Did business interests – or media interest – sink David Rowland?

Today’s most intriguing political story is that David Rowland will not become Tory Treasurer after all. The press release from the Tories says that this is because of the ‘expansion of his global business interests.’  Others, though, are begging to differ. ConservativeHome’s piece on the matter is headlined ‘The Daily Mail sinks the Tory Treasurer’, the paper has run a succession of interesting pieces on various aspects of Mr Rowlan’s life.  
 
For all we know, Mr Rowland’s expanding global business interests may well be why he is stepping down. But the feeling among political journalists this afternoon is that the Mail has claimed another scalp and that the Conservative party has been embarrassed by its failure to anticipate the kind of coverage that Mr Rowland’s appointment might prompt.