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| Former Chancellor George Osborne arrives at the Evening Standard offices to formally take up the role of editor of the newspaper in London |
On his first day as a newspaper editor, former finance minister George Osborne taunted British leader Theresa May over her snap election strategy and โunrealisticโ Brexit stance.
Carrying a bundle of newspapers as he arrived at the offices of the Evening Standard, Londonโs daily metropolitan newspaper, Osborne said his editorship would provide โthe straight facts and the informed analysisโ.
The 45-year-old was dismissed last year by fellow-Conservative May after helping to lead the doomed campaign for Britain to stay in the European Union. He will step down as a member of parliament at the June 8 general election.
The Evening Standardโs front page on Tuesday read: โBrussels twists knife on Brexitโ and added: โEU chief mocks PM May with her own โstrong and stable leadershipโ sloganโ.
After meeting the prime minister at her Downing Street residence last Wednesday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was reported to have said he was โ10 times more sceptical than I was beforeโ about the possibility of sealing a deal on divorce terms for Britain and a new trading relationship.
Osborne said last month he was stepping down from the House of Commons โfor nowโ โ prompting speculation that he planned to use his editorship to boost his influence in public debate, paving the way for a political comeback.
The newspaperโs first editorial with Osborne in charge reflected his belief that Brexit is an historic mistake.
โThe negotiations over Brexit have only just started and already we see how unrealistic were the claims made about the strength of Britainโs hand โ as the account of the Prime Ministerโs dinner with (Juncker) reveals,โ the paper said.
The Standard published a cartoon depicting May as Big Ben, incessantly chiming her โstrong and stableโ catchphrase ahead of the June 8 general election.
โThereโs nothing wrong with repeating election campaign slogans; the problem comes when the election campaign amounts to no more than a slogan,โ the newspaperโs editorial said.
Veteran journalists have mocked Osborneโs lack of editorial experience and potential conflicts of interest.
He was rebuked on Tuesday by parliamentโs watchdog for politiciansโ business appointments for breaking its rules by applying for the job before consulting it.
He already has a part-time job with a salary of ยฃ650,000 a year for working 48 days at asset manager BlackRock, and has earned hundreds of thousands of pounds giving speeches.
Once regarded as a future Conservative leader and a possible prime minister, Osborne had opposed some of Mayโs policies. British newspapers said her dismissal of the man who served as her predecessor David Cameronโs finance minister for six years was swift and ruthless, lasting only minutes.
While at the University of Oxford, Osborne dabbled in student journalism and was proud enough of his efforts to display the two issues of the magazine he edited in his Downing Street flat while chancellor.
