Andrew Neil, Scottish journalist and academic
Andrew Ferguson Neil (born 21 May 1949) is a Scottish journalist and broadcaster who is chairman of The Spectator. He was editor of The Sunday Times from 1983 to 1994. He formerly presented BBC political programmes and was chairman of GB News.
Born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Neil attended Paisley Grammar School, before studying at the University of Glasgow. He entered journalism in 1973 as a correspondent for The Economist.
Neil was appointed editor of The Sunday Times by Rupert Murdoch in 1983, and held this position until 1994. After this, he became a contributor to the Daily Mail. He was formerly chief executive and editor-in-chief of Press Holdings Media Group. In 1988, he became founding chairman of Sky TV, also part of Murdoch's News Corporation. He worked for the BBC for 25 years until 2020, fronting various programmes, including Sunday Politics and This Week on BBC One and Daily Politics, Politics Live and The Andrew Neil Show on BBC Two. Since 2008 he has been chairman of Press Holdings, whose titles include The Spectator, and ITP Media Group. Following his departure from the BBC, he became founding chairman of GB News and a presenter on the channel, but resigned in September 2021.
1949May, 21
Andrew Neil
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Events on 1949
- 1Apr
Communist Party of China
Chinese Civil War: The Chinese Communist Party holds unsuccessful peace talks with the Nationalist Party in Beijing, after three years of fighting. - 20Jul
1948 Arab-Israeli War
Israel and Syria sign a truce to end their nineteen-month war. - 1Oct
Mao Zedong
The People's Republic of China is established and declared by Mao Zedong. - 2Oct
Mao Zedong
The Soviet Union recognises the People's Republic of China, proclaimed the previous day by Mao Zedong. - 14Oct
People's Liberation Army
Chinese Civil War: Chinese Communist forces occupy Guangzhou.