THE editor of the Scottish Sunday Express is leaving, after ten years at the helm.
Derek Lambie is taking a voluntary redundancy deal as the paper’s owners, Express Newspapers, is seeking to reduce its workforce: in Scotland by around 30 per cent.
It is understood he has no plans to continue in newspapers and is aiming to pursue other options, including assisting his wife with her baby swimming business, waterbabies.co.uk.
His last day in post is Saturday.
He is quoted, as saying, on featuresexec.com website: “It has been an honour and a privilege to have been at the helm of the Sunday Express in Scotland for more than a decade.
“But, as they say, all good things come to an end and the time has come to move on.
“Like other industries – from major businesses being forced to lay off staff on a daily basis, to well-known football clubs left teetering on the brink – newspapers have not been unaffected by the current economic climate.
“Indeed, many say the media industry is facing a hitherto unseen challenge and a somewhat uncertain future. That said, Scotland needs strong Sunday newspapers and I am confident the Sunday Express will continue to play a major role north of the Border, and I wish the team well.”
It’s not known who, if anyone, will succeed him.
Meanwhile, today, the National Union of Journalists is scheduled to meet Express Newspapers.
With Scotland facing a bigger proportional cut than the London or Broughton offices of Express Newspapers, Scottish Organiser at the NUJ, Paul Holleran, says he has received – following a request from him – messages of support, urging more equal treatment, from First Minister, Alex Salmond, Scottish Energy Minister, Fergus Ewing, and Scottish Tory leader, Ruth Davidson.
Holleran told allmediascotland.com “I welcome the support from the party leaders. In my view, there is no doubt Scotland is being targeted.”
It is believed that, of the dozen or so posts earmarked for redundancy at the Scottish office of Express Newspapers, there have been around four or five applications for voluntary redundancy.
