The Representative (newspaper)

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This article is about the London newspaper . For other uses, see The Representative (disambiguation).

The Representative was a spectacularly unsuccessful daily newspaper published in London, England, from 25 January 1826 to 29 July 1826.

In autumn 1825 the young Benjamin Disraeli convinced his father's friend, the publisher John Murray, that the time was ripe for a Tory morning paper that would challenge the Times. Disraeli travelled to Edinburgh to persuade John Gibson Lockhart (Sir Walter Scott's son-in-law) to edit the paper; Lockhart declined, but agreed to serve as editor of Murray's Quarterly Review and consult on the management of the paper. Disraeli returned to London and began preparations. Lockhart's suggestion that Dr. William Maginn be employed was accepted, and he was sent to Paris as foreign correspondent. Offices were leased in the fashionable West End, distant from both Fleet Street and Grub Street.

The paper, The Representative, was launched in January of 1826, and apparently never had a proper editor - Disraeli quarrelled with Murray and later satirized him in a novel, Vivian Grey. The "Rip's" politics were incoherent and advertising began slipping away almost immediately. Soon its nickname was the "demi-Rip." Maginn was brought back from Paris in March to try to salvage the paper, but it expired with much finger-pointing in the Summer of 1826, and was merged with the New Times. Murray lost heavily (at least £10,000) and never attempted another foray into newspaper publishing. Disraeli, of course, went on to become Prime Minister.