The Westminster Gazette was an influentialLiberalnewspaper based inLondon. It was known for publishing sketches and short stories, including early works byRaymond Chandler,Anthony Hope,D. H. Lawrence,Katherine Mansfield,Margaret Chute andSaki, and travel writing byRupert Brooke. One of its editors was caricaturist and political cartoonistFrancis Carruthers Gould. The paper was dubbed the "pea-green incorruptible" – Prime MinisterWilliam Ewart Gladstone having personally approved its green colour.^[1]

Launched with the help of Liberal publisherGeorge Newnes, the paper was started byE. T. Cook on 31 January 1893,^[2] employing the core of the old political staff fromThe Pall Mall Gazette includingHulda Friederichs.^[3] The paper established itself in the front rank of Liberal publications, earning the admiration of the Liberal prime ministerLord Rosebery.

Cook served as editor until 1896, when he resigned his position to take over as editor of the LiberalThe Daily News. Though a number of prominent individuals applied to succeed him, George Newnes decided to offer the editorship toJ. A. Spender, then only 33 years of age. Though Spender himself was modest about his prospects, his selection was met with approval by many in the Liberal ranks, including the head of the party Lord Rosebery.^[4]

When launched, it was printed on green paper (which it retained throughout its time as an evening publication), intended to make it easier to read by homegoing workers under artificial light on a train or omnibus.^[5]

The veteran editorFrederick Greenwood regardedThe Westminster Gazette under Spender as "the best-edited paper in London,"^[6] and it became essential reading for politicians on both sides of the political aisle. The paper's priority was Liberal unity. It balanced ideological expression, avoiding the polemical heights attained by other Liberal publications. Though this occasionally earned Spender the ire of both Liberal factions in a debate, his loyalty to the Liberal leadership was rewarded with their confidences, which provided him with invaluable insight into the inner workings of contemporary politics.^[7]

Spender greatly valued his editorial independence, which was never an issue withThe Gazette's owner, George Newnes. When Newnes sold the paper in 1908 to a consortium of Liberal businessmen and politicians led byAlfred Mond, however, Spender found his cherished independence under pressure. Only internal disagreement within the ownership group saved Spender from dismissal. The dispute hurt staff morale, while the start of theFirst World War led several important staff members to leave for service in the armed forces.

A growing decline in circulation and revenue led Spender and the owners, including the leading shareholder at the timeWeetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, to undertake the radical move of switching from an evening to a morning publication in November 1921.The new paper, however, was no longer a vehicle for the sort of reflective journalism characteristic of Spender, and he resigned from his position in February 1922.^[7][8]

The revamped newspaper gained circulation but continued to make significant financial losses. It was merged into the LiberalDaily News on 1 February 1928.^[2][9]

• 1893:Edward Tyas Cook
• 1896:J. A. Spender
• 1921:J. B. Hobman

• Morris, A. J. A. (2004)."Spender, John Alfred". In Matthew, H.C.G.; Harrison, Brian (eds.).The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 51. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 900–902.
• Koss, Stephen (1981).The Nineteenth Century. The Rise and Fall of the Political Press in Britain. Vol. 1. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.ISBN 0807814830.
• Koss, Stephen (1984).The Twentieth Century Test. The Rise and Fall of the Political Press in Britain. Vol. 2. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.ISBN 0807815985.

• Defunct newspapers published in the United Kingdom
• Newspapers established in 1893
• London newspapers
• Publications disestablished in 1928
• 1893 establishments in the United Kingdom
• Liberal Party (UK) publications

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