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EU Referendum The Sun the Times

The Times refutes claims that it has declared in favour of remain

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By Jessica Goodfellow, Media Reporter

June 16, 2016 | 2 min read

The Times has said that it has yet to declare its stance on the European referendum despite a report by ITV News that it is set to defy its News UK sister title the Sun and back Remain.

News UK

News UK

Despite Robert Peston, ITV News’ political editor's report that the Times newspaper had decided to back Remain, the News UK quality daily newspaper said that it wouldn’t declare until next Wednesday (22 June) - the day before the EU vote.

It comes just days after its sister publication the Sun declared it was backing the Leave campaign with a front page spread titled ‘BeLEAVE in Britian’.

If true it’s an interesting move within the Murdoch-owned news group, who it is believed is in favour of Brexit, but should the Times oppose this view it would be a recognition of the two titles’ very different audiences.

According to Peston, the Times had taken the Remain stance since its readers are largely in favour of staying in the EU, and it would be counter-intuitive to the title to encourage them to vote any other way.

The move by the Times was something that The Drum’s columnist Paul Connew predicted earlier this week, writing: “If you analyse the Times and Sunday Times coverage and leaders of recent days, there lurks the suspicion that at least one of them (probably the Times) could yet (grudgingly) back Remain on the basis of the economic future of the UK, while demanding that Cameron must fight on for greater EU reform.”

The Drum contacted the Times for comment, with a spokesperson saying: "The Times has not declared yet".

EU Referendum The Sun the Times

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