Bernard Ponsonby
Encyclopedia
Bernard Ponsonby is a Scottish broadcast journalist working on regional news and current affairs programming for STV. He joined the station in 1990 and was appointed political editor in 2000.
– then styled as the "Democrats" – in the 1988 Glasgow Govan by-election, losing his deposit with a 4.1% share of the vote. Since the party had only recently formed after a merger between the Liberal Party
and the Social Democratic Party
, Ponsonby was the party's first ever candidate to stand in a parliamentary election.
For seven years, Ponsonby presented Scottish Television's political programme Platform. Currently, he reports and provides political commentary for both editions of the station's flagship regional news programme, STV News at Six
, in Northern and Central Scotland. He has also contributed to the weekly political programme Politics Now
, for which he became presenter in January 2009.
He has presented all of STV's election, by-election and elections results programmes in the last ten years, and was the lead presenter in that station's coverage of the 1997 general election, the 1997 devolution referendum, the Scottish Parliamentary elections of 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011, and the British general elections of 2001 and 2010.
He co-presented the political programme Scottish Questions (1992–93), was the lead presenter on Scottish Voices (1994–95), co-presented Trial By Night (1993–96) and more recently, Seven Days (2000–2001).
In terms of documentary output, he has made several programmes in the Scottish Reporters series and produced two political documentaries (The Dewar Years and The Salmond Years) on two of Scotland's most influential politicians of the postwar period.
In May 2009, Ponsonby became the first journalist in the UK to report the resignation of the speaker of the House of Commons and Glasgow North East MP, Michael Martin – the first speaker to be forced from office since 1695.
Political career
Ponsonby stood for the Liberal DemocratsLiberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
– then styled as the "Democrats" – in the 1988 Glasgow Govan by-election, losing his deposit with a 4.1% share of the vote. Since the party had only recently formed after a merger between the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
and the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
, Ponsonby was the party's first ever candidate to stand in a parliamentary election.
For seven years, Ponsonby presented Scottish Television's political programme Platform. Currently, he reports and provides political commentary for both editions of the station's flagship regional news programme, STV News at Six
STV News at Six
STV News at Six is a Scottish regional news programme, covering the two STV franchise areas of Northern and Central Scotland, produced by STV Central in the Central region and STV North in the Northern region.The programmes were launched on Monday 23 March 2009, replacing Scotland Today in...
, in Northern and Central Scotland. He has also contributed to the weekly political programme Politics Now
Politics Now
Politics Now was a Scottish political programme produced and broadcast by STV in northern and central Scotland. The half-hour programme, running for 40 weeks of the year, was broadcast on late Thursday evenings....
, for which he became presenter in January 2009.
He has presented all of STV's election, by-election and elections results programmes in the last ten years, and was the lead presenter in that station's coverage of the 1997 general election, the 1997 devolution referendum, the Scottish Parliamentary elections of 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011, and the British general elections of 2001 and 2010.
He co-presented the political programme Scottish Questions (1992–93), was the lead presenter on Scottish Voices (1994–95), co-presented Trial By Night (1993–96) and more recently, Seven Days (2000–2001).
In terms of documentary output, he has made several programmes in the Scottish Reporters series and produced two political documentaries (The Dewar Years and The Salmond Years) on two of Scotland's most influential politicians of the postwar period.
In May 2009, Ponsonby became the first journalist in the UK to report the resignation of the speaker of the House of Commons and Glasgow North East MP, Michael Martin – the first speaker to be forced from office since 1695.