This is the Trump ripple effect.
Former British finance minister George Osborne–you know, the one who shoveled so much slush to the already-flush British upper classes–has been named Evening Standard editor while at the same time continuing government “service” as a member of Parliament.
Naturally, as the Guardian points out, Osborne “has no significant journalistic experience.”
“The appointment was greeted by staff with a mixture of ‘shock, incredulity and hilarity,’ an insider said. ‘It’s slowly sinking in, the madness of it all, with some saying it may not be so mad after all.’ Another said Osborne’s expectation that he could do the job and continue as an MP ‘just shows the contempt he has for the newspaper, that he thinks being an editor is a part-time basis, that’s the real scandal.’ An executive at the paper described the appointment as ‘hilarious.'”
One thing Osborne has always been to do skillfully: grift for himself.