Editing The Spectator (section)

===Boris Johnson===
Before joining ''The Spectator'' as editor, [[Boris Johnson]] had worked for ''[[The Times]]'', the Wolverhampton ''[[Wolverhampton Express and Star|Express & Star]]'', and ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. He had also briefly been political commentator for ''The Spectator'' under Dominic Lawson, but Frank Johnson replaced him with [[Bruce Anderson (columnist)|Bruce Anderson]] in 1995. Succeeding Frank Johnson in 1999, Johnson increased ''Spectator'' subscriptions to a record 70,000 per year, and has been described as a "colourful editor".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Grice |first=Andrew |date=10 December 2005 |title=An era ends at 'The Sextator' as Johnson chooses politics over journalism |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/an-era-ends-at-the-sextator-as-johnson-chooses-politics-over-journalism-518864.html |url-status=live |access-date=16 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301212954/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/an-era-ends-at-the-sextator-as-johnson-chooses-politics-over-journalism-518864.html |archive-date=1 March 2020}}</ref> In the [[2001 United Kingdom general election]], Johnson was elected MP for [[Henley (UK Parliament constituency)|Henley]], and by 2004 had been made vice-chairman of the Conservative party, with a place in [[Michael Howard]]'s shadow cabinet. In 2003, he explained his editorial policy for ''The Spectator'' would "always be roughly speaking in favour of getting rid of Saddam, sticking up for Israel, free-market economics, expanding choice" and that the magazine was "not necessarily a [[Thatcherite]] Conservative or a [[neo-conservative]] magazine, even though in our editorial coverage we tend to follow roughly the conclusions of those lines of arguments."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Graff |first=Vincent |date=10 June 2003 |title=The blond bombshell |work=The Independent |location=UK |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-blond-bombshell-540261.html |url-status=dead |access-date=9 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123065155/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-blond-bombshell-540261.html |archive-date=23 January 2011}}</ref> In February 2003, Johnson was the subject of a [[Scotland Yard]] inquiry relating to a column by [[Taki Theodoracopulos]] titled "Thoughts on Thuggery" targeting barrister [[Peter Herbert (lawyer)|Peter Herbert]], a black man.<ref name="Herbert">{{Cite web |last=Hopkins |first=Nick |author-link=Nick Hopkins |date=28 February 2008 |title=Spectator and its Tory MP editor may face charges over Taki race rant |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/feb/28/uk.pressandpublishing |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215144/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/feb/28/uk.pressandpublishing |archive-date=2 June 2021 |access-date=31 May 2021 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Following the column's publication, Herbert had received over 40 racist emails, mostly from the United States, some of which contained death threats.<ref name="Herbert" /> Johnson called the column "a terrible thing" which "should never have gone in."<ref name="Herbert" />

In October 2004, a ''Spectator'' editorial suggested that the death of the hostage [[Kenneth Bigley]] was being over-sentimentalised by the people of Liverpool, accusing them of indulging in a "vicarious victimhood" and of possessing a "deeply unattractive psyche".’<ref>''The Spectator'', 16 October 2004</ref> Simon Heffer had written the leader but, as editor, Johnson took full responsibility for it. Michael Howard subsequently ordered him to visit Liverpool on a "penitential pilgrimage".<ref>''The Spectator'', 23 October 2004</ref> At this time, the paper began jokingly to be referred to as the 'Sextator', owing to the number of sex scandals connected with the magazine during his editorship. These included an affair between columnist [[Rod Liddle]] and the magazine's receptionist, and Johnson's own affair with another columnist, [[Petronella Wyatt]]. Johnson at first denied the relationship, dismissing the allegations as "an inverted pyramid of piffle", but was sacked from the Shadow Cabinet in November 2004 when they turned out to be true. In the same year [[David Blunkett]], the Home Secretary, resigned from the government after it emerged he had been having an affair with the publisher of ''The Spectator'', [[Kimberly Quinn]], and had fast-tracked her nanny's visa application.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 December 2004 |title=Blunkett quits as home secretary |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4099581.stm |url-status=live |access-date=13 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904011637/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4099581.stm |archive-date=4 September 2017}}</ref>

In 2005, circulation was as high as 60,000 by the time Johnson left to be the Shadow Minister for Higher Education. On the announcement of his departure, [[Andrew Neil]], chairman of ''The Spectator''<ref>{{Cite web |title=A statement from the chairman of The Spectator |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/a-statement-from-the-chairman-of-the-spectator/amp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519030117/https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/a-statement-from-the-chairman-of-the-spectator/amp |archive-date=19 May 2021 |access-date=1 April 2021 |website=www.spectator.co.uk}}</ref><ref name="parliamentaryregister">{{Citation |title=Register of Journalists' Interests |date=22 August 2018 |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmjournl/journalists.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828035650/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmjournl/journalists.htm |publisher=UK Parliament |access-date=27 August 2018 |archive-date=28 August 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> paid tribute to his editorship;<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 December 2005 |title=Boris Johnson resigns as Spectator editor |work=Press Gazette |url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=32770&sectioncode=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113152846/http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=32770 |archive-date=13 November 2007}}</ref> however, Neil later rebuked Johnson for having delegated most of his responsibilities to an assistant, in a [[Channel 4]] [[Dispatches (TV programme)|''Dispatches'']] episode titled ''Boris Johnson: Has He Run Out of Road?''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boris Johnson: Has He Run Out of Road? - All 4 |url=https://www.channel4.com/programmes/boris-johnson-has-he-run-out-of-road |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130203533/https://www.channel4.com/programmes/boris-johnson-has-he-run-out-of-road |archive-date=30 January 2022 |access-date=1 February 2022 |website=channel4.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Andrew Neil will examine Boris Johnson's political fight in Boris Johnson: Has He Run Out of Road? Tx: Sunday 30th January, 6:45pm, on Channel 4 and All 4 |url=https://www.channel4.com/press/news/andrew-neil-will-examine-boris-johnsons-political-fight-boris-johnson-has-he-run-out |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201025045/https://www.channel4.com/press/news/andrew-neil-will-examine-boris-johnsons-political-fight-boris-johnson-has-he-run-out |archive-date=1 February 2022 |access-date=1 February 2022 |website=[[Channel 4]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Power |first=Ed |date=30 January 2022 |title=Anger, scorn and support as Andrew Neil returned to TV to take on Boris Johnson |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2022/01/30/anger-scorn-support-andrew-neil-returned-tv-take-boris-johnson/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201025100/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2022/01/30/anger-scorn-support-andrew-neil-returned-tv-take-boris-johnson/ |archive-date=1 February 2022}}</ref> During Johnson's editorship, [[Mary Wakefield (journalist)|Mary Wakefield]] began working at the magazine: she is now the magazine's commissioning editor and is married to Johnson's former political advisor [[Dominic Cummings]].<ref name="theindependent1">{{Cite news |last=Maya Oppenheim |date=5 July 2017 |title=Dominic Cummings: The Vote Leave chief who invented £350m claim before admitting Brexit was a mistake |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dominic-cummings-vote-leave-chief-invent-350-million-brexit-mistake-david-cameron-leave-eu-a7825601.html |url-status=live |access-date=9 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808091851/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dominic-cummings-vote-leave-chief-invent-350-million-brexit-mistake-david-cameron-leave-eu-a7825601.html |archive-date=8 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="ft.com">{{Cite news |date=15 January 2020 |title=Dominic Cummings has 'done' Brexit. Now he plans to reinvent politics |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/0bf8a910-372e-11ea-a6d3-9a26f8c3cba4 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=12 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226131202/https://www.ft.com/content/0bf8a910-372e-11ea-a6d3-9a26f8c3cba4 |archive-date=26 February 2020}}</ref>

In 2004, the [[Barclay Brothers]] purchased the Telegraph Group from [[Hollinger International]] which included ''The Spectator'' within its titles.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/aug/17/telegraphmediagroup.pressandpublishing |title=Barclays bring in trusted lieutenants to Telegraph board |work=The Guardian |date=17 August 2004 |first=Chris |last=Tryhorn |access-date=12 September 2024}}</ref>