It looked dreadful and someone senior had to be held accountable for it.
As usual, there was lots going on behind the scenes as this link from the been says
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c07m2v1z4evo
As usual, it had been known about for some time, taking a leak to bring a out consequences.
Regardless of the political persuasions of the board, it was a dreadful editorial decision. One where it looks as though managers did little to heed warnings.