Three leading city dailies have today become the first major regional titles to take sides on the EU referendum by coming out in favour of Remain.
The Manchester Evening News, the Liverpool Echo and The Journal, Newcastle – all owned by Trinity Mirror – have today published editorials stating that their cities would be better off if Britain stayed in the EU.
All three titles argue that EU funding has been crucial to regenerating their cities after years of industrial decline.
Their decision to back Remain ahead of next Thursday’s vote move marks a departure from the traditionally neutral stance adopted by regional titles on major political issues.
The MEN devoted its front page and three inside pages to explaining why it thinks remaining in the EU will be good for Greater Manchester.
In its editorial, it stated: “In the sound and fury of the scaremongering and speculation, it has been difficult to navigate the referendum debate. But we believe a cool, clear-eyed assessment of what we do know means that despite the many flaws, EU membership has been good to our region.”
The Echo published its verdict in an editorial headlined ‘Why staying in Europe is right for the New Liverpool’ and penned by editor Alastair Machray.
Wrote Alastair: “Twenty five years ago Liverpool and Merseyside were near basket-cases, down-at-heel and down on their luck. Two things changed that: An indomitable spirit and £2.3bn of European Investment in the shape of Objective One and Two Funding.”
The Journal also carried its decision on the front page, highlighting the number of North-East business leaders, MPs and academics who backed remain.
Political editor Jonathan Walker wrote: “The North East is an exporting region. We exported more than £12bn of goods last year, and we’re the only region with a positive balance of trade. How can it make sense to cut ourselves off from the EU?”
The MEN’s decision to come out in favour of Remain has already provoked a flurry of debate on its Facebook page.
Some readers accused the paper of ‘backing the losing side,’ others said it should stay impartial, and one even asked whether the government was paying it to back Remain.
The paper posted in response: “The decision to support remain is an independent one. No one is forcing us to, and no one has paid us to do it. And needless to say no one is after an MBE.
“Lots of people have pointed out we ‘are backing the losing side’. We don’t know that – but it wouldn’t change our views if we were.”
Until now, all major UK regional titles have remained neutral on the referendum.
The Express & Star, Wolverhampton, opted not to take a stance on the issue despite carrying out several polls showing up to 80pc of its readers favoured Brexit.
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Fair play to them. It’s a very brave decision and not one I think I would make. This referendum is highly emotive for both sides of the campaign and coming down so heavily on the Remain camp will anger a lot of people, who tend not to be dispassionate on the subject.
It would have been the same had they called for Brexit, it’s that kind of political subject.
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Absolutely foolhardy in my view. At a stroke they have alienated half their readers. A wise move in an era of declining newspaper circulations? I think not!
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Good on them. It’s time to balance out the dangerous, xenophobic distortion relentlessly churned out by The S*n, The Daily Fail et al.
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It’s not very often you can give T-M a pat on the back – it’s usually a knife in the front – but I applaud them for getting off the fence and showing some backbone.
It’s a fair point about risking alienating readers but I still love the Daily Telegraph while loathing its political agenda.
These big three regionals are behaving like their opinion counts rather than meekly hiding behind the curtains for fear of upsetting someone.
What about the rest of the T-M regional stable? Are they nailing their colours to the mast?
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Have TM executives collectively gone mad? First they launch a national newspaper destined to fail from the start; now they alienate half their readers who no doubt will vote Yes to stop buying their local newspaper
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Those particular cities up North have certainly benefitted from EU funding. Do those cities need more funding? Is this a thank-you vote for the funding received? But more importantly is it wise for a local paper to back a campaign that could easily be lost and result in an alienated readership? I think not.
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PS Just flicked over to the Press Gazette website and they lead on the Brexis bias in the national press, as rated by their homemade ‘Brexitometer’. Clever.
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The Labour party may have deserted their voters in the north and turned them to UKIP by having no spine, but at least these papers haven’t.
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A Brave move so I salute them for having courage – but do they have a death wish for their title?
Newspapers are losing loyal readers but the group that remains most loyal is surely the eurosceptic over 65s. Putting out this message will influence few but annoy many, so some readers holding strong views will be readers no more.
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Yet another irrational press of the ‘Self Drstruct’ button pressed by TM
All very good to be seen to jump off the fence but business suicide when you’re desperately trying to keep hold of what few readers remain by an act which will alienate a great number of them
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