Boris Johnson’s preferred candidate to become the next chairman of media regulator Ofcom has withdrawn from the process.
In a letter to The Times, Dacre said he has decided not to apply a second time, in a the process taking a swipe at the civil servants that he claimed were determined to exclude anyone with right-of-centre “convictions” from being appointed to senior public sector roles.
“To anyone from the private sector, who, God forbid, has convictions, and is thinking of applying for a public appointment, I say the following: the civil service will control (and leak) everything; the process could take a year in which your life will be put on hold; and if you are possessed of an independent mind and are unassociated with the liberal-left, you will have more chance of winning the lottery than getting the job.”
Instead, the 73-year old former editor of the Daily Mail plans to take up a new role within the private sector.
Dacre, was said to be “not appointable” by a board of civil servants and outside executives. His “strong convictions” were said to be non-compatible with the role.
Dacre’s withdrawal means that the process to find a new chair for Ofcom is effectively back to square one, over a year after Dacre’s name was mooted as a possible contender.
