Alexander Lebedev's mixed messages on editorial independence

Independent owner Alexander Lebedev wandered so far off piste during his Q&A session at the Society of Editors conference in Glasgow last night he risked losing his audience completely. One inquiry prompted a lengthy diatribe on the evils of skyscrapers, several of which have been proposed for the historic Russian city of St Petersburg. Lebedev is a vocal opponent of the plan and said he was making a plea — rather than issuing an instruction — to the Independent to consider writing about the issue. Lebedev also insisted in his lecture last night that he has no editorial input into his titles, so let's consider this a test. We will be searching the pages of the Indy for stories about the St Petersburg skyline from now on discover whether the proprietor's word is final, or if Lebedev's plea will fall on deaf ears.