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It's time for IDS to have a quiet word with his pit bull Richard Caseby It's time for IDS to have a quiet word with his pit bull Richard Caseby
(about 1 month later)
Richard Caseby sounds like a good hater, judging by what he says in print. He has just used a guest blog in Fleet Street's trade press to attack the Guardian – again – for a string of "pinpoint inaccuracies" and reporting failures. He wonders if the trade's new self-regulator, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), should allow the paper to become a member – always assuming the Guardian would want to join anyway.Richard Caseby sounds like a good hater, judging by what he says in print. He has just used a guest blog in Fleet Street's trade press to attack the Guardian – again – for a string of "pinpoint inaccuracies" and reporting failures. He wonders if the trade's new self-regulator, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), should allow the paper to become a member – always assuming the Guardian would want to join anyway.
All good healthy knockabout stuff in the dog-eat-dog tradition of the Street of Shame. Or it would be if Caseby were still the managing editor of the Sun, which he isn't.All good healthy knockabout stuff in the dog-eat-dog tradition of the Street of Shame. Or it would be if Caseby were still the managing editor of the Sun, which he isn't.
Caseby left News International, where he had been a loyal executive on both Sun and the News of the World for 24 years – praised by Rupert Murdoch as he headed for the door ≠ in mid-2013. Early in 2014 he was appointed director of communications at Iain Duncan Smith's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). His boisterous guest blog in the UK Press Gazette was penned as a civil servant. Caseby left News International, where he had been a loyal executive for 24 years, from 2011 on both the Sun and the News of the World – praised by Rupert Murdoch as he headed for the door in mid-2013. Early in 2014 he was appointed director of communications at Iain Duncan Smith's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). His boisterous guest blog in the UK Press Gazette was penned as a civil servant.
Is that OK? Sir Paul Coleridge, a senior judge with a bee in his bonnet about the sanctity of marriage, has just parted company with the bench after a series of run-ins with the lord chief justice about inappropriate private comments.Is that OK? Sir Paul Coleridge, a senior judge with a bee in his bonnet about the sanctity of marriage, has just parted company with the bench after a series of run-ins with the lord chief justice about inappropriate private comments.
A previous holder of Caseby's current job - Martin Sixsmith – fell out publicly with his then-boss, Stephen Byers, with the result that they both left in a hurry and Sixsmith (another ex-hack at the BBC) went on to write the hit tearjerker, Philomena, and find himself played by Steve Coogan. A previous holder of Caseby's current job - Martin Sixsmith – fell out publicly with his then-boss, Stephen Byers, when he was at the Department for Transport, with the result that they both left in a hurry and Sixsmith (another ex-hack at the BBC) went on to write the hit tearjerker, Philomena, and find himself played by Steve Coogan.
So it happens and sometimes ends in a train crash, more usually in promises to behave. But this one is different. The Guardian and the Sun are old sparring partners, papers whose columnists and editorial writers enjoy pouring scorn on the self-evidently delusional follies and extravagant hypocrisies of its rival.So it happens and sometimes ends in a train crash, more usually in promises to behave. But this one is different. The Guardian and the Sun are old sparring partners, papers whose columnists and editorial writers enjoy pouring scorn on the self-evidently delusional follies and extravagant hypocrisies of its rival.
Whatever disdain Caseby may have felt for the Guardian must have been exponentially magnified in mid-2011 when the simmering battle over the News of the World phone-hacking affair went globally viral over the Millie Dowler phone-hack.Whatever disdain Caseby may have felt for the Guardian must have been exponentially magnified in mid-2011 when the simmering battle over the News of the World phone-hacking affair went globally viral over the Millie Dowler phone-hack.
Caseby had just been made joint MD of both papers, but as managing editor of the Sun one of his tasks became to seek apologies for errors that appeared in the Guardian's coverage of the scandal. He seems to have relished his work – claiming to have forced dozens of retractions – including one when he sent a toilet roll to the office of Alan Rusbridger, the Guardian's editor. It's the sort of thing the redtops enjoy doing. Caseby had just been made joint managing editor of both papers, but as managing editor of the Sun one of his tasks became to seek apologies for errors that appeared in the Guardian's coverage of the scandal. He seems to have relished his work – claiming to have forced dozens of retractions – including one when he sent a toilet roll to the office of Alan Rusbridger, the Guardian's editor. It's the sort of thing the redtops enjoy doing.
But that was then. It should have ended when Caseby took the Queen's shilling. It didn't. Polly Toynbee took one look at Caseby's appointment and declared that journalists could forget about getting "factual information" from the DWP now that the Sun man was in charge. Caseby got a retraction for that – and the correction said he "carries out his duties in a thoroughly honest, diligent and professional manner".But that was then. It should have ended when Caseby took the Queen's shilling. It didn't. Polly Toynbee took one look at Caseby's appointment and declared that journalists could forget about getting "factual information" from the DWP now that the Sun man was in charge. Caseby got a retraction for that – and the correction said he "carries out his duties in a thoroughly honest, diligent and professional manner".
But some people never know when to stop. Caseby's decision to come after the Guardian with no professional interest in the issue involved – the culture department, not the DWP, handles media relations – looks perilously reckless. Whether or not the Guardian joins Ipso or becomes part of a different type of post-Leveson regulation regime is a sensitive topic, but a topic way above the pay grade of Whitehall press officers, especially those who appear not to realise that the Fleet St heavy mob at the oligarch end of the business would love to have snooty rivals like the Indy, Guardian or FT on board.But some people never know when to stop. Caseby's decision to come after the Guardian with no professional interest in the issue involved – the culture department, not the DWP, handles media relations – looks perilously reckless. Whether or not the Guardian joins Ipso or becomes part of a different type of post-Leveson regulation regime is a sensitive topic, but a topic way above the pay grade of Whitehall press officers, especially those who appear not to realise that the Fleet St heavy mob at the oligarch end of the business would love to have snooty rivals like the Indy, Guardian or FT on board.
Equally thin-skinned, IDS also takes a dim view of criticism of his policies and makes things personal. Caseby is always keen to stress he was appointed by a civil service board, not the boss, and certainly has the background and stamina to do what must be a tough job, as the Mirror's Alastair Campbell and others have shown.Equally thin-skinned, IDS also takes a dim view of criticism of his policies and makes things personal. Caseby is always keen to stress he was appointed by a civil service board, not the boss, and certainly has the background and stamina to do what must be a tough job, as the Mirror's Alastair Campbell and others have shown.
But it's not smart to have a street brawler pursuing personal vendettas in a post as sensitive as Caseby's at a time when the policies he is called upon to explain and defend are under such attack.But it's not smart to have a street brawler pursuing personal vendettas in a post as sensitive as Caseby's at a time when the policies he is called upon to explain and defend are under such attack.
It's not just the Guardian that is alarmed by the way the cuts are falling on society's weakest, most of whom are not the scroungers of redtop legend.It's not just the Guardian that is alarmed by the way the cuts are falling on society's weakest, most of whom are not the scroungers of redtop legend.
Having a smart tabloid man in place to educate the public may be intelligent politics. But not one who picks pub brawls off duty, surely? Time for IDS to have a quiet word with his pit bull and explain – yet again – that the public interest is not the same as what the public may be interested in.Having a smart tabloid man in place to educate the public may be intelligent politics. But not one who picks pub brawls off duty, surely? Time for IDS to have a quiet word with his pit bull and explain – yet again – that the public interest is not the same as what the public may be interested in.
• This article was amended on the 24 June 2014. An earlier version incorrectly stated that Richard Caseby had been an executive on the Sun and News of the World for 24 years and that he had been the MD of both newspapers. In fact he was appointed as group managing editor of both newspapers in 2011. In addition, we stated: "A previous holder of Caseby's current job - Martin Sixsmith – fell out publicly with his then-boss, Stephen Byers, with the result that they both left in a hurry". Sixsmith and Byers were at the Department for Transport when the incident occurred. These errors have been corrected.