Pointless London newspaper to go 'Free'

Can anyone tell me the point of the Evening Standard?

When I lived in London, I occasionally succumbed to bouts of amnesia, where I'd buy a copy (out of boredom) for the train home, only to read it and suddenly remember why I promised myself last time out I'd never read it again.

Firstly, it (because of its ties with Dacre's Penny Dreadful Corporation - Associated Newspapers), is nothing short of 'Daily Mail Lite'.* Just one calorie, same old bigoted reactionary shite. Pictures of Zed listers wearing some dresses and comment on celebs. High on Heat-esque rubbish, low on actual news.

* It is now majority owned by Mr Lebedev of Russia, but Associated still have a 17% ish stake in the rag. And to be honest, when I have a look, I can't see much editorial change.

Secondly, it takes anyone with an I.Q of over 15 to read it in less than 28 seconds. This is because of the absurd number of adverts that spatter the pages, and the fact the actual written copy is banal, weak and low on quality and quantity. All this means that, factually speaking, it's not possible for a person with a brain to read it, and for the experience to last between any given stop on a tube or train on any journey through London.

So...what's the fucking point?

Thirdly, and this ties into point one, it is a rag that kow tows to the Daily Mail political agenda, whilst simultaneously remaining quite gutless in the face of the despicable authoritarian creep that has engulfed our capital over the last decade or so.

The Oligarch owner, Lebedev, has sound business reasons for making it free. But for people like myself, who have long eschewed the Standard, one further step is required for my ilk to be brought into the readership fold. It involves a person approaching me in the street, cash in hand, offering me hard currency for providing Rag Towers with the grace to bother taking their copy off their hands.

All in all, fuck the Standard, because it is shit.