The Observer view on George Osborne as editor of the Evening Standard

The ex-chancellor is walking into a minefield of his own making

Being “editor” of the Daily This, Evening That or Weekly Whatever is a most fuzzily flexible concept: one quite unlike George Osborne’s old deficit reduction targets. Of course, CP Scott (blissfully reincarnated as “CP Snow” on the Radio 4 Today programme on Saturday) managed to remain a Liberal MP and editor of the Manchester Guardian for 11 years. But 1906 is an eternity ago in political (and newspaper) history. If you want more relevant precursors think, perhaps, of Iain Macleod editing the Spectator before going on to become chancellor of the exchequer or RHS Crossman running the New Statesman – both of them, as with Boris Johnson at the Spectator years later, keeping Westminster seats warm at the same time.

It is, on examination, who an editor is and what he or she has been hired for that matters most. Lord Deedes, once the Tories’ cabinet minister for spin, could be editor of the Daily Telegraph and occasional speechwriter for Margaret Thatcher at the same time because his editing remit didn’t really stretch beyond the editorial pages. A hard-edged news professional called Peter Eastwood got the newspaper out. And that division between opinion and the rest is quite standard across swaths of the western press. Marty Baron at the Washington Post or Dean Baquet at the New York Times may seem like top editors at their papers: but their hegemony ends where viewspapering begins.

If that’s the kind of constricted perch that Osborne is taking over four mornings a week, then much of the alleged outrage (from Tatton constituents and the editor of the Daily Mail) seems too much fuss about nothing. Evening Standard leaders don’t thunder. Standard opinion pieces move few votes and make few waves. If Osborne wants more salience – buoyed by the natural publicity his half or maybe one-fifth job, attracts – then his task isn’t quite so daunting. Nobody, after all, is asking him to morph into a more hirsute Paul Dacre for the duration.

The young Evgeny Lebedev, master of the Standard revels, may thus be tolerably satisfied. His remaining print newspaper needs a boost, especially after the penny-pinched decision to cut sub-editorial shifts in two. His Russian experience probably sees little wrong with the systemic interweaving of politics and journalism. And the Standard – given away free very successfully these days – isn’t particularly vulnerable to costly editorial blunders.

But there are difficulties here, of perception as well as practice. Osborne may not be quite taking on the burdens his enemies insist. In effect, he may be no more than a hired columnist with added majesty, able to tell Theresa May and the battalions of Brexit where to get off with seeming authority. But, still, “editor” sounds like a proper job, demanding a proper salary – and hot and cold chauffeurs ferrying him door to door. He won’t look like a man of the people when and if Brexit turns sour. He’ll look too snug and smug, enjoying too many good days at BlackRock tables and Standard lunches. He’ll walk through minefields of conflicting interests that his critics will exploit with glee.

The spectre for Osborne at this particular feast is Tony Blair, who makes one of the best Remain cases going but preaches to the unconvertible because what the former prime minister did after he left No 10 fatally soiled his image. He has great arguments but built the most rickety of bully pulpits. And Osborne’s own new pulpit makes him in turn hopelessly vulnerable. There are so many potential opportunities to shoot him down: the money accrued, the tangle of ethical interests, the stretch of serving his Tatton constituents from an editorial office in Kensington. Perhaps Osborne wants to take the fight to his baleful Leave foes. Perhaps he wants to be able to dish it out to an audience far beyond Westminster. But he has small chance of being able to stay on the front foot when rough trade starts – even if the economy founders through long months of withdrawal.

Osborne knows next to nothing about active journalism. His desultory debut there, a Times shopping column about the price of Christmas goodies in 1993, wins no awards. His accretion of the “editor” tag on such scanty grounds will win him few friends in the pro press pack. Taking the job thus may have looked like a great wheeze. But then we know that many whizzy things – including Osborne referendum arguments – have a habit of falling apart.

Observer editorial

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
Sorry, George Osborne, that’s no way to impress your staff | Barbara Ellen
The former chancellor’s new guise can’t mask past failings

Barbara Ellen

14, Oct, 2017 @11:05 PM

Article image
George Osborne: not fake news, just a fake editor
The former chancellor’s new job would be demanding indeed – if he were not clearly just going to be a figurehead

Peter Preston

19, Mar, 2017 @7:00 AM

Article image
George Osborne facing calls to quit as MP over Evening Standard job
Former chancellor appointed as London daily’s new editor is under pressure from Labour and some Tories to resign as Tatton MP

Esther Addley, Anushka Asthana, Lisa O'Carroll and Jessica Elgot

17, Mar, 2017 @4:34 PM

Article image
Ethics committee may ask Osborne to decline Evening Standard role
Under-fire former chancellor tells fellow MPs ‘parliament is enhanced when we have people from all walks of life’

Jessica Elgot and Esther Addley

20, Mar, 2017 @7:21 PM

Article image
Emily Sheffield departs as editor of Evening Standard
David Cameron’s sister-in-law departs London newspaper hot seat just 15 months after replacing George Osborne

Jim Waterson Media editor

21, Oct, 2021 @10:45 AM

Article image
Emily Sheffield succeeds George Osborne as Evening Standard editor
Ex-deputy editor of Vogue and David Cameron’s sister-in-law takes over at difficult time for title

Matthew Weaver and Jim Waterson

12, Jun, 2020 @2:46 PM

Article image
The Observer city editor at the centre of the 1980s battle over Harrods | Michael Gillard
Melvyn Marckus led investigations into big business scandals in the 1980s and 90s at Asil Nadir’s Polly Peck and the Bank of Credit & Commerce International

Michael Gillard

12, Mar, 2023 @10:30 AM

Article image
The Observer view on the high costs order against Carole Cadwalladr | Observer editorial
The court of appeal partially allowed Arron Banks’ appeal. The effect on public interest journalism could be chilling

Observer editorial

20, May, 2023 @3:48 PM

Article image
The Observer view on Prince Harry’s court victory over Mirror Group Newspapers | Observer editorial
In his continuing campaign to bring the press to account for phone hacking, the Duke of Sussex may succeed where Leveson’s inquiry failed

Observer editorial

17, Dec, 2023 @6:30 AM

Article image
It’s possible Evgeny Lebedev’s only crime is absurdity. Perhaps his editors could let us know | Catherine Bennett
In all the recent chatter about the press baron, one group has been silent – his media execs

Catherine Bennett

19, Mar, 2022 @7:00 PM