A regional political editor who replaced his long-serving predecessor last year is moving on after 12 months in the role.

Joe Watts, left,  moved to the Eastern Daily Press last year to succeed Chris Fisher, who spent 32 years as the paper’s man at Westminster.

Now rising star Joe is to join the Evening Standard political team alongside political editor Joe Murphy and his deputy Nic Cecil.

Joe, who previously covered Westminster for the Nottingham Post and other sister dailies in the Midlands, became well-known in political circles for his incisive blog, Lobbydog.

He had been due to become this year’s chair of the Newspaper Conference, the grouping of London-based correspondents of regional papers, but Birmingham Mail political editor Jon Walker agreed to step in after Joe’s job move was announced.

The Eastern Daily Press has thus far declined to comment on the move.  It is understood that a replacement for Joe is currently being sought.