"TODAY is the start of a new chapter at the Evening Standard under the ownership of Alexander and Evgeny Lebedev. With their arrival, we believe London’s newspaper has a golden future within a privately owned company that is independent, open-minded and free-spirited.

Independent is the key word. They have given their absolute assurance that the editorial direction of the Evening Standard shall be entirely in the hands of the Editor and his team.

We shall be a life-affirming, aspirational newspaper that aims to be different and bold, our style embodied in punch, zest and humour. From today this newspaper takes a fundamentally optimistic view of life, of London and Londoners.

Above all, we shall report and comment without prejudice, making our own assessment of what is right. We will strive to be bold and surprising and to bring modernity with exciting digital changes planned in the near future. We believe that the greatest city in the world needs a cheerleader. As recession bites, we also think it needs cheering up. London’s oldest and most-loved paper will celebrate metropolitan life as the capital’s champion. We shall be a newspaper built on idealism and intelligence, aiming to make a real contribution to this city and to play a welcome role in the lives of Londoners, whoever they are, whatever their background, wherever they were born.

The Evening Standard, the voice of London"

Geordie Greig - Editor