Daily Record softens opposition to SNP in the pursuit of ‘balance’

THE Daily Record and Sunday Mail have indicated that they will adopt a more sympathetic tone towards the SNP as parent company Trinity Mirror merges its operations in Scotland.

The tabloid papers will combine with 20 local titles owned by Scottish & Universal Newspapers to create Media Scotland, which is expected to soften its hardline support for Scottish Labour.

Allan Rennie, who becomes editor-in-chief of Media Scotland, said the company would not be abandoning its traditional Labour readers, but had to be more balanced in its political coverage.

“Our policy is that we are still against independence,” he told The Scotsman. “However, we should play a constructive part in the debate up to the referendum. We have to be fair and reasonable. I think the papers’ alliance with some Labour policies has not been helpful. But we still have a readership that supports the Labour Party and it would be a nonsense to desert them.”

Media Scotland will reach 1.5 million daily readers. It will embrace titles such as the Ayrshire Post, Hamilton Advertiser, Paisley Daily Express, Stirling Observer and West Lothian Courier.

TERRY MURDEN