You may perhaps have wondered why the Standard – ostensibly an “evening” paper – decided to print just one edition per weekday at 11am. Now all becomes clear. So its new “editor”, George Osborne, can turn up in the office at 5am and knock off at noon (before moseying on down to the Commons).
That’s ridiculous, of course. When the morning Standard shift was first announced, it was patiently explained that the paper would mostly be prepared the previous afternoon – that is, when editor George will have sloped off.
Which makes reasonable sense because Osborne has nil relevant journalism experience. You might as well make Richard Littlejohn chancellor of the exchequer.
No: George will pen a few words, front a few Lebedev cocktail parties and pocket a few hundred thousand pounds, burying the remains of a once glowing political career. The perfect PR symbol of our times: a fake newspaper editor.