Andrew Rawnsley
Encyclopedia
Andrew Nicholas James Rawnsley (born 5 January 1962, Leeds
) is a British
political journalist, notably for The Observer, and broadcaster.
in Rugby and later on a scholarship at Rugby School
and read History at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge University
, gaining a first-class Honours degree. He was a member of Cambridge University Social Democrats. He was also editor of Stop Press the Cambridge University newspaper of the day, and won the Guardian Student Journalist of the year award in 1984.
, working there for two years from 1983, but joined The Guardian
in 1985. From 1987 he was the newspaper's parliamentary sketch writer.
In 1993 he moved to The Observer
as Chief Political Commentator and Associate Editor, a position he retains. He has won several awards for his journalism, including: British Press Awards Young Journalist of the Year (1987); What The Papers Say Columnist of the Year (2000); Channel 4 Political Awards Book of the Year (2001); Channel 4 Political Awards Journalist of the Year (2003); House Magazine Awards Commentator of the Year (2008).
A Week in Politics with Vincent Hanna
. He continues to be the writer-presenter of one-off documentaries for Channel 4
. He made Bye Bye Blues, a three part series about John Major's Government, in 1997. That was followed by Blair's Year (1998). His three hour series The Rise And Fall Of Tony Blair (2007) was long-listed for a BAFTA award. Rawnsley has written and presented a series of programmes on British politics, broadcast on Channel 4's current affairs series, Dispatches
: Gordon Brown: Where Did It All Go Wrong? (2008), which was nominated for an award at Banff World Television Festival; Crash Gordon: The Inside Story of the Financial Crisis (2009); Cameron Uncovered (2010); and A Year Inside Number Ten (2011).
He was the founding and sole presenter of BBC Radio Four's
The Westminster Hour from 1998 to September 2006. He was succeeded by Carolyn Quinn
when he moved to the ITV
network for a new programme, The Sunday Edition
, with Andrea Catherwood
, a series which began on Sunday 17 September 2006.
and Gordon Brown
. An expanded paperback edition, including coverage of the 2001 general election, was published on 16 July 2001.
Rawnsley's The End of the Party: The Rise and Fall of New Labour was serialised in The Observer
from 21 February and published in book form on 1 March 2010. It excited controversy by alleging that the prime minister, Gordon Brown, physically attacked members of his staff. An expanded paperback edition, taking the story up to the day of Gordon Brown's resignation after the 2010 general election, was published on 30 September 2010.
. They have three daughters: Olivia, Jessica and Cordelia (born October 1991, January 1994 and March 1997).
Rawnsley became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2001.
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
political journalist, notably for The Observer, and broadcaster.
Early life
He was educated at the Lawrence Sheriff SchoolLawrence Sheriff School
Lawrence Sheriff School is a selective boys' grammar school in Rugby in Warwickshire. The school is named after Lawrence Sheriff, the Elizabethan man who founded Rugby School. The school's name is often shortened to 'LSS', or often just 'Sheriff' by boys at the school. In a recent OFSTED ...
in Rugby and later on a scholarship at Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and read History at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, gaining a first-class Honours degree. He was a member of Cambridge University Social Democrats. He was also editor of Stop Press the Cambridge University newspaper of the day, and won the Guardian Student Journalist of the year award in 1984.
Newspapers
Rawnsley began his career at the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, working there for two years from 1983, but joined The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 1985. From 1987 he was the newspaper's parliamentary sketch writer.
In 1993 he moved to The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
as Chief Political Commentator and Associate Editor, a position he retains. He has won several awards for his journalism, including: British Press Awards Young Journalist of the Year (1987); What The Papers Say Columnist of the Year (2000); Channel 4 Political Awards Book of the Year (2001); Channel 4 Political Awards Journalist of the Year (2003); House Magazine Awards Commentator of the Year (2008).
Radio and television
Rawnsley has also broadcast regularly; he was co-presenter of Channel 4'sChannel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
A Week in Politics with Vincent Hanna
Vincent Hanna
Vincent Leo Martin Hanna was a Northern Irish television journalist famed for his coverage of United Kingdom by-elections.-Background:...
. He continues to be the writer-presenter of one-off documentaries for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. He made Bye Bye Blues, a three part series about John Major's Government, in 1997. That was followed by Blair's Year (1998). His three hour series The Rise And Fall Of Tony Blair (2007) was long-listed for a BAFTA award. Rawnsley has written and presented a series of programmes on British politics, broadcast on Channel 4's current affairs series, Dispatches
Dispatches (TV series)
Dispatches is the British television current affairs documentary series on Channel 4, first transmitted in 1987. The programme covers issues about British society, politics, health, religion, international current affairs and the environment, usually featuring a mole in an organisation.-Awards:*...
: Gordon Brown: Where Did It All Go Wrong? (2008), which was nominated for an award at Banff World Television Festival; Crash Gordon: The Inside Story of the Financial Crisis (2009); Cameron Uncovered (2010); and A Year Inside Number Ten (2011).
He was the founding and sole presenter of BBC Radio Four's
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
The Westminster Hour from 1998 to September 2006. He was succeeded by Carolyn Quinn
Carolyn Quinn
Carolyn Quinn is a British journalist best known for her work on BBC Radio 4 as a political correspondent and for presenting the Today programme and PM.-Early life:...
when he moved to the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network for a new programme, The Sunday Edition
The Sunday Edition
For the CBC Radio One radio show, see Sunday EditionThe Sunday Edition was a television programme broadcast on the ITV Network in the United Kingdom focusing on political interview and discussion, produced by London Weekend Television...
, with Andrea Catherwood
Andrea Catherwood
Andrea Catherine Catherwood is a Northern Irish television presenter and journalist.-Early life:Andrea Catherwood was born and raised in Belfast where her mother, 'Adrienne McGuill', was an announcer and newsreader at Ulster Television from 1959 to 1969, and also presented 'The Romper Room', from...
, a series which began on Sunday 17 September 2006.
Books
Rawnsley's Servants of the People: The Inside Story of New Labour, published on 27 September 2000, is an account of the early years of New Labour in government. The book raised the profile of the feud between Tony BlairTony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
. An expanded paperback edition, including coverage of the 2001 general election, was published on 16 July 2001.
Rawnsley's The End of the Party: The Rise and Fall of New Labour was serialised in The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
from 21 February and published in book form on 1 March 2010. It excited controversy by alleging that the prime minister, Gordon Brown, physically attacked members of his staff. An expanded paperback edition, taking the story up to the day of Gordon Brown's resignation after the 2010 general election, was published on 30 September 2010.
Personal life
In 1990 he married Jane Hall in CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. They have three daughters: Olivia, Jessica and Cordelia (born October 1991, January 1994 and March 1997).
Rawnsley became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2001.
External links
- Who Comments? - Andrew Rawnsley