• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS
  • Twitter

George Osborne’s Editorship of the Evening Standard is bad for journalism, London and the paper’s own standing

March 17, 2017 - Martin Hoscik@MayorWatch

Image: HM Treasury
Despite the generous welcome it received from Sadiq Khan, George Osborne’s appointment as Evening Standard editor is not a good development for London or for the media’s standing.

Congratulations to @George_Osborne – the new editor of the @EveningStandard. Covering the world's greatest city #LondonIsOpen

— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) March 17, 2017

The former chancellor, who expected to remain in a top cabinet post following last year’s Brexit vote, has no apparent qualifications to run a newspaper and was consistently one of the most tribal and partisan of David Cameron’s team.

His economic policy slashed benefits for hundreds of thousands of Londoners and led to the rise of the so-called gig economy which has seen many working in insecure jobs and having to go to tribunals to enforce their rights.

And, if we’re to believe Boris Johnson, the former Mayor who now occupies the Foreign Secretary post Osborne apparently hankered for, he actively threatened the capital’s success by planning to axe Crossrail after hundreds of millions of pounds had already been committed to the project.

He was also the driving force behind the funding cuts which forced the closure of police stations and axing of fire engines and cuts in the NHS.

George Osborne, darling of a certain section of the Tory membership that he may be, is not a man known for acting in the interests of Londoners. So many will be baffled to see their Mayor welcome him to the editorship of the paper which is meant to speak up for them.

And, at a time when trust in the mainstream media is under threat, the appointment of such a partisan Tory poses real risk to the paper’s ability to scrutinise a Labour Mayor.

Thanks to its own highly partisan editorial slants during the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Mayoral races the paper already dented its credibility with large numbers of Londoners and today’s appointment amplifies the ease with which factual stories of future City Hall failures can be dismissed as Tory propaganda.

And the conflicts of interest as Osborne seeks to combine MP and Editor are vast.

Just think. In 12 months time his Standard will be covering the budget his party leader will expect him to vote for.

Will we be reading the paper’s honest assessment of the Government’s spending plans or a partisan take by a guy who still probably hopes to succeed Theresa May one day?

Instead of praising Osborne’s appointment, Sadiq ought to be touring the newsrooms making this point:

This appointment is bad news for the reputation of politics, journalism and the relationship between the two.

— Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) March 17, 2017

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

RECENT UPDATES

Tube and rail users to benefit from Oyster weekly fares cap

Mayor and TfL call on ministers to help plug funding gap

Tube to get full mobile phone coverage from 2024

TfL says Direct Vision Standard is already making HGVs safer for London road users




POPULAR

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

GOT A STORY?

As the original London news and scrutiny site we've been casting an eye over the capital's public services and politicians since 1999.

 

Many of our top stories started with a tip-off from a reader - if you've got something you'd like us to cover get in touch and we'll do the rest.

Stay In Touch

  • E-mail
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.