Standard

George Osborne is coming under growing pressure to step down as Conservative MP for Tatton in Cheshire, after his surprise appointment as the editor of the London Evening Standard. Evgeny Lebedev, the owner of the paper, announced the news on Twitter on Friday, saying he was “thrilled” and describing the former chancellor as “London through and through”. Osborne said he intended to remain as an MP. But some Conservatives questioned whether Osborne could represent his constituents effectively while editing a daily paper on top of a string of lucrative jobs. Others accused him of seeking to undermine Theresa May. One party source said MPs would be contacting their whips to express dismay. The chief whip, Gavin Williamson, is likely to face pressure on Monday to make an example of Osborne. Nigel Adams, the Tory MP for Selby and Ainsty, said Osborne should consult his constituents over whether he could continue as an MP. “It is one thing writing a column for … [Read more...] about George Osborne facing calls to quit as MP over Evening Standard job

George Osborne’s appointment at the London Evening Standard while remaining a Conservative MP could be a potential conflict of interest with government advertising budgets, Labour has said. The row came as former prime minister Tony Blair praised the appointment, saying he hoped it would be a good move for the MP. “I don’t know if having both of those jobs is doable, but it’s a great thing for the Evening Standard,” Blair told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show. “Why not? He’s a highly capable guy and it’ll make politics more interesting.” On Monday, former shadow cabinet minister Clive Lewis will table questions in parliament to each government department asking them to spell out their advertising spend with the newspaper since 2010, as well as future spending plans. The Treasury, where Osborne was chancellor for six years, had the largest budget for newspaper advertising of any government department in the last financial year, … [Read more...] about Labour demands answers over George Osborne’s Evening Standard job

The ethics committee assessing George Osborne’s new job as editor of the Evening Standard is understood to be actively considering a call for the former chancellor to delay or decline the role. The former chancellor was widely criticised for his decision not to quit his Tatton seat in north-west England since it was announced that he would take up the position. He irritated the advisory committee on business appointments (Acoba), which considers whether new jobs for former ministers could present a conflict of interest, by announcing the appointment before they were given time to review any potential conflict with his duties as MP and his former role at the Treasury. The committee is usually given at least a month to carry out research into what contacts a former minister had in his or her department that could constitute a conflict of interest in any new role, but it is understood that some members of the committee were informed less than an hour before Osborne’s … [Read more...] about Ethics committee may ask Osborne to decline Evening Standard role

The London Evening Standard remained in the black for the third consecutive year, reporting a profit of £1.4m in 2014. The title, which last year boosted circulation from 700,000 to 900,000 to match the broadcast range of stablemate London Live, reported an 8.7% boost in revenues to £62.9m for the year to the end of September. The free sheet, which is owned by Evgeny Lebedev, saw trading profits fall from £2.5m to £1.4m year-on-year due to planned investment in boosting circulation and building the newspaper’s digital capability. The digital investment, which has included upping the amount of sport coverage and a drive to marry the newspaper and onlin output more closely, has seen Standard.co.uk’s average daily unique browser numbers surge by 75% year-on-year to 443,465. “The Evening Standard has been at the centre of events – politically, economically and culturally. It is a vital part of the working day for Londoners,” said editor … [Read more...] about Evening Standard remains in the black for third consecutive year

The Cabinet Office is facing calls to investigate George Osborne’s decision to take a job as editor of the Evening Standard without the approval of the watchdog on former ministerial appointments. Andrew Gwynne, a shadow Cabinet Office minister, said he wanted to raise concerns about about a potential breach of the ministerial code, as the advisory committee on business appointments had not yet given its judgment on the new role. There have been calls for Osborne to resign as MP following the announcement that he would combine his roles in parliament with the editorship, an advisory job at BlackRock investment firm earning £650,000 a year, lucrative speaking engagements, and the chairmanship of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership. It also emerged on Saturday that the former chancellor only decided to apply for the editor’s job at the Evening Standard after friends contacted him to ask for advice on whether they should apply for the role. Rohan Silva, a former Downing … [Read more...] about George Osborne accused of breaching rules with Evening Standard job