| − | After Northcliffe died in 1922, his brother Lord Rothermere took control. It was under his regime that the ''Daily Mail'' published the "[[Zinoviev Letter]]", a forgery that seemed to indicate that the [[Communist Party of Great Britain]] was planning a violent revolution. The letter was leaked by the Foreign Ministry. Four days later the [[Labour Party]] was defeated in the 1924 general election, and since then some Labour party members have been known to refer to the ''Daily Mail'' as “The Forgers’ Gazette”. Historians agree the letter was a forgery but their consensus is that it made little difference in the election. What is more important, after the election Labour leaders used it as an excuse for their failure; it became a roadblock to needed internal reforms in the Labour party. | + | After Northcliffe died in 1922, his brother Lord Rothermere took control. It was under his regime that the ''Daily Mail'' published the "[[Zinoviev Letter]]". This letter which purported to be from Grigori Zinoviev, president of Comintern, the internal communist party of the [[USSR]], was addressed to members of the Labour Party of Great Britain and exhorted them to carry out a violent revolution. The letter was a very plausible one, originating in Riga, and although it later turned out to be a forgery, the editor of the Mail had no reason to doubt its genuineness at the time. Four days later the [[Labour Party]] was defeated in the 1924 general election, and since then some Labour party members have been known to refer to the ''Daily Mail'' as “The Forgers’ Gazette”. Historians agree the letter was a forgery but their consensus is that it made little difference in the election. What is more important, after the election Labour leaders used it as an excuse for their failure; it became a roadblock to needed internal reforms in the Labour party. <ref>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/feb/04/uk.politicalnews6S </ref> |