Independent's support for Tory-Lib Dem coalition divides staff

The Independent’s backing for the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition has come as a surprise to many people – not least some of its own staff.

Matthew Champion, the news editor of the newspaper’s Buzzfeed-style i100 site, expressed his dismay by simply retweeting Tuesday’s editorial prefaced by the word “yuck” while Jon Stone, who includes politics in his beat, commented: “Oh God did we just endorse the coalition?”

Steve Richards, Independent columnist and presenter of BBC’s Week in Westminster, posted a timely tweet on Tuesday morning: “Today’s column: Don’t believe most papers – the UK would be safer under Lab.” He failed to add “including the one I usually write for” after “most papers”.

The Independent’s editor, Amol Rajan, tweeted the headline of his paper’s editorial – “In defence of liberal democracy”. He has since remained silent on social media about the decision, which came as a surprise because Rajan’s paper has not run particularly pro-Conservative front pages.

“For all its faults, another Lib-Con coalition would both prolong recovery and give our kingdom a better chance of continued existence,” the paper said. “This title casts no vote. But we prize strong, effective government, consider nationalism guilty until proven innocent, and say that if the present coalition is to get another chance, we hope it is much less conservative, and much more liberal.”

John Rentoul, columnist for the Independent on Sunday, tweeted: “Good on @amolrajan, editor of The @Independent, for writing against his readership”.

Lisa Markwell, the editor of stablemate the Independent on Sunday, was quick to distance her title from the endorsement.

“The Independent on Sunday, proudly sister to, but not twin of, the Independent,” she tweeted, with a link to a leader saying the paper was not advising readers how to vote.

When pressed on Twitter to clarify her stance on the editorial, she responded: “I truly believe in independence, I will not be endorsing.”

Last week, the Guardian came out in support of Labour, as has the Daily Mirror but, with the Independent’s move, all other national titles are expected to back the Tories even if the Express has flirted hard with Ukip.

The Sun has already come out in favour of the Conservatives, while stablemate the Scottish Sun is endorsing the Scottish National party. The Financial Times and the Economist have declared for the continuation of a Conservative-led coalition.

The Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph have not expressly declared their allegiance in an editorial, but both are firmly committed to a Tory victory. The Times, which backed the Conservatives in the 2010 election, has also been mostly pro-Tory in its coverage.

Richard Desmond, owner of the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday, has donated more than £1m to Ukip.