Last week Labour leader Ed Miliband - who can’t seem to keep away from Redbridge of late - revealed he does not read British newspapers, relying instead on aides to summarise what’s going on in the UK. So we thought we’d ask some of Redbridge’s better known politicians about their news tastes in the hope they’d say something scandalous. They didn’t, but their responses are interesting nevertheless.
Cllr Jas Athwal, Labour Group Leader, Council Leader-elect
“I go online: I read the Recorder. I read the Guardian. I read the Telegraph. I read the Telegraph to see how information is presented from a right wing as well as a left wing perspective.”
What about Miliband?
“For someone that high up politically... The amount of time someone like that has. God only made 24 hours in the day... I’ve seen a surge in the raft of emails I receive now compared with what I received a week ago. And we’ve not even started our council term!”
Cllr Paul Canal, Conservative Group Leader
“As a Redbridge Councillor I make sure I read the Recorder online every day and buy it every Thursday. I also visit the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian and Evening Standard websites. I also visit Wansteadium, an excellent hyper-local blog about all things Wanstead, run by BBC journalist Giles Wilson.
“I susbscribe to the Times and can read it on my tablet, mobile, PC or Laptop, I usually download it to my tablet so that I can read it on the Tube. I buy the paper on Sundays and have done since I was 18!”
Miliband? “I know he looks and seems out of touch, but to boast that he does not read the papers read by millions of people in the country he hopes to lead is a damning indictment.”
Cllr Wes Streeting, Deputy Labour Group Leader
“I get my national news from a wide range of online sources, mainly thanks to Twitter.
“I follow a wide range of people, including journalists from a range of newspapers and click through to articles of interest. I also have a Times online subscription.
“The only newspapers I read in print, are the Recorder, the local Guardian and the Evening Standard.”
Read more:
New Redbridge Conservative leader on Cllr Keith Prince, Wes Streeting and Tory hopes
Ed Miliband launches election campaign at Barkingside leisure centre
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