The Sun is a radical newspaper Sydney Jacobson, Editor

In a bid to broaden the Herald's appeal once more, MGN, is relaunching the paper as the Sun, with the slogan "A paper born of the age we live in".

Editor Sydney Jacobson said his new paper would be "totally independent, no ties with any party or movement... totally free to make up its own mind."

The paper's launch coincides with the announcement of a general election next month.

Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home, whose Conservative party has been in power for 13 years, will be up against the man described as Labour's thrusting new grammar school boy, Harold Wilson.

Asked where his party's loyalties would lie in the coming election battle, Mr Jacobson replied: "The Sun is a radical newspaper. Can a radical newspaper support the present government?"

It is a competitive time for newspapers. Faced with rising costs, the Daily Sketch was the first to raise its cover price from 3d to 4d in June, but others are expected to follow suit.

The Daily Mirror - The Sun's stablemate - has a current circulation of five million but even so it is not expected to be able to resist the price increase beyond the end of the year.

The Mirror Group is splashing out on free beer and christening mugs for new babies to promote the Sun's arrival and Herald's demise.

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