TODAY’S column is bittersweet — it is to advise you of our intention to raise the cover price in the new year, by 10p Monday to Friday and 20p at the weekend on the print edition.

We’re aware that as prices rise across the board yet another raised price is a blow to readers but our own costs are no exception and we can no longer avoid our first price increase since 2019.

Demand for newsprint is high and competition among buyers pushes the price up. At the same time the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine affects the price. Russia used to export 900,000 tons of newsprint before sanctions hit. 

In addition, paper mills have been looking for conversion to make packaging as it is more profitable, which has reduced capacity.

The continued growth in online shopping creates more need for packaging materials.

Energy costs have, as we are all aware, also increased and finally and not least, our staff also need a pay rise to cope with the ever-increasing cost of living.

We have tried to absorb as many of the costs as we can during the year. The costs will not just be offset against the print edition but there will be comparable rises on the digital edition and on advertising services.

The campaign Reach for the Star is ongoing and is bearing fruit.

This week one Unite branch purchased two daily news delivery services for offices of the branch and a bulk digital subscription package for other branch members.

Surprisingly, last week we had two new postal subscription orders for readers who are unable to get to a shop and were outside of the home delivery system. Sales have risen across print and digital in 2022, but not by enough.

Although not back to where we were pre-pandemic, unions have paid for the paper to be at their conferences this year and have supported us at both TUC and Labour conferences.

We have been imaginative in the way that we have distributed the papers at large events to reach as large an audience as possible.

Thanks go to comrades in Wales and Scotland who have ensured that paid-for copies of the paper have been available at regular conferences and meetings in those nations. 

Our work to support pickets is gathering pace with orders being received daily for picket lines.

We are reaching a new audience with this work and showing our solidarity with workers and ensuring they get a positive media image of our paper and a message of peace and socialism.

If you can attend a picket line do order papers by emailing circulation@peoples-press.com.

Thank you to everyone that is supporting our work, the target of 1,000 new readers is achievable.