THE recent political editor of The Scotsman newspaper is back at his former stomping ground – doing casual shifts as a general reporter.
Ross Lydall’s post was made redundant by The Scotsman as it merges its editorial and production operations, as part of a cost-cutting exercise.
He is now back at the Evening Standard newspaper where he was City Hall editor, prior to his appointment at The Scotsman less that two years ago.
His departure from The Scotsman had preceded by former Lib Dem leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, posting an ‘early day motion’ at the House of Commons, concerned by threatened cuts to the number of lobby journalists reporting from Westminster for Scottish national newspapers.
Lydall had been reporting from Westminster.
He hadn’t wanted to leave The Scotsman but had equally not been keen to relocate from London to Edinburgh when the post of group political editor – for The Scotsman and sister title, Scotland on Sunday – was being advertised and which finally went to SoS political editor, Eddie Barnes.
He told allmediascotland.com: “When it became apparent that The Scotsman wasn’t going to change its mind about the redundancy, I asked to leave ASAP. I am delighted to have been subsequently able to return to the Evening Standard on a freelance basis.”
