Times to become sixth national newspaper to change editor in past 16 months

When James Harding leaves The Times next month it will become the sixth national newspaper to change editors in the past sixteen months.

The departures began in August 2011 when Simon Kelner's 13-year reign as editor and then editor-in-chief of The Independent came to an end.

In March 2012 Associated Newspaper announced that Mail on Sunday editor Peter Wright, who was in charge of the paper for the past 14 years, was leaving to take up a new role as editor emeritus in charge of ethics and standards across the group.

He was replaced by Evening Standard’s editor Geordie Greig, who in turn was later replaced by his deputy Sarah Sands in his old Evening Standard job.

Two months later staff at Trinity Mirror were left stunned when Sunday Mirror editor Tina Weaver and Daily Mirror editor Richard Wallace were both made redundant as part of plans to move the papers to a seven-day publishing operation.

They saw Lloyd Embley leave his role as editor of The People to become editor of both the Daily and Sunday Mirror.

In June, Daily Mirror deputy editor Peter Willis was named as the new Monday-to-Friday editor of the paper and associate editor Alison Phillips became the new Saturday and Sunday editor.

Sunday Mirror deputy editor James Scott became the new editor of the People.