More defections expected this week…

Via Telegraph.

One nugget of news from James Forsyth that will be keeping them happy over at Telegraph towers: apparently the PM’s new favourite columnist is Ed-bashing Blairite refusenik Dan Hodges.

“At the moment, the Cameroons are whining about the Conservative party being ‘unleadable’. There is much quoting of Cameron’s new favourite columnist, Dan Hodges, a former trade union official who is equally scathing about Conservative backbenchers and Ed Miliband. But even those who are indulging in this pastime know that it is not serious politics: if they really believed the Conservative party was unleadable, they wouldn’t be spending their lives trying to lead it.”

As if he hadn’t got under Labour’s skin enough already…

It takes something pretty special to unite the Tories and the Guardian, and then have UKIP and the New Statesman team up against them. UKIP candidate Dick Delingpole’s photoshop of himself with Hitler and subsequent Telegraph blog “confessing” to a non-existent Nazi past were so obviously a joke surely no one could fall for it. Step forward Simon Geraghty, Delingpole’s Tory opponent in Worcester, to bore us all with a cringeworthy sense of humour bypass:

“I find it absolutely sickening and abhorrent. I think the vast majority of British people will find this shocking – it’s not funny at all, it’s dreadful and I can’t believe he’s done it.”

The Guardian‘s Nick Watt even managed to bring himself to write the non-story up in full high-minded glory, apparently using the headline “Ukip in fresh Nazi row after candidate Photoshops Hitler image” without irony. You knew the whole thing had reached farcical proportions when the Staggers came out in defence of Delingpole this afternoon. CCHQ, a Tory candidate and the Guardian versus UKIP, the Staggers and a Delingpole – roll on Friday.

From next Monday @cg_williams is the new Telegraph tech and telecoms editor. @kerushton becomes US business editor.—
Media Guido (@MediaGuido) April 22, 2013

Note that the Telegraph dropped “Media” from Rushton’s old job title – Chris Williams will be just Technology & Telecoms editor. The Barclay brothers don’t like hacks sniffing round secretive media businesses…

A great signing for the Telegraph: Kelvin MacKenzie has been snapped up as a weekly columnist. His first effort asks why the Prime Mentalist has been popping in for cosy chats with Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions.

That’ll be one for the PCC then…

A subtle roll-over from whoever’s in charge of the Telegraph’s pics…

Non-subscribers will now be limited to just 20 free articles a month as the new “Digital First” Telegraph goes behind a paywall. It seems to be an FT-style half-and-half-measure. If you want to carry on reading you will have to fork out £2-a-month, or a tenner on tablet. Whether it will be worth it in terms of lost readership shall remain to be seen…

@nadiakhomami Incredible scenes? More like incredulous screams—
Tim Walker (@MandrakeTim) March 26, 2013

With the axes swinging over at the Telegraph, their new “digital first” mantra must really be hitting home as even their most old school of correspondents are taking to the internet. Tim Walker, editor of the Mandrake column, has signed up to Twitter. The somewhat aloof diarist and noted wit seems to be getting the hang of it.

Uproar in Victoria in the run up to today’s mass redundancy announcements. Staff have been particularly put out by the eager camera crew drifting around the newsroom filming a slick info-mericial about the new “Digital First” plans before the eighty editorial staff getting the chop to fund it are even out of the door.

If these emails obtained by Media Guido are anything to go by, the sackings have been handled with all the tact of David Brent:

“Following the Townhall meetings on 12^th March and our letter of 11^th March, you will know that the Company is required to make a number of redundancies and it has been necessary to apply the selection criteria referred to in my letter of 12^th March. We would like to arrange an individual meeting with you to discuss the provisional selection for redundancy exercise. You may, if you wish, bring a colleague or trade union representative along with you to the meeting.”

Followed by:

“Please note that my previous email was sent to all those who last week received a letter saying that they were at risk of redundancy. It did not mean that you have been selected for redundancy. Only those who are provisionally selected for redundancy will be communicated with later this week and will receive an appointment within the timeslots advised on the previous email. Apologies for any confusion or distress caused by the last email.”

The cheery tone adopted last night has not helped:

Hi everyone,

Ahead of a couple of very difficult days I want to let you know that Laurie in Services has very kindly offered to help staff with removing their personal belongings from the building. If you are made redundant you can go to the post room and get a cardboard box which you can then fill with your belongings and leave at your desk. Services will then contact you to arrange delivery of your belongings to your home address. Please label all boxes with your name, address and phone number.

It’s going to be a long day. Staff at the soon to be merged Sunday Telegraph seem most worried.

Earlier MediaGuido advised the Telegraph to get in touch with their legal department after running a photo of a Big Mac to accompany their horsemeat in schools story. McDonald’s are thus far untainted by the scandal, now the original picture has been replaced by a much less legally dubious cottage pie. Let’s hope no one at Maccy D’s noticed…