Given what we know of the secret state's extensive surveillance and sabotage of entirely legal protest movements and trade unions, it is no surprise that British spooks also wanted to undermine the Morning Star. Trying to discredit the newspaper with claims it must have had access to secret foreign funding run up against the fact that the Morning Star was not just the most authoritative source on industrial relations in the British press – prime ministers from Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher made sure to obtain their copy – but a daily newspaper whose integrity and professionalism was respected by other journalists, as the spooks evidently found to their dismay! This is a cautionary tale about the state's willingness to play dirty to discredit critical media. It is absolutely relevant today, given the calls we hear from both main parties in Parliament for tighter censorship, bans on foreign-owned media like China Central Television or Russia Today, and for state regulation of so-called “fake news” that conveniently ignores the barrage of fake news pumped out by Establishment media day in, day out. We must acknowledge the importance of defending free speech and the right to "publish and be damned!" as our government connives at efforts to intimidate and jail journalists such as Julian Assange. Online version An online version of the paper was launched on 1 April 2004. Initially only some parts of the site were free, including a PDF of the paper's front page, the editorial "Star Comment" and all the articles from the culture and sports pages, while features and the current affairs were subscription-only. On 1 January 2009 this policy was changed, and all content was made freely available online. In April 2012, the paper launched a daily e-edition of the full newspaper, which readers can subscribe to for a charge. As of 2020, the number of articles non-subscribers can read for free is limited. Editors As the Daily Worker: 1930: William Rust 1933: Jimmy Shields 1935: Idris Cox 1936: Rajani Palme Dutt 1938: Dave Springhall 1939: John Ross Campbell 1939: William Rust 1949: John Ross Campbell 1959: George Matthews Chairs of the editorial board have included Hewlett Johnson (clergyman known as 'the Red Dean' of Canterbury), although he was not a member of the CPGB. As the Morning Star: 1966: George Matthews 1974: Tony Chater 1995: John Haylett 2009: Bill Benfield 2012: Richard Bagley 2014: Ben Chacko