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Osborne's first Evening Standard edition shows resolve to take on May Osborne's first Evening Standard edition shows resolve to take on May
(about 5 hours later)
George Osborne’s first edition of the London Evening Standard has demonstrated that the former chancellor intends to take on Theresa May, running with the front page headline “Brussels twists knife on Brexit” on day one in the job. It was launched with an exclusive column by the world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, and fittingly, George Osborne used the first edition of the London Evening Standard under his editorship to come out fighting against Theresa May’s government and its plans for Brexit.
The editor chose to lead the edition with a report by the veteran political editor Joe Murphy that the European parliament’s chief Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, “openly mocked” May after the dinner to discuss Brexit, leaked over the weekend. Osborne may have been Conservative chancellor until 2015 and a Tory MP for Tatton until he stepped down last month, but he did not hold back in criticising his party and former cabinet colleague in the first leader column of his editorship. In it, Osborne’s Standard attacked the prime minister for an election campaign which offered “little more than a slogan” on an issue – Brexit – which it also described as “an historic mistake”.
His first leader column – which Osborne is understood to have overseen rather than written personally – calls the vote for Brexit “an historic mistake” and goes on to criticise the Conservative campaign. “There’s nothing wrong with repeating election campaign slogans; the problem comes when the election campaign amounts to no more than a slogan. If you ask for a blank cheque, don’t be surprised if later it bounces.” From a front page story on the breakdown in talks between May and the European parliament’s chief Brexit coordinator – headlined “Brussels twists knife on Brexit” – to a poll on immigration, Osborne’s first edition will do little to quell rumours that he wants to use London’s freesheet as a platform for his own political agenda. Some see it as a vehicle for future political ambitions, should the Brexit strategy being pursued by the prime minister who sacked him as chancellor go wrong.
The front page story included a line from the leader column: “The Standard will approach the future committed to the optimism, freedom, diversity and enterprise that makes this such a great nation” – an editorial line that read like a manifesto pledge. Tuesday’s leader – which Osborne is understood to have overseen rather than written personally – also criticised “the failure of a desperately weak Labour leadership to offer a proper opposition”. The Standard, which has a history of support for the Conservatives, would hold the powerful to account “without fear or favour”, the editorial added.
The edition will do little to quell political rumours that London’s freesheet could be used as a platform for any future political ambitions, should the Brexit strategy being pursued by the prime minister who sacked Osborne go wrong. Osborne’s first job of the day – also his first role in news journalism – was to lead the paper’s 8am news conference. The new editor is understood to have been instrumental in choosing the front page splash, written by veteran political editor Joe Murphy, which reported that the European parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, “openly mocked” May after a dinner to discuss the deal.
The front page was not all politics, however. Alongside Murphy’s story was a picture of the model Cara Delevingne at New York’s Met Gala, prompting one insider to comment: “Nothing has changed – Cara is still on the front page.” Ahead of Tuesday’s edition, those close to Osborne had stressed he would be cautious to start with. “There won’t be any “May is Crap” front pages, but the paper will interrogate the decision to leave. A lot,” said one former associate.
Having spent Friday in the office and conducted several “brainstorming” sessions, Osborne promised no major changes or “big bang” to editorial. But the comment pages already looked different. The masthead boasted of the poaching of the political cartoonist Christian Adams, lured from the Daily Telegraph, with an unflattering cartoon of May. In a new slot on the page facing the editorial, the cartoonist promised an “acerbic view” of the 8 June election. His opening effort showed the prime minister barking her election slogan “strong and stable” in place of the bongs of Big Ben, but was equally unflattering about the other party leaders.
Alongside the editorial promising to “go on holding those in power to account without fear or favour”, the former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg wrote an opinion piece launching a war on London’s “killer pollution”.
Although May’s snap election forced Osborne to choose between his safe Tatton seat and new role as editor of the Standard, there were already signs he is determined to enjoy his new job.
The Standard masthead introduced the political cartoonist Christian Adams, lured from the Daily Telegraph. In a new slot on the page facing the editorial, the cartoonist promised an “acerbic view” of the 8 June election. The masthead featured a cartoon of May squawking “strong and stable” in place of the bongs from Big Ben.
The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, may have cause for concern, however. Having just scuppered the planned garden bridge, once supported by the former chancellor, the new editor gave bridge designer Thomas Heatherwick space to write: “One day I hope London gets its garden bridge.”
Standard insiders said Osborne chaired the 8am editorial conference ahead of the 56-page edition, a smaller publication in recognition of a quiet bank holiday. Several said it was “eerily quiet – no one was swearing”.
Outside the Kensington offices the Standard shares with the Daily Mail, things were notably noisier, with black-cab drivers holding a protest following reports – in the Mail – that Osborne and the previous government intervened to stop the then mayor Boris Johnson imposing stricter controls on rival car service Uber.
Osborne himself tweeted that he was “excited about first day in new job”:
Excited about first day in new job @EveningStandard. Without fear or favour we'll provide the facts & analysis - and entertain along the wayExcited about first day in new job @EveningStandard. Without fear or favour we'll provide the facts & analysis - and entertain along the way
Osborne is likely to need his commercial skills in his new job. The Standard made pre-tax profit of £3.4m on sales of £71.3m for the year to September 2015. Since then, a declining print advertising market has hit the bottom line. Costs have already had to be cut: earlier this year, the paper moved to just one print edition, and cut the shifts and therefore the pay of subeditors in half, a decision that had to be explained to him after he took up the post. Osborne tweeted that he was excited about his first day in the job, later posting images of his first splash and comment pages; soon after publication, “Evening Standard” was trending on Twitter.
When he appointed a former Tory chancellor with no journalistic experience to edit the Standard, the owner, Evgeny Lebedev, told critics to “wait and see his paper before judging”. On Tuesday, those he called the “sad old commentariat” will get to do just that. The reaction from readers and commentators was more mixed, however. The BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg tweeted: “Irony alert - George Osborne’s first editorial in Standard warns govt against only repeating slogans, and asking for a ‘blank cheque’.”
Irony alert - George Osborne's first editorial in Standard warns govt against only repeating slogans, and asking for a 'blank cheque'
PoliticsHome, the specialist website, called Tuesday’s Standard “Osborne’s revenge”.
The front page was not all politics. Alongside Murphy’s story was a picture of the model Cara Delevingne at New York’s Met Gala, prompting one Standard insider to comment: “Nothing has changed – Cara is still on the front page.” Further fashion pictures from the gala filled pages two and three.
Politics may have dominated the news pages, but there was no space for a story about the advisory committee for business appointments, the body that advises ex-ministers on what jobs they should or should not accept, criticising Osborne for taking his new job before receiving their advice.
Although May’s snap election forced Osborne to choose between his safe Tatton seat and new role as editor, there are already signs that he is determined to use his new role to focus on several topics he pursued as chancellor.
The comment section included a piece by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg launching a war on London’s “killer pollution” and a piece by Garden Bridge designer Thomas Heatherwick in praise of the scheme recently scuppered by the London mayor, Sadiq Khan.
Inside the office, at least, it felt like a relatively slow news day. With a smaller post-bank holiday edition of 56-pages, long-serving employees remarked that the Osborne newsroom was “eerily quiet – no one was swearing”.
Outside the Kensington offices the Standard shares with the Daily Mail, however, things were notably noisier, with black-cab drivers holding a protest following reports that Osborne and the previous government had intervened to stop the then mayor, Boris Johnson, imposing stricter controls on rival car service Uber.
Osborne is likely to need his commercial skills in his new job. The Standard made a pre-tax profit of £3.4m on sales of £71.3m for the year to September 2015. Since then, a declining print advertising market has hit the bottom line. Costs have already had to be cut: earlier this year, the paper moved to just one print edition, and cut the shifts of subeditors in half, a decision that had to be explained to him after he took up the post.