Dominic Ponsford
London Mayor Ken Livingstone has welcomed news that the Capital is to get a new daily newspaper probably some time this summer.
Following an Office of Fair Trading investigation Associated Newspapers has agreed to give up its exclusive rights to distribute newspapers on the London transport system. This means the race is on for Associated and a host of other newspaper groups to win the tender to provide an afternoon daily paper for London.
Livingstone has previously declared his hatred for Associated Newspapers, which owns the Evening Standard, and this week made a new attack on its 1930s pro-Nazi past.
Livingstone said today: “I welcome this decision. It will clear the way for a free afternoon newspaper to be published and distributed on the Tube.
"London Underground are ready to start a tender process for distributing a free afternoon paper on the Tube without delay."
All Londoners will benefit from a wider choice of newspapers being available in the capital and a new paper will raise substantial additional revenues which will be used to improve services to passengers."
Livingstone is currenly appealing against a Standards Board decision to suspend him for a year as punishment for likening a Jewish Evening Standard reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard.
Associated Newspapers has also promised to allow other companies to use its Metro distribution racks.
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