Long before my family became involved in publishing, we had a deep respect for The Independent and the tradition of British journalism it belongs to. This dates back to the 1980s, when my father was working as an economic analyst for the Soviet intelligence service. He read it because he wanted information he could trust.

This newspaper has a proud record of innovation. It was the first broadsheet title to go compact, after which many others, including The Times, followed. In the past four years, my family took its sister title, the London Evening Standard, free, returned it to profit, and launched this newspaper’s very successful spin-off, i, which comfortably outsells The Guardian. That tradition of innovation makes me glad to see our masthead made vertical. Together with other changes you can see today, I believe this redesign revives the elegance and sophistication of the paper’s first editions.

The strength of The Independent derives from its name, and consequent ethos. At a time when the reputation of journalism is in the gutter, this is a paper built on strong principle. That allows us to champion the free expression my family so reveres, and Britain so needs.

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I want to extend my personal thanks to all the readers who continue to support this great newspaper. I hope you enjoy its redesign as much as I will.

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