Express Newspapers proprietor Richard Desmond is set to ramp up the tabloid price war by cutting the price of the Daily Star to 10p from 1 July, The Independent reports.
The Daily Star is already on sale at a cut-price 20p and The Sun sells for 20p, rather than its usual 30p, in much of the country. The move would put further pressure on the Daily Mirror which has kept its price solid at 45p.
Desmond has been courting publicity in recent weeks. First there was an interview with the Today Programme in which he boasted that he has £1bn to spend on buying more newspapers.
Now he has given an interview to the Independent’s media editor Ian Burrell.
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Signalling the extent to which the Express titles reflect his own views, he said: “Everything we’ve been crusading for … we were mocked, laughed at and ridiculed. [But] the immigration situation, the pension situation and inheritance tax were the three spot-on things that frankly decided the election.”
The in-depth piece gives some insight into Desmond‘s personality, his family background and his fear of losing his sight (and his money).
And he again hints that he wants to make a major media acquisition: “I’d like to do a big deal, yeah I really would. I’ve got to, I’ve only got another 30 years left before I retire.”
Desmond clearly believes that a 10p Daily Star will strike a blog at the heart of the Daily Mirror. Perhaps all his recent posturing is about softening up Trinity Mirror for some sort of sale?
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