Owner of The Independent joins Putin's political coalition

[muriel_volestrangler]

which is strange, since he's styled himself as anti-Putin until now. I wonder how The Independent will cover Putin now?

Alexander Lebedev, owner of the Independent and Evening Standard newspapers, has announced he is quitting business in Russia to join Vladimir Putin's latest political initiative as the country prepares for presidential elections.

Lebedev said security service pressure on his banking business had become so great it was impossible to continue. Yet he failed to explain why, after years of positioning himself as an opposition figure, he had decided to side with the powers that be.

"I don't think it's possible to continue the banking business," Lebedev said in an interview with Gazeta.ru, Russia's most respected online news portal. "Within two months, I plan to leave the field and become an ordinary citizen." The tycoon posted a statement on his website on Friday saying his Our Capital movement had decided to join the All-Russia People's Front created by Putin earlier this month.

The move comes after pressure has been building on National Reserve Bank, the jewel in Lebedev's empire. Its headquarters were raided by masked police late last year, allegedly as part of an investigation into fraud at a small failed bank acquired by NRB in 2008. Lebedev has blamed the pressure on his public statements.
...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/may/20/alexander-lebedev-joins-vladimir-putin

[LeftishBrit]

1. I like the Independent...

but I do find it a bit disconcerting that so many British newspapers are owned by people who are not citizens and/or not residents of Britain. Murdoch of course; the Barclay Brothers may be British but live in 'tax exile'; and Lebedev is Russian and active in Russian business and politics.

I'm not advocating that foreigners and non-residents be *banned* from owning British media, but their dominance in the media industry is a bit startling.

[oldironside]

2. The Indie's a decent read...

... apart from those dreadful bloody click through top ten items (tomorrow, the top ten most pointless lists ever published in a quality newspaper) and the steadily increasing celebrity bullshit that's creeping in.

Oh, and you get a more hilarious kind of nutter ranting on their opinion sections. I wouldn't be surprised if someone on the editorial staff is posting links to their headlines at FreeRepublic, just to stir up some controversy.