Osborne clearly keen to make a big splash

Any new editor is likely to want to start with a splash (both literal and metaphorical). Clearly George Osborne is no different as, in his first day in the hot seat at the Evening Standard, he laid in to Prime Minister Theresa May.

They may have been close colleagues not so long ago, but apparently there is no love lost between the former Chancellor and the current premier.

Keen to make his intentions clear, Mr Osborne took to Twitter, where he assured his 195,000 followers he would provide facts and analysis “without fear or favour”.

And, having had a dig at Ms May, he wasted no time in firing off a broadside at former Labour adversary Diane Abbot, commenting on a “car crash” radio interview where she woefully failed to explain how much her party’s pledge to provide more police officers would cost.

Such a bombastic start was fairly predictable as Osborne attempts to make his mark.

Many have questioned his journalistic credentials and he is likely to go all out in a bid to prove the doubters wrong.

To be fair to him it cannot be easy – every editorial line is sure to come under intense scrutiny from both politicians and others within the newspaper industry.

If he can successfully provide the news in a fair and balanced way without allowing personal political prejudices to affect his work then he may just earn the respect he evidently craves.