image of receipt showing 'The Fascist Daily Mail' priced at £1

 

[Up_Tilt_390]

So Beardy will not do business with the Daily Mail but will with Souter ?

That's apparently what we're lead to believe now at this point.

 

[Up_Tilt_390]

For those who are interested, this is how the Daily Mail gets it's headlines and it's news stories (then again, maybe the cheese is a more reliable news source). You're welcome...

For those who can't access the video:

Spoiler

A man slaps down a piece of cheese onto the front page of the Daily Mail, reading the words seen in the holes of the cheese to form the sentence "immigrants cause cancer".

 

[Busaholic]

I spend an unfeasible sum on newspapers and magazines, but I draw the line at the Daily Mail: however, I will glance at a free copy if it is there, for the simple reason that it is one of the most circulated papers and I like to know what it's saying, so I know when its contents are regurgitated by someone, possibly someone who should know better. The Mail on Sunday really is a different paper, by the way, and can produce some good content from time to time. Both newspapers do still employ real journalists, as both are profitable: such a shame that their talents can't be put to better use.

 

[Kite159]

So due to the wholesale cost of the newspaper increasing, someone in the accounting department worked out that due to the newspaper not being the best seller on board it makes more sense to discontinue selling said newspaper in the shops to prevent losses. Makes sense on paper, why sell something which doesn't make any money [hence why one branch of Tesco Express might have a particular drink available as it is a big seller, whereas a branch in the next town has decided not to sell that drink as it doesn't sell]

Then someone in the PR department decided to try and take a pot-shot at saying "we are no longer selling it due to our values" rather than the newspaper being quietly dropped from sale, which might have been noticed by the odd passenger who used to buy it, rather than it exploding like it has done.

 

[fowler9]

Just seen this.



I mean seriously? Trian firms are banning newspapers now because a couple of passengers don't like it? The Daily Mail is the second best selling newspaper if people don't like it then they shouldn't buy it however its not really fair on people like me who read The Daily Mail that I can't now buy The Daily Mail because some people don't like whats in it.

It hasn't been banned, you just can't buy it on on the train. If you are a Daily Mail reader I'm not entirely surprised you tried to misrepresent what has actually happened. They only used to sell and give out the FT, Times and Daily Mail so it is hardly like it is the only "banned" newspaper.

 

[fowler9]

Slightly off topic I notice that Virgin Trains don't sell The Guardian, if it did that would be odd selling a newspaper that published a misleading story that got blown out of proportion a.k.a. traingate and also constantly calls for demise of train operating companies saying they should be nationalized.

If Virgin did it would be odd but they don't so it isn't. Are you just trying to prove they don't sell stuff they don't agree with?

 

[DarloRich]

anything that annoys Kippers and foaming Tories is fine by me.

BTW - it isnt a ban or a restriction of free speech or any other wibble Dacre might spout as I assume the Daily Mail is still available at any number of outlets both on and off the station.

 

[yorkie]

Just seen this.

I mean seriously? Trian firms are banning newspapers now because a couple of passengers don't like it?

Yes, train companies are banning copies of this newspaper on board their trains. Anyone caught in possession of one will be guilty of a strict liability offence, and fined.

Seriously? do you actually believe they are banning it? Surely you are not that gullible?

The Daily Mail is the second best selling newspaper if people don't like it then they shouldn't buy it however its not really fair on people like me who read The Daily Mail that I can't now buy The Daily Mail because some people don't like whats in it.

No-one is saying you can't buy it! If you want to buy a rubbish newspaper, you are free to do so, from anyone who will sell it to you.

The fact you cannot buy it on most trains should hardly be a surprise!

I'd be rather concerned if train companies were compelled to sell copies of it!

Also The Daily Mail isn't intentionally "Fake News" it just publishes stories written in a way you don't like.

It posts rubbish and is well known for not being a reliable source. To call it a source of "news" is stretching things a bit!

 

[Busaholic]

It posts rubbish and is well known for not being a reliable source. To call it a source of "news" is stretching things a bit!

But just occasionally (maybe once a decade) it can take a stance that's admirable and, perhaps, achieve something worthwhile. I'm specifically thinking of their campaigning to have the killers of Stephen Lawrence brought to book, even though their reason for getting involved in this in the first place was perhaps questionable.

 

[Bromley boy]

For those who are interested, this is how the Daily Mail gets it's headlines and it's news stories (then again, maybe the cheese is a more reliable news source). You're welcome...

That is absolutely brilliant and very well observed!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

So Beardy will not do business with the Daily Mail but will with Souter ?

That's apparently what we're lead to believe now at this point.

Ethics are ethics, but business is business...

Saw this on Facebook

View attachment 41338

£3.39 for Organic Weetabix? Disgusting!

 

[whhistle]

Ironic considering the things he dislikes (like the burqa) he wants to ban.

Although that could be considered part of national security.
Then again, perhaps the Daily Mail could too!

 

[birchesgreen]

More like national insecurity

 

[GatwickDepress]

It would never have occured to me to buy a newspaper on board a train! Most people get their rags before boarding.

I've noticed a lot more people reading newspapers on their phones and tablets too. I don't think I'd ever buy a paper on train either!

 

[SteveP29]

I personally think that Virgin Trains haven't gone about it the right way as if it wasn't selling enough copies as they claim then they should have done what most companies do and drop the product. My local Tesco recently stopped selling Coca-Cola Vanilla but the Tesco CEO didn't write an article about it.

Virgin Trains have essentially made a big deal about it saying "Its not compatible with our beliefs" essentially making something non-political a political thing.

Very true, if they'd just done it and not announced anything, would anybody really have noticed? After all, it apparently only sold about 70 copies per day onboard

 

[Tetchytyke]

Very true, if they'd just done it and not announced anything, would anybody really have noticed?

Of course they wouldn't have noticed.

So, instead, they'd still be talking about Virgin Trains East Coast's bailout and Anne Milton (who was going to replace Jeremy H*nt as Health Secretary) having a husband who is a senior director of Virgin Healthcare.

 

[43021HST]

I spend an unfeasible sum on newspapers and magazines, but I draw the line at the Daily Mail: however, I will glance at a free copy if it is there, for the simple reason that it is one of the most circulated papers and I like to know what it's saying, so I know when its contents are regurgitated by someone, possibly someone who should know better. The Mail on Sunday really is a different paper, by the way, and can produce some good content from time to time. Both newspapers do still employ real journalists, as both are profitable: such a shame that their talents can't be put to better use.

Even a broken clock still tells the correct time twice a day.

True it can have some good stories in there, I remember last picking one up when it had a good article explaining the Syrian conflict, however near the end, after analysing the complex relationships various countries had with the state, it managed to drag it back round asylum seekers claiming benefits in Britain.

This works both ways. When Paperchase was criticised for doing a promotional deal with the DM last year, and then issued a pathetic grovelling apology, I took it that, as a reader of the Mail, they would no longer want my custom. Since then Scribbler has benefited from the purchases I would have made at Paperchase. When businesses get involved in politics they should realise that they risk alienating a large part of their customer base.

Indeed it does, in fact I've started buying from paperchase because of this, swings and roundabouts eh burneside?

Ah the Mail shouldn't be around for more than 20 years once the baby boomers have passed on.

 

[zuriblue]

It is quite amusing to watch the rightwing commentators - who usually sneer at "snowflake" behaviour - wail and cry about Virgin ceasing to stock the Mail when anyone at a VTWC station can happily wander into Smiths and buy a copy.

I actually experienced the same blowback a couple of years ago when I switched back to Andrex.

If you're really getting that exercised about VTWC ceasing to stock the Mail just wait till I tell you about this city - it's in the North but you might have heard of it - called Liverpool.