The Independent has appointed Chris Blackhurst as its new Editor, replacing Simon Kelner.
Mr Blackhurst joins from the Evening Standard, where he has been City editor, and he will report directly to Yevgeny Lebedev, the son of the newspaper’s Russian owner, Alexander Lebedev, who bought the title for £1 in 2009.
Mr Kelner, who has worked for The Independent for the past 13 years, will carry on as Editor-in-Chief but will have no day-to-day involvement with the papers.
He oversaw The Independent’s move from broadsheet to a compact format and led the launch of its cut-price sister title I, which he also edited until today.
No reason was given for the change.
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Mr Blackhurst was previously deputy editor of The Independent, The Independent on Sunday and the Daily Express and before that was Westminster correspondent with The Independent.
He said: “Returning to The Independent as Editor is very exciting. The last nine years on the Evening Standard have been tremendously enjoyable. I am grateful to Evgeny Lebedev for giving me the chance now to take The Independent forward.”
Evgeny Lebedev, chairman of Independent Print Ltd, the newspaper’s parent company, said: “I am very pleased to appoint Chris Blackhurst, whose talent, vision and energy will bring a new perspective to The Independent. I am confident he will make a distinct difference and strengthen the paper.”
Mr Lebedev also paid tribute to the achievements of Mr Kelner, saying “many of the best things that have happened at The Independent have been down to him.”
The latest ABC circulation figures indicate that sales of The Independent fell to 179,000 in May, down 8 per cent on the same month last year.