Paul Dacre

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This page is about Paul Dacre the journalist. For the New Zealand lawyer, see Paul Dacre (lawyer)

Paul Michael Dacre (born November 14, 1948) is a British journalist.

After being a correspondent, bureau chief, and assistant editor in the Associated Newspapers group, Dacre was named Editor of the Evening Standard in 1991. Not satisfied with heading the smallest of Associated's three titles, the next year he threatened to leave the company unless made Editor of the flagship Daily Mail in place of Sir David English, who had held the post for decades. Vere Harmsworth, 3rd Viscount Rothermere, acceded to Dacre's request and, to cushion the blow to English, yielded to English the chairmanship of Associated Newspapers (though not that of immediate parent Associated Newspapers Holdings or ultimate parent, Daily Mail and General Trust plc). Dacre has been Editor of the Daily Mail since then and, in 1998 on English's death, became Editor-in-Chief of Associated and then a director of Daily Mail & General Trust on Lord Rothermere's death.

The Daily Mail's right-wing editorial line, such as on asylum and immigration, have aroused widespread controversy and criticism, and are often attributed to Paul Dacre's personal views. Such criticism has come from leading left-wingers such as Ken Livingstone, but also from the general public; for example, listeners to the BBC's Today programme voted Dacre the person they would most like to be expelled from Britain. On the other hand, Dacre's paper was instrumental in the unsuccessful campaign to bring the killers of race-hate victim Stephen Lawrence to justice.