12:00

George Osborne knew which paper should have the exclusive story he would stand down as an MP the next election; the one he is soon to edit, the London Evening Standard. He just didn’t realise it had such early deadlines.

In perhaps the first sign that a man with no previous experience of journalism has much to learn in his new gig running London’s daily paper, he decided to give his new team the scoop just a little too late to be published in anything other than a specially produced slip edition.

Veteran political editor Joe Murphy launched the exclusive with a tweet before lunch, but after the paper is printed.

Outgoing editor Sarah Sands, an old newspaper hand about to turn radio boss, quickly ordered an extra slip edition, seen by relatively few commuters on Wednesday.