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NI ready to turn screws in Scotland

WHILE News International (NI) watchers are focused on thelondonpaper and the vacant Sunday Times Scotland editorship, rumours abound of things afoot at The Times.
The top brass are apparently pondering taking on The Herald and The Scotsman by launching a proper Scottish edition of The Times next year once its printing shifts from Merseyside to Eurocentral, near Glasgow, in April.

The Scottish edition of The Times is currently run out of Wapping by an editor and deputy, but we hear that NI is looking at launching something in Scotland on the scale of the current Sunday Times operation, which has about 20 people.

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Hands Off

Speaking of the Scottish edition of The Times, editor Robert Hands has moved sideways to become associate editor of thelondonpaper. This has left his delightfully named deputy, Nolan Cocker, holding the fort until overall editor Robert Thomson decides on a replacement. Cocker is one of two internal candidates on the shortlist along with one external, but he is no shoo-in. He was passed over for the Wapping-based post last summer and the word is that he will be gutted if he misses out again. Whoever wins out, rumour has it that each candidate has been sounded out about moving to Scotland.

Everyone’s a winner

Express owner Richard Desmond once threatened to attack the Daily Mail by putting five pound notes on the front cover of his paper, but new consumer comparisons website PeoplesChampion.com has gone one better. The site, led by Intelligent Finance founder Jim Spowart, has been sending out fliers with one pound coins attached to them. “See?” it says underneath, “Saving you money already.” Great idea, next time make it a tenner!

Property Writes

Speaking of new websites, four ex-journalists have launched a commercial property site backed by Lloyds TSB Scotland. Compropscotland.com, which launched on Friday and is mocked up to look like a newspaper, is the brainchild of property writers Stewart McIntosh and Ken Houston; trade magazine writer Chris Dobson; and Jim Dow, the former business editor of The Scotsman. The things people will do to put a roof over their heads!