On 6 June, Paul Dacre announced that he’s stepping down as editor of the Daily Mail. But despite 26 years of service, there’s little celebration of the role he’s played in the UK media. In fact, people on Twitter are taking him down in style.
Bye then…
The BBC‘s Amol Rajan claimed to have the scoop:
+++ SCOOP: Paul Dacre resigning as Mail editor by his 70th birthday +++
— Amol Rajan (@amolrajan) June 6, 2018
And it didn’t take long for confirmation from other media outlets.
But on Twitter, the news caused quite a stir. And lots of people wished him good riddance:
Good riddance to bad rubbish.https://t.co/WZFCoIPaas
— James Melville 🚜 (@JamesMelville) June 6, 2018
This man has devoted his career to attacking the weak on behalf of the powerful. He has arguably done more to undermine decency in public life than anyone else in the UK. #PaulDacre – good riddance. https://t.co/9u5CC4tF1b
— George Monbiot (@GeorgeMonbiot) June 6, 2018
Erm, quite a lot of people actually:
Good riddance to foul-mouthed bullying, knuckle dragging fascist Paul Dacre. His toxic, pernicious influence on our society has come to a end – alas soon to be replaced at the Daily Heil by another vicious scapegoating sociopath, undoubtedly 🙁 https://t.co/iOuKqc8djZ
— Black Triangle (@blacktriangle1) June 6, 2018
https://twitter.com/hrtbps/status/1004434768841277441
“The most dangerous man in Britain”
The Guardian called Dacre possibly “the most dangerous man in Britain”, who made sure the Mail remains the “UK’s most fanatical anti-liberal voice”. Because under his watch, endless Mail front pages have spewed out vitriol about immigrants, poor people, women, and anyone who doesn’t ‘fit’ an outmoded and elitist image of ‘middle England’:
BREAKING: Paul Dacre, close friend of Theresa May, is to step down as Daily Mail editor after 26 years. Good riddance
Here is a selection of his racist and xenophobic front page headlines to remember him by pic.twitter.com/NI3E54hVMm
— Socialist Voice (@SocialistVoice) June 6, 2018
We’ve campaigned against the hatred spread by #Dacre’s Mail. Sponsors, advertisers, readers – demand something better. #StopFundingHate https://t.co/dLbI7sLxMi
— Global Justice Now (@GlobalJusticeUK) June 6, 2018
Lord Adonis said his departure called for “national rejoicing”, and others agreed:
Paul Dacre has been responsible for more social and ethical damage to the U.K. than even the Tory governments he has helped propel into office. A calamitously toxic legacy …
— Michael Gollop 🏴 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 🐟🕯🕷 (@MichaelJGollop) June 6, 2018
Because Dacre does seem to have quite close links to the Tory government:
https://twitter.com/DancingTheMind/status/1004436636011192321
Breaking: Head of government policy, Paul Dacre, has just resigned from his other job as the editor of the Daily Mail.
— Rachael Swindon #WeAreCollective (@Rachael_Swindon) June 6, 2018
https://twitter.com/Reydelmal/status/1004477479006932992
Some also pointed out Dacre’s faux morality:
Paul Dacre is the Pecksniffian’s Pecksniffian.
This odious man holds himself out (who knows maybe even to himself) as being highly moral. His hypocrisy is of an order of magnitude that it could be seen from Space.
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) June 6, 2018
Who’s next?
The Guardian reported that likely candidates to replace Dacre include:
the Mail on Sunday editor, Geordie Greig, who has regularly clashed with Dacre and supported remain in the EU referendum, MailOnline editor Martin Clarke, and current Daily Mail deputy editor, Gerard Greaves.
But Twitter had an abundance of other suggestions:
I am wondering what the odds are on Boris Johnson. https://t.co/9O4XQUpcT2
— fleetstreetfox (@fleetstreetfox) June 6, 2018
https://twitter.com/AmanTsays/status/1004426985475624961
A job for Jacob Rees-Mogg – he won't be the first newspaper editor to have no experience of journalism. These days a Cabinet post is more than sufficient.
— ruth waterton (@mefinx) June 6, 2018
Former chancellor George Osborne did head from the cabinet to the Evening Standard, so we can’t rule anything out. But some suggestions were – if possible – even more worrying:
https://twitter.com/christedd/status/1004443253834506241
See ya…
This news isn’t entirely a cause for celebration, though. Because Dacre is set to “serve as chairman and editor-in-chief of Associated Newspapers, which owns the Daily Mail”. So the very real possibility is that he will now actually have more power and greater influence. But despite this, there’s no denying that the response on social media truly has shown the extent of public feeling towards him and the toxic right-wing media he represents.
So sometimes, a picture really does say a thousand words:
Paul Dacre is to retire from editor of the Daily Mail pic.twitter.com/GxfGH8CDHU
— John Traynor 🇾🇪(Ducksoap) (@Mr_JDTraynor) June 6, 2018
Cheers and gone then, Mr Dacre.
Many people really won’t miss him. But sadly, the Mail will still remain on sale.
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Featured image via Kerry-Anne Mendoza
