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| George Osborne named new London Evening Standard editor | George Osborne named new London Evening Standard editor |
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| George Osborne has been appointed as the new editor of the London Evening Standard, in a move that has astonished political commentators and media-watchers alike. | |
| Evgeny Lebedev, the owner of the daily paper, announced the appointment on Twitter, saying he was “thrilled” at the news, and described the Cheshire MP as “London through and through”. Osborne, who has no significant journalistic experience, plans to continue as MP for Tatton. | |
| In a statement, the former chancellor described his new job as a “huge honour”, adding that he was “proud to be a Conservative MP” but that as the paper’s editor, “our only interest will be to give a voice to all Londoners. We will be fearless as a paper fighting for their interests. We will judge what the government, London’s politicians and the political parties do against this simple test: is it good for our readers and good for London? If it is, we’ll support them. If it isn’t, we’ll be quick to say so. | |
| “I was elected by my constituents in Tatton to serve them and I intend to fulfil that promise,” Osborne said, adding: “I remain passionate about the northern powerhouse and will continue to promote that cause. Right from the first speech I gave about the north of England, I’ve said that London needs a successful north and the north benefits from its links to a global city like London. It’s not a zero-sum game but quite the opposite.” | |
| Politicians were amazed at the news. One Conservative minister said they were “unusually lost for words given everything else he is doing”. “Blimey … gosh,” they added, before saying that the move would worry the London mayor, Sadiq Khan. | |
| Khan congratulated Osborne on his new job, tweeting: | |
| Congratulations to @George_Osborne - the new editor of the @EveningStandard. Covering the world's greatest city #LondonIsOpen | |
| Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, tweeted: | |
| It's taking multitasking to an extreme level - what a joke https://t.co/m4a6GWwVnJ | |
| And a Labour source added: “At least the Standard is now being honest about its political affiliation.” | |
| Lib Dem leader Tim Farron echoed that concern. “Quite incredible news and an amazing coup for Lebedev. At least the paper should move to the left now,” he said. “What next, Corbyn becoming editor of the Morning star?” | |
| Downing Street were caught off guard by the announcement, which coincided with the morning briefing to reporters. “I’m unaware of it,” the prime minister’s spokesman said. “You’ll be able to tell that this is the first I’m hearing of this.” | |
| Andy Burnham, the Labour candidate to become mayor of Greater Manchester, said that while he wished Osborne well “it is hard to see how he can continue as a north-west MP”. | |
| “Our region is entering a crucial period and we need all of its representatives to be completely focused on it,” he said. He argued that Osborne ought to be fighting for the north in his role. | |
| However, Patti Goddard, president of the Tatton Conservative Association, was supportive, saying: “It’s exciting that George has got this new big role in our public life. We in the Tatton Conservatives fully support him. He’s a hard-working constituency MP. | |
| “In the last couple of weeks alone he’s being working with local schools on their concerns about the funding formula, and dealing with some tricky constituency cases. The fact he’s editing the Evening Standard in the weekday mornings won’t affect that at all – after all, being chancellor was a 24/7 job.” | |
| The newspaper said its publication schedule “will enable Mr Osborne to edit the paper and continue to fulfil his other commitments, including as an MP; giving him the time to vote and contribute in parliament in the afternoon after the paper has gone to print, and be in his constituency.” | |
| He will edit the daily paper on average four days a week, an email to staff said. It also noted that “as required of former ministers, Mr Osborne is seeking the advice of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments on his appointment.” | |
| Osborne, 45, who became chancellor in 2010 and was a key figure behind the coalition government’s austerity programme, was sacked by Theresa May following the Brexit vote. Unlike David Cameron, however, he opted to remain in parliament as a backbencher. | |
| He has faced sharp criticism for taking on a series of highly lucrative jobs alongside his parliamentary role, including a contract with the US fund management firm BlackRock, declared in the register of parliamentary interests earlier this month, that will earn him £650,000 a year for one day’s work a week. | |
| Over the past six months, the former chancellor has also pocketed almost £800,000 for 15 speeches, some of which caused him to miss a series of crucial votes in parliament, including on Brexit. He also collects a £120,000 a year “stipend” from a US Republican thinktank, and received an estimated £100,000 advance for his forthcoming book Age of Unreason. In addition, he receives an annual dividend of £44,000 from his family’s wallpaper business, Osborne & Little, on top of his £75,000 salary as MP for Tatton. | |
| Lebedev said: “I am proud to have an editor of such substance, who reinforces The Standard’s standing and influence in London, and whose political viewpoint – socially liberal and economically pragmatic – closely matches that of many of our readers. | |
| “George is London through and through and I am confident he is the right person to build on the fantastic legacy of Sarah Sands.” | “George is London through and through and I am confident he is the right person to build on the fantastic legacy of Sarah Sands.” |
| Sands, who edited the paper from 2009, has been appointed the new editor of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. | |
| As a young graduate, Osborne hoped to pursue a career in journalism, but in 1993, he failed to get a sought-after place on the Times’s trainee scheme, and settled instead for freelance work on the Daily Telegraph’s Peterborough diary column, before a friend alerted him to a vacancy for a researcher at Conservative central office. Osborne’s Who’s Who entry lists his career beginning with a period as “freelance journalist” in 1993. |