Kwasi Kwarteng has been pictured on front pages a lot this week what with a mini-maxi-budget and Rupa Huq dissing him, so you would think the Mirror’s picture desk would have little trouble recognising him, right? Kwasi had to put them right with a tweet...
Guido’s not sure who they illustrated the story with, it has however now been amended:
Kwasi’s the first black chancellor in British history, so not a great start for Black History Month at the Mirror…
UPDATE: Told it is Bernard Mensah, Bank of America Chief Executive Officer
Reach PLC hacks have voted to strike this month following a “meagre” 3% pay rise offer. Express, Mirror and Star journalists, as well as those from countless local news outlets, will walk out on Friday 26 August, Wednesday 31 August, and 48 hours from September 14th to 15th. They will also work only contracted hours from 1 to 13 September…
Reach offered staff a pay rise of either 3% or £750 minimum, which the National Union of Journalists said wasn’t enough, especially after last year’s 1% increase. A total of 79% of members voted for the strike action on a 70% turnout.
Ironically the NUJ’s local chapel representatives rejected the 3% pay offer by a ratio of four to one shortly after The Mirror published a front-page splash about chief executives earning up to 86 times their average workers’ salaries while trying to suppress staff wages.
Reach’s chief executive, Jim Mullen, earns £4 million, which according to the Press Gazette works out to 104 times as much as his median employee. Will millionaire socialist Kevin Maguire, on a six-figure salary – be joining the picket line? Guido has a feeling this is one strike the Government will be delighted to see…
Well, he wasn’t on Guido’s runners and riders list. Daily Mail deputy political editor John Stevens has announced he’s the new Mirror political editor, replacing Pippa Crerar who is shortly to depart for The Guardian. He starts this Autumn.
Some news...
— John Stevens (@johnestevens) July 13, 2022
I'm thrilled to announce I've been appointed Political Editor of the Daily Mirror, following in the footsteps of the legend @PippaCrerar
I cannot wait to join the Mirror's brilliant Westminster team this autumn, working with @MirrorAlison and @JBeattieMirror
Congratulations John, though Guido might give doing a Mail deputy pol ed runners and riders a miss…
The Mirror’s Political Editor job is a much-prized title for any high-flying, ambitious and – most importantly – pro-Labour political hacks. Now Pippa’s moved aside in favour of The Guardian – a paper in need of a regular SW1 scoop-getter – Guido’s turned his attention to who might be next in line for the star prize. Runners and riders currently within the Mirror family are highlighted in red…
Job news! I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be rejoining The Guardian as Political Editor this summer, taking over from the inestimable @GuardianHeather. Very excited about working with the brilliant politics team to hold politicians and power to account. https://t.co/qUyDZ4BmMc
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) May 10, 2022
Commiserations to Ben Riley-Smith…
Guardian, Mirror and Financial Times hacks are complaining in Press Gazette that they were “blocked” from attending Priti’s Rwanda trip this month, with the Guardian going as far as to accuse the Home Office of trying to “avoid public scrutiny“:
“We are concerned that Home Office officials are deliberately excluding specific journalists from key briefings and engagements. [This] sends a worrying signal about the state of press freedom in the UK.”
Strangely, however, Guardian hacks were actually invited on the trip… their reporter just happened to fall ill right before leaving.
Even so, the Guardian is now donning tinfoil hats and claiming the Home Office rejected replacement hack, home affairs editor Rajeev Sal, because he might ask tough questions. They also claim the Home Office have deliberately rejected Sal from briefings before, something the Home Office tells Guido is “rubbish“. If Sal is such a tough interviewer, it does beg the question of why they didn’t submit him for the trip in the first place…
Guido’s departmental co-conspirator says the whole row is “silly“, as they can’t offer tickets to everyone, everywhere, at all times. They also point out how both the BBC and PA were on-hand throughout the entire trip – so those that couldn’t attend could get straight wire copy. In fact, even the picture used in the Press Gazette report came from PA…