It may be a tradition that local and regional newpapers are politically neutral, but Trinity Mirror’s three major dailies have come off the fence over the EU referendum.
The Manchester Evening News (MEN), Liverpool Echo and Newcastle Journal have urged their readers to vote for Remain.
In similar leading articles, the three titles argue that EU funding has been crucial to regenerating their cities after previous years of industrial decline.
As HoldTheFrontPage reports, the MEN devoted its front page and three inside pages to explaining why it thinks remaining in the EU will be good for Manchester. Its editorial stated:
“In the sound and fury of the scaremongering and speculation, it has been difficult to navigate the referendum debate. The hype has made it hard to believe anything said by politicians.
But we believe a cool, clear-eyed assessment of what we do know means that despite the many flaws, EU membership has been good to our region.”
The Echo’s passionate and lengthy editorial, “Why staying in Europe is right for the New Liverpool”, carried the byline of the editor, Alastair Machray. It said:
“If we vote ‘Leave’ things will change and they’ll change in a bad way. Trade will suffer... Then there’s immigration. The bigots of the Far Right crusade under a flag which says Brexit means an end to it.
If you shut your eyes, put your hands over your ears and shout la, la la, very loudly, you could just about believe it...
Culturally, hasn’t Liverpool ALWAYS been about the mix? A cultural melting pot that bubbles with life and energy and creativity? We’re Irish, we’re West Indian. We’re the Welsh, we’re the Somali. We’re the Polish, we’re the Chinese. We’re Liverpool. Even ‘Scouse’ is a word of Scandinavian orgin.”
Turning to the benefits his city has enjoyed courtesy of the EU, Machray wrote:
“At the end of it all there’s loyalty. A word Liverpool, battered but unbowed, understands more clearly perhaps, than any other city.
25 years ago Liverpool and Merseyside were near basket-cases, down-at-heel and down on their luck. Two things changed that: an indomitable spirit and £2.3bn of European investment... We were part of Team Europe and Europe saw a team member in distress. And it came to our aid.”
The Newcastle Journal carried a front page with pictures of politicians of all parties who are urging Britain to stay within the EU.
An article by political editor Jonathan Walker was headlined “The Journal urges readers to ‘do what’s best for the North East’ and vote remain on June 23”.
“This debate is too important for The Journal to stay silent,” he wrote, because “the British people are about to make the biggest political decision of our lives.” He continued:
“The north east is an exporting region. We exported more than £12bn of goods last year, and we’re the only region with a positive balance of trade.How can it make sense to cut ourselves off from the EU?...
Quitting the EU would also cut off investment that’s created so many jobs in the North East.”
Turning to immigration, Walker wrote:
“More than half of migrants in this country actually came from outside the EU... Leaving would do nothing to prevent their arrival.
And migrants come because there are jobs. Employers, whether private firms or public services such as the NHS, need them.”
And a Dutch newspaper wants us to stay too...
And how about a very different sort of endorsement spotted by Tom Edwards, a political reporter with the Worcester News. On Twitter, he posted a cutting from an unidentified Dutch newspaper, remarking: “Have a read of this and tell me you aren’t touched.”
It began: “Hello Britain, this is your neighbour calling. Please don’t leave us... we feel at ease in your amazing country. Since our King William III (of Orange) married your Queen Mary II (of England) we have been related anyway.”
This might not go down so well among the nationalist community of Northern Ireland, of course, but let’s overlook that. The piece continued:
“Nobody in Europe appreciates your culture more than we do. The Beatles, Bridget Jones, One Direction, EastEnders, Brideshead Revisited, we love it all.
Many of us know Monty Python’s Dead Parrot sketch by heart. We admire your stiff upper lip. And every year we remember, with the greatest respect, all those who have fallen to liberate our country.
Now you are thinking of leaving us. Sailing out your floating country towards distant shores, so says your largest newspaper, the Sun.
Talking as a Dutch uncle, we have to tell you this is not a good idea. We not only love you, we need you. Who else supports us in keeping some common sense on this turbulent continent of ours?
An EU without the UK would be like tea without milk. Bitter. So please, stay. Stay with us.”
Touching indeed!
