The Daily Mail, a potent right-wing political force in the UK, is to change editor after 26 years as Paul Dacre steps down. A fervent Brexiteer he’ll be replaced by the Mail on Sunday editor Geordie Grieg, who’s a staunch Remainer, answering directly to the owner Lord Rothermere, also pro-European.
Dacre was respected for his success as an editor if not much liked, since he traded on hate and scared prime ministers into toeing his line. Polly Toynbee said of him: ‘Like all bullies he targets underdogs, imposing on the country racism, homophobia and philistinism, and shunning complexity and evidence. His legacy is the great Brexit divide that has torn the country in two.’
The Daily Mail launched 4 May 1896 and has a stubbornly enduring Taurus Sun opposition an autocratic and innovative Saturn and Uranus in Scorpio. The Neptune Pluto in Gemini of the time is associated with scandal-mongering and it squares onto Mars in Pisces – good for bile, bitterness and showbiz, ruthless.
There’s a degree of relief on the DM chart as Dacre’s leave date is confirmed with tr Uranus square the Jupiter, repeating into 2019; but 2019 also sees tr Neptune conjunct Mars for a sense of panicky failure.
The UK has a love-hate relationship with the Mail with a power-struggling Mars Pluto and a changeable Pluto opposition Uranus in the relationship chart.
Dacre, 14 November 1948 was born the same day as Prince Charles so has the same Scorpio Sun and perhaps a late Aries Moon.
Geordie Grieg, 16 December 1960, (the day before Sky News Kay Burley), is a Sun Sagittarius with Jupiter Saturn in Capricorn opposition Mars, trine Pluto and sextile Neptune – so he’s got grit.
The UK’s 3rd house, ruling communication and newspapers, has Sagittarius on the cusp so both Greig’s Sun and Dacre’s Mars Jupiter in Sagittarius are well placed there. Greig may well pitch harder on reform of the legislature since his Uranus is conjunct the UK’s 11th house Saturn; and his Mars falls in the UK 10th, so he’ll be keen to push UK ambitions and status up a notch or two. His Jupiter in Capricorn is also conjunct the UK Sun so he may well be a better fit to raise morale. He looks in good spirits ahead.
Thank you Marjorie. Interesting about Prince Charles having the same birth date – let’s hope his reign doesn’t divide Britain as much! (though not sure I could ever picture him bellowing across an office calling everyone a c u next tuesday)
It’s thought that they want to detoxify the brand and also make it more inline with the MailOnline website (launched just after 9am 14th May 2004). Uranus being in Taurus the change is with the print product not digital, just as we are seeing in retail.