Mandrake in The New European (AKA Tim Walker) has a huge-if-true story this evening:
Long regarded as a dormant volcano, the Daily Mail proprietor Lord Rothermere has erupted. Mandrake is reliably informed he has told his editors – and his editor-in-chief Paul Dacre – that he believes his national titles have “lost all touch” with what their readers are thinking about Boris Johnson.
I am told tomorrow’s Mail on Sunday will make it abundantly clear it no longer has confidence in Johnson. The language will be strong and the change of tone and direction dramatic. It will send shock waves through Downing Street and the Conservative party and make a leadership challenge this year all the more likely.
I am reminded of the observation that Tony Blair didn't win in 1997 because Rupert Murdoch's papers supported him: they supported him because he was going to win.
Well it didn't happen this weekend.
ReplyDeleteThe Mail on Sunday's front page story today is:
ReplyDeleteBORIS KNEW ALL ABOUT 'GROPING' TORY TWO YEARS AGO
Today's Daily Mail front page:
ReplyDeleteWHAT THE HELL HAVE THEY DONE?
Mail editorial politics are hard to understand because there are three outlets (DM, MoS, MailOnline). Apparently moves have been made to unify or standardise their approaches, but their "rush to press" policy means that stories and headlines for online stories still change a lot.