Former government minister Michael Gove is set to become the new editor of The Spectator, following the magazine’s acquisition by hedge fund tycoon and GB News supporter Sir Paul Marshall. Gove will officially assume his new position at the start of October, as confirmed by Freddie Sayers, the magazine’s publisher.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr. Sayers, who also serves as the chief executive of the new owner OQS, stated that Gove is “perfectly suited to the role.”
Gove, who previously served as a Conservative MP and stepped down from Parliament during the recent general election, brings journalistic experience to the position. His appointment is pending final approval from Acoba, the advisory committee on business appointments that advises former ministers on post-government employment.
He succeeds Fraser Nelson, who is departing after “15 incredibly successful years,” according to Mr. Sayers. Despite stepping down, Mr. Nelson will continue to contribute to The Spectator as an associate editor. In a Wednesday article, he described Gove as “the clear successor,” praising him as “a first-class journalist who took a detour into politics and not (as so often happens) the other way around.” Nelson noted, “There’s never a good time to leave a job like mine but, after 15 years and a new owner with big ambitions, there is an obvious time.”
Under Nelson’s leadership, The Spectator has experienced significant success, particularly with its digital expansion. His decision to resign follows Andrew Neil’s recent exit as the magazine’s chairman.
First elected as the MP for Surrey Heath in 2005, Gove has held various government positions under Prime Ministers David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Rishi Sunak. He announced his resignation in May, coinciding with a wave of Conservative MPs stepping down ahead of the 4 July election.
Gove’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the Conservative Party, which is preparing to select its next leader. Earlier this month, it was revealed that The Spectator had been sold for £100 million to Sir Paul Marshall through his Old Queen Street (OQS) media group, defeating approximately 20 other bidders. The magazine, once edited by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, returned to the market in April after a failed bid from an Abu Dhabi-backed consortium that sought to acquire it alongside the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. This collapse followed government intervention in January, resulting in new legislation that prohibits foreign states from owning UK newspapers.
Founded in 1828, The Spectator is one of the oldest political and current affairs magazines in the world. Mr. Sayers also announced that Charles Moore, a former editor of The Spectator, will serve as the magazine’s non-executive Chairman. Sayers stated that Lord Moore, a non-affiliated member of the House of Lords, will have “the specific brief of safeguarding editorial independence and the soul of the publication.”
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