Evening Standard editor apologises after Twitter leak of Budget frontpage
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
The London Evening Standard has apologised for a “very serious mistake” after details of the Budget were leaked on the Internet 20 minutes before the Chancellor of the Exchequer had started his speech in Parliament.
The paper’s editor Sarah Sands said: “An investigation is immediately underway into how this front page was made public and the individual who tweeted the page has been suspended while this takes place. We have immediately reviewed our procedures. We are devastated that an embargo was breached and offer our heartfelt apologies.”
An image of the newspaper’s front page, including clearly visible details of the Chancellor’s plans for borrowing, tax cuts and growth forecast, was posted on Twitter by a member of the newspaper’s staff shortly after midday.
By the time George Osborne came forward to make his speech, jeering Labour members were waving photo-copies of the newspaper front page at him. The leak will have given the Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband valuable early notice of what Mr Osborne was planning to announce.
The error was seized on by political correspondents including the BBC’s Nick Robinson, who used Twitter to comment “Standby for row about Budget leak.”
In an attempt to defuse the issue, the Standard’s political editor Joe Murphy, whose byline appeared on the front page piece, took to Twitter to say sorry. “I wish to apologise for a very serious mistake by the @EveningStandard earlier which resulted in our front page being tweeted...,” he said. “We are so sorry to the House of Commons, to the Speaker and to the Chancellor for what happened. We shall be apologising to them.”
The breach is likely to have repercussions at Westminster. The paper’s headline “Things Can Only Get Bitter” was a reference to Mr Osborne’s decision to take 1p off the price of a pint of beer.
It is understood the front page was tweeted by an inexperienced member of the paper’s staff.
Read more
Millions to get help to buy homes from 2014
'A penny off a pint' as beer tax is cut by George Osborne
Fuel duty rise scrapped by George Osborne
'A tax off jobs' as small businesses given Employment Allowance boost
George Osborne turns to Bank of England for help as growth is halved
Budget 2013 Live Blog - as it happened
Price of beer cut by 1p, fuel duty rise is scrapped and no income tax on first £10k of earnings
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments