Express On Sunday Editor Dismissed Following Mandelson Story

Express Newspapers has dismissed the Express On Sunday‘s editor, Amanda Platell, following the paper’s publication of an article which detailed the private friendship between Peter Mandelson, former Trade Secretary, and a Brazilian student. Ian Walker, the paper’s news editor, has also been given the sack.

The dismissals have fuelled the debate that the Labour government has too much influence over Express newspapers – the company is headed by Lord Hollick, himself a Labour peer. Also, the Express titles’ executive editor, Rosie Boycott, is a friend of Mandelson’s and reports suggest that this relationship may have influenced the decision to remove Platell and Walker.

Express Newspaper says that the actions were taken following a continued drop in sales at the Sunday newspaper and denies there was political pressure of any sort. In the latest ABC figures the paper’s circulation fell by over 113,000 copies year on year. For a full National Newspaper ABC Round-Up subscribers should click here.

Express Newspapers: 0171 928 8000