Editor switches to daily beat at the 'Telegraph'

After nearly three weeks of waiting, Charles Moore was finally named editor of the Daily Telegraph last night. Dominic Lawson, currently in charge of the Spectator magazine, will replace Mr Moore as editor of the Sunday Telegraph.

Mr Moore, 38, takes over at the daily paper following the resignation of Max Hastings, who has now moved on to take charge of the London Evening Standard.

Mr Moore, who has edited the Sunday title since 1992, was deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph for two years and also spent six years at the helm of The Spectator. In a statement, the Telegraph group said: "He was conspicuously successful in all these positions and we are confident that he is uniquely qualified to lead The Daily Telegraph to even greater heights of market leadership than it already enjoys."

But most observers believe the time it has taken for the newspaper's board to arrive at Mr Moore has cast a shadow over his appointment. One source confirmed that he was the third choice behind Andrew Neil, former editor of the Sunday Times, and Paul Dacre, editor of the Daily Mail.

Mr Neil was believed to have been offered the editor's chair by Conrad Black, chairman of the Telegraph, shortly after Mr Hastings suddenly stepped down. Agreement could not be reached, however, and Mr Black's attention then turned to Mr Dacre, who, since taking over the Mail in 1992, has demonstrated the staunchly right-wing credentials which the Canadian businessman so admires.

Mr Moore, who is also considered a virulent right-winger, said he was "honoured" to have been offered the job, which he regarded as the best in British newspapers.