Selim Jehan Shah (born 20 January 1944), commonly known as Eddy Shah or Eddie Shah, is a Manchester-based businessman, the founder of the then technologically advanced UK newspaper Today in 1986, and of the short-lived tabloid The Post. He is also the former owner of the Messenger Group. Biography Early life and education Eddy Shah was born in Cambridge. His mother was English and his father was Iranian. Shah was educated at the Scottish co-educational independent boarding school of Gordonstoun, and at both Haywards Heath Grammar School and Haywards Heath Secondary Modern School, at Haywards Heath in Sussex. He then attended a Brighton cram school, where he obtained seven GCE 'O' Levels. Shah held various jobs, amongst which was floor manager for Granada's television studio. Publisher After he was fired from the Manchester Evening News in 1976, he decided to launch into newspaper publishing on his own and started with the proceeds of £14,000 from the sale of his first home, in Sale, which he had bought for £4,000. As the owner of six local newspapers, Shah employed anti-trade union laws introduced by the Margaret Thatcher governments to defeat the print unions after national strikes that went on for seven months, despite receiving death threats. The Wapping dispute followed three years later. Shah first confronted the trade unions in July 1983 at his Warrington print works and the Manchester news offices as the owner of the Warrington Messenger, he sacked six workers when they went on strike. They had been ordered to strike by the NGA in protest against the employment of non-union members, Shah believed this to be an illegitimate reason after recent laws passed by the Thatcher government. In response, the National Graphical Association (NGA) began mass picketing of the Messenger'''s offices. The NGA engaged in harassment of Shahs' employees, both as they crossed the picket line, and at their homes. Three hearses bearing a child sized coffin for each of Shahs' three children were sent to his house. Strikers tried to physically prevent deliveries leaving the plant; each van was escorted out by police. For several weeks the situation was described both media, politicians, and unions, as a 'siege'. Several court judgements went against the strike, imposing both fines and injunctions, which were ignored by the NGA. On 29 November the courts sequestered the NGAs bank accounts to force payment, and kept them frozen as long as