Time runs out for the editor of The New Statesman

UPDATED: 16.29 with confirmation Jason Cowley has stepped down as editor of the New Statesman after 16 years.

A changing of the guard at the New Statesman, over which editor Jason Cowley has presided for a commendable 16 years.

Cowley, the longest-serving editor of a British current affairs magazine, is understood to have lined up a writing gig at The Sunday Times and a continued role as special strategic adviser at the New Statesman.

During his long career at the NS, Cowley has won many awards, but his most recent big roll of the dice – an über expensive redesign of the magazine by design guru Mark Porter and the recruitment of luminaries including Andrew Marr – has done nothing to improve the magazine’s woeful commercial reality.

An insider at the title told RATS: “Fifteen years is a bloody long time in the life of a magazine editor and there’s long been a sense that Jason himself was aware the time might be coming for him to move on. If the big redesign project had worked, it would be a different story. But it’s all been a bit of a flop, so …”

Although revenues have improved at the title in recent years, the New Statesman continues to lose millions each year, in contrast to the profitable Spectator and New European.

Grand plans for the New Statesman to become a major force to rival The Atlantic or The Economist – loudly trumpeted in a PR offensive two years ago – have come to little. The Staggers bid to conquer America has so far turned out to be more Status Quo than The Beatles.

Nor did the relaunch improve its circulation fortunes at home, which are believed to have declined in the last 12 months. Marr’s leaden columns proved no replacement for the departure of Helen Lewis and Stephen Bush – both of whom left for pastures new (The Atlantic and FT respectively) after becoming disillusioned with Cowley’s leadership.

Confirming his departure this afternoon, Cowley told Press Gazette: “I’ve loved editing the New Statesman for so long, it’s been hard work but also great fun.

“Most rewarding has been helping to develop and nurture a new generation of talented political and cultural writers, bringing them on to the team and giving them an opportunity to write and broadcast and it is fantastic to see them flourish and go on to have big careers in the media.”

It’s understood this year’s Christmas issue will be his last.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article said Cowley had been editor of the New Statesman for 15 years. It is in fact 16 years.