UK (Commonwealth) _ Michael Gove, a former cabinet member for the Conservative Party, has been named as The Spectator’s new editor.
Freddie Sayers, publisher of The Spectator and CEO of new owner OQS, said Mr. Gove, who resigned from parliament at the recent general election, is “perfectly suited to the role” and will take over as editor of the magazine at the beginning of next month.
Prior to becoming an MP, Mr. Gove worked as a journalist for the governments of David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Rishi Sunak.
After receiving final clearance from Acoba, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, he will assume the role. According to Acoba, the appointment won’t likely cause any special issues in light of the regulations set forth by the government.
However, it also stated: “The committee would like to warn you that any work you do with The Spectator must be managed appropriately. As a former cabinet minister, you should take extra care to avoid providing any biased perspective because of your informational access and possible political influence. This is something that the conditions listed below aim to lessen.
Following a three-month waiting period from his last ministerial position, Mr. Gove is anticipated to assume the position on October 4. Fraser Nelson, the current holder of the role, announced in a message posted on X that he will be stepping down “after 15 incredibly successful years”.
In addition to becoming an associate editor, Mr. Nelson will keep writing for The Spectator. It was announced earlier this month that Paul Marshall, a supporter of GB News, had paid £100 million (€119 million) for the magazine.
Founded in 1828 on London’s Old Queen Street, The Spectator is one of the oldest political and current affairs publications in the world. Mr. Sayers stated in a statement that the editorship of The Spectator necessitates a unique combination of depth of journalistic experience and intellectual breadth.
Michael adds a love of books, philosophy, art, opera, and a wicked sense of humor to his political and journalistic acumen. He continued, “I can’t wait to collaborate with him to introduce The Spectator to new audiences. He is perfectly suited for this role.”
Mr. Gove is “the obvious successor” to the position, according to Mr. Nelson.
He continued, “His experience, along with his journalistic abilities and the caliber of the team surrounding him, will make for quite a potent combination.”
Michael Born Graeme Andrew Logan on August 26, 1967, Andrew Gove is a retired politician and journalist from Scotland who held cabinet roles under Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, and Theresa May. He was a member of the cabinet from 2010 to 2024, with the exception of stints as a backbencher from July 2016 to June 2017 and July to October 2022. From 2005 until 2024, he served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Surrey Heath.
Gove, a Conservative Party member, placed third in his two attempts to become the party’s leader, in the years 2016 and 2019.
A weekly magazine covering politics and culture in Britain is called The Spectator.
Given that it was originally released in July 1828, it is the world’s oldest continuously running magazine. The Spectator is a conservative political publication that focuses mostly on politics and culture. The magazine includes arts pages with evaluations of literature, music, opera, films, and television shows in addition to editorials and features on current issues. Excluding Australia, its average circulation as of December 2023 was 107,812.
In the UK, becoming the magazine’s editor has frequently been a stepping stone to higher positions in the Conservative Party. Boris Johnson and other former cabinet members Ian Gilmour, Iain Macleod, and Nigel Lawson are among the past editors. In 2024, Michael Gove, a former Conservative MP, will succeed Fraser Nelson as editor.
The magazine is a combination of print and digital today. The Spectator became the first magazine to produce 10,000 issues and the longest-running current affairs publication in history in 2020. Owner of UnHerd and a significant investor in GB News, British financier Paul Marshall, purchased The Spectator in September 2024.
In terms of politics, The Spectator is conservative.The magazine had a liberal outlook in the past and backed the Liberal Party, the Liberal Unionists, and the Radical side of the Whigs during its first century of existence.