Billionaire businessman Richard Branson has told Virgin Trains to continue stocking right-wing paper The Daily Mail (LON: DMGT).
Virgin trains temporarily stopped selling the paper in November, but Branson said this decision was made without his knowledge and the ban amounted to censorship.
In a blog post, Branson said: “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 onboard 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.”
The group initially stopped selling the paper as it was “not compatible” with its “brand and beliefs”.
The Daily Mail hit back at the decision, calling the move “disgraceful”.
Branson wrote in his blog post that the decision to stop selling the newspaper on Virgin trains was “not part of some grand campaign or at my behest”.
“We must not ever be seen to be censoring what our customers read and influencing their freedom of choice,” he wrote. “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 move to stop selling The Daily Mail only emerged last week, following a leaked internal memo.
“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 a considerable concern raised by colleagues about the Mail’s editorial position on issues such as immigration, LGBT rights, and unemployment,” wrote Drew McMillan, head of colleague communication and engagement at Virgin, in the memo.
“We’ve decided that this paper is not compatible with the VT brand and our beliefs. We won’t be stocking the Daily Mail for sale or as a giveaway.”