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June 8, 2017updated 09 Jun 2017 12:42pm

Sun sales boosted as anti-Corbyn front page prompts bin and burn protests

By James Walker

Sales of the Sun were boosted today in some newsagents by those purchasing copies in bulk and binning them in protest against the paper’s “Don’t chuck Britain in the Cor-bin” front page.

One Twitter user posted a picture of several copies of the Sun, the Daily Mail and the Express with the caption: “Just bought local newsagents entire stock of hate wanking rags. Will be burning shortly…”

The Scottish author John Niven posted a video of copies of the Sun and the Mail burning a bin with the message: “This morning I reignited the British spirit with the newsagents [sic] entire stock of Suns and Daily Mails.”

A Twitter user in Stroud published a picture of around ten copies of The Sun shoved in a bin.

The pundit Chris Deerin commented on the trend, tweeting: “With all these people buying and binning every copy of the Sun and the Mail this morning, circulation will go through the roof”

Alex Hern, a technology features writer at the Guardian, made light of the protest. He tweeted: “I hate the Sun and Mail so much I’m going to hand them £40” is a bold tactic.”

The Sun angered Corbyn supporters when the publication revealed the front page splash of its election edition, headlined: “Don’t chuck Britain in the Cor-bin”. The front page also labelled Corbyn a “terrorists’ friend” and “destroyer of jobs”.

Independent columnist and co-editor of politics newsletter The Spoon, Jane Merrick, tweeted: Burning newspapers is deeply sinister. The arrogance of saying to people ‘I know what’s good for you so I’m going to block you reading newspapers I don’t like’ is breathtaking.”

She added: “The way to kill a newspaper is to just stop buying it. Mail/Sun circulation will be soaring today if people keep buying to burn.”

Picture: Screenshot/Twitter/John Niven

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