Daily Express taunts rival in cover price contretemps

THOSE two mid-market rivals, the Daily Express and the Daily Mail, are at loggerheads again, this time the former attacking the latter for selling at 10p more.

The concerted offensive from the Express began last week when, south of the border, the Mail hiked its cover price by 5p, to 50p.

North of the border, the Scottish Daily Mail’s cover price had increased to 45p some time ago. While the Daily Express is 40p, the Scottish Daily Express is 35p.

Trumpeting its own cost-of-living campaign, and its daily up-date on the cost-of-living index, the Scottish Daily Express yesterday declared: “This newspaper has always believed in delivering value for money to its readers, and that approach is coming up trumps in these tough economic times.

“People realise that our pledge to hold our cover price at 35p for as long as humanly possible stands in stark contrast to the Daily Mail’s price rise to 45p. Not only is the Scottish Daily Express fantastic value, but every edition also brings readers new cash-saving tips and shines an unforgiving light on companies that rip off consumers.

“While we practise what we preach, the hypocritical Mail has failed to put its money where its mouth is. It claims it is anti-inflation, yet rips off readers with a substantial price rise. How typical of a paper that campaigns against plastic bags, yet wraps its magazines and supplements in polythene every weekend.”

There was no direct response today from the Scottish Daily Mail, but its masthead is now carrying the tag, ‘Daily newspaper of the year’, after winning that title at the prestigious London Press Club annual awards last week.

Meanwhile, The Sunday Post goes up by 5p, to 95p, this Sunday.