Budget 2013: Evening Standard editor sorry for embargo break

THE editor of the Evening Standard apologised yesterday and launched an investigation into how details of the Budget were published on Twitter before the Chancellor’s speech.

Sarah Sands said she was “devastated” by the breach, which saw the London paper’s front page made public before George Osborne addressed MPs.

As the Chancellor was on his feet delivering the Budget, the Labour front-bench was studying photocopies which had been tweeted.

In a statement, Ms Sands said: “An investigation is immediately under way into how this front page was made public and the individual who tweeted the page has been suspended while this takes place.

“We have immediately reviewed our procedures. We are devastated that an embargo was breached and offer our heartfelt apologies.”

The Standard’s front page detailed several aspects of the Budget relating to duty, tax and macroeconomics.