Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre is standing down after 26 years at the helm of one of Britain’s most influential newspapers, the tabloid’s owner announced on Wednesday.

Paul Dacre

He will “step back” from day-to-day editorial duties in November, when he will turn 70, and will become chairman and editor-in-chief of the Mail’s parent group Associated Newspapers.

Lord Rothermere, chairman of the Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), said Dacre was the “greatest Fleet Street editor of his generation”.

His replacement has yet to be announced.

The Daily Mail has a circulation of almost 1.3 million, according to figures for April 2018, making it the most popular paid-for paper after The Sun, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch.

It attracts intense criticism for its anti-immigration stance, but also has a long record of campaigning, notably its fight for justice after the 1993 racist murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence.