Media: Talk of the Trade: Sir David and the 'death ship'

SIR David English, former editor of the Daily Mail and now chairman of Associated Newspapers, was in triumphalist mood when interviewed for last week's Media Week. He was chortling over how he persuaded Paul Dacre, former editor of the Evening Standard, to become editor of the Mail rather than accept an offer to edit the Times. He said: 'The Times didn't handle the negotiations properly and thought it had succeeded in netting Paul . . . The result was an enormous psychological blow for the Times and for a new editor (Peter Stothard) who then knew he was second choice. I told Paul the Times was a death ship.'