Ex-editor quits Guardian role

FORMER Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger yesterday quit as the prospective chairman of the Scott Trust, the board that owns the newspaper.

It comes as The Guardian, which is seeking 250 job cuts, is expected to report that losses have risen to more than £50million in the past year.

The appointment of Mr Rusbridger, 62, as chairman of the trust – a position he had been due to take up in September – had been challenged by some staff members who blame him for the scale of the group’s losses.

His decision not to take up the post came after a two-day board meeting. Current chairman, Liz Forgan, will stay in the job while the trust seeks a successor.

It marks an end to Mr Rusbridger’s career with The Guardian, where he served as editor for 20 years.