Loveable figure who upped sales

His trademark arm-waving and stuttering is something of an act. It tends to suggest he is intuitive rather than analytical. In truth, his instinct is invariably informed by an acute grasp of the facts. He is nobody's fool.

He took over The Observer in 1998 at a very difficult moment in its history. Circulation was falling. Newsroom morale was low. Advertisers were deserting. The appointment of Alton - then a Guardian assistant editor - changed everything for the better.

Alton gets on with people. Though his briefings are often unclear, and his apparent changes of mind can be frustrating, he has a way of getting the best from his staff. He is not merely popular; he is a truly loveable figure.

He is also, most definitely, his own man. Despite the Left-liberal climate at both The Guardian and The Observer, Alton has always been an iconoclastic figure, happily airing views that would be considered politically incorrect.

That challenge to orthodoxy, which also informs his somewhat chaotic personal life, was clear from the papers that he produced, culminating in his enthusiastic support for Tony Blair's invasion of Iraq. Much has been made of this having alienated him from owners the Scott Trust. I understand, however, that the Trust - unlike many Guardian journalists - was not unduly disturbed by Alton's alternative line. It is not a factor in his decision to resign.

That has much more to do with his belief that the character of The Observer is about to be subsumed by the integration of print and online editions of The Observer, Guardian and Guardian Unlimited website.

Well, that's the formal way of putting it. My hunch is that Alton feels he is about to lose his autonomy. His style of editorship only works if he can exercise a central control. So a great character leaves the stage. And those, like me, who have worked with him, certainly regret his departure.