John Cole (journalist)

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John Morrison Cole (23 November 1927 – 7 November 2013) was a Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster, best known for his work with the

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. Cole served as deputy editor of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' and ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'' and, from 1981 to 1992, was the

...
's

political editor The political editor of a newspaper or broadcaster is the senior political reporter who covers politics and related matters for the newspaper or station. They may have a large team of political correspondents working under them. In publishing, beca ...

. Donald Macintyre, in an obituary in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', described him as "the most recognisable and respected broadcast political journalist since World War II."

Early life

Cole was born in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, Northern Ireland, in 1927 to George Cole, an electrical engineer, and his wife Alice. The family were

Ulster Protestants Ulster Protestants ( ga, Protastúnaigh Ultach) are an ethnoreligious group in the Irish province of Ulster, where they make up about 43.5% of the population. Most Ulster Protestants are descendants of settlers who arrived from Britain in the ...

, and Cole identified himself as

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

. He received his formal education at the

Belfast Royal Academy The Belfast Royal Academy (commonly shortened to ) is the oldest school in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school in north Belfast. The Academy is one of 8 schools in Northern ...

Journalism career

Print journalism

Cole started his career in print journalism in 1945, aged 17, joining the ''

Belfast Telegraph The ''Belfast Telegraph'' is a daily newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Independent News & Media. Its editor is Eoin Brannigan. Reflecting its unionist tradition, the paper has historically been "favoured by the Protestant po ...

'' as a reporter and industrial correspondent. He subsequently worked as a political reporter for the paper. He gained a scoop when he interviewed the then Prime Minister,

Clement Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. He was Deputy Prime Mini ...

, who was holidaying in Ireland. He joined ''

'', then the ''Manchester Guardian'', in 1956, reporting on industrial issues. He transferred to the London office in 1957 as the paper's labour correspondent. Appointed news editor in 1963, succeeding

Nesta Roberts Nesta Roberts (10 January 1913 – 16 January 2009) was a Welsh journalist and author, the first woman to be in charge of the news desk on a British national newspaper. She served as Paris correspondent of ''The Guardian'' from 1965 to 1972. Early ...

, Cole took on the task of reorganising the paper's "amateurish" system for gathering news. He headed opposition to a proposed merger with ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' in the mid-1960s, and later served as deputy editor under Alastair Hetherington. When Hetherington left in 1975, Cole was in the running for the editorship, but failed to secure the post, for reasons which may have included his commitment to the cause of unionism in Northern Ireland, as well as what was seen by some as inflexibility and a lack of flair. Unwilling to continue at ''The Guardian'', Cole then joined ''

'' as deputy editor under

Donald Trelford Donald Trelford (born 9 November 1937) is a British journalist and academic, who was editor of ''The Observer'' newspaper from 1975 to 1993. He was also a director of ''The Observer'' from 1975 to 1993 and chief executive from 1992 to 1993. Ea ...

, remaining there for six years.

Peter Preston Peter John Preston (23 May 1938 – 6 January 2018) was a British journalist and author. He was editor of ''The Guardian'' for twenty years, from 1975 to 1995. Early life Peter Preston was born in Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, the son of J ...

, who beat Cole to the editorship of ''The Guardian'', describes him as "a great labour correspondent", "a driving news editor" and "a vivid presence" at the newspaper.John Cole was a vivid presence at the Guardian – and loved a good argument
''The Guardian'', 8 November 2013; Retrieved 9 November 2013 Colleague

David McKie David McKie (born 1935) is a British journalist and historian. He was deputy editor of ''The Guardian'' and continued to write a weekly column for that paper until 4 October 2007, called "Elsewhere". Until 10 September 2005, he also wrote a sec ...

wrote that one of his strengths was "to ask the awkward question that punctured glib assumptions and casual simplicities."

Television

After

Tiny Rowland Roland Walter "Tiny" Rowland (; 27 November 1917 – 25 July 1998) was a British businessman, corporate raider and the chief executive of the Lonrho conglomerate from 1962 to 1993. He gained fame from a number of high-profile takeover bids, in p ...

took over as proprietor of ''The Observer'' in 1981, Cole gave evidence against him at the

Monopolies Commission The Competition Commission was a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under competition law in the United Kingdom. It was a competition regulator unde ...

. The following day he got a call from the BBC offering him the job of political editor, succeeding John Simpson. Cole commented on his switch from print to television journalism: "The invitation to have a ringside seat for what must be the most fascinating period in modern politics was irresistible." He had little previous television experience but proved a "natural broadcaster." Reporting through most of the premiership of

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...

, he became a familiar figure on television and radio. His health was put under strain by the workload and he suffered a heart attack in February 1984. Returning to report on that year's conference season, he covered the

Brighton hotel bombing A Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) assassination attempt against members of the British government took place on 12 October 1984 at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom. A long-delay time bomb was plan ...

, getting a "memorable" interview with Thatcher on the pavement in its immediate aftermath, in which she declared that the Tory conference would take place as normal.John Cole: The most recognisable and respected broadcast political journalist since World War II
''The Independent'', 8 November 2013; Retrieved 9 November 2013 An astute observer of the political scene, Cole was one of the earliest to forecast Thatcher's resignation as Prime Minister in 1990, in what McKie refers to as "perhaps his greatest exclusive." Donald Macintyre writes that he "did more than any single figure to create popular understanding of the turbulent 1980s". Cole established a strong reputation for his "gentle but probing" interviewing style, for his political assessments, and for presenting analysis rather than "bland reporting." McKie considers him to have "revolutionised the routine broadcast reporting of politics", while Macintyre states that he "pioneered the best in modern political broadcast journalism." "Held in enormous affection by viewers," Cole was trusted by both politicians and the public. He was known for "speaking in the language used by ordinary people" rather than "so-called Westminster experts" and for "articulat ngthe viewpoint of the ordinary man or woman in the street." His distinctive Northern Irish accent – lampooned by ''

Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satire, satirical and current affairs (news format), current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely r ...

'' and ''

Spitting Image ''Spitting Image'' is a British satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. First broadcast in 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productions' for Central Independent Television ov ...

'', who made a puppet representing him – led the way for BBC broadcasters with regional accents.Remembering John Cole
BBC News, 8 November 2013; Retrieved 9 November 2013 He retired as political editor in 1992 (aged 65), compulsory at that date, but continued to appear on television, including making programmes on golf and travel. He also continued to appear on the BBC programme ''

Westminster Live ''Westminster Live'' was a weekly television programme focusing on political developments within the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The programme began on 21 November 1989 on the same day as television cameras were first allowed into the Hou ...

'' for several years after he retired as political editor.

Writing

In addition to his journalistic writing, Cole authored several books. The earliest were ''The Poor of the Earth'', on developing countries, and ''The Thatcher Years'' (1987). After his retirement as BBC political editor, he spent more time writing. His political memoir, ''As It Seemed To Me'', appeared in 1995 and became a best-seller. He also published a novel, ''A Clouded Peace'' (2001), set in his birthplace of Belfast in 1977. In 2007 he wrote an article for the'' British Journalism Review'', blaming both politicians and the media for the fact that parliamentarians were held in such low esteem, being particularly scathing of

Alastair Campbell Alastair John Campbell (born 25 May 1957) is a British journalist, author, strategist, broadcaster and activist known for his roles during Tony Blair's leadership of the Labour Party. Campbell worked as Blair's spokesman and campaign director ...

's influence during

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...

's premiership.

Awards

In 1966, the

Eisenhower Fellowships Eisenhower Fellowships is a private, non-profit organization created in 1953 by a group of prominent American citizens to honor President Dwight D. Eisenhower for his contribution to humanity as a soldier, statesman, and world leader. The organiz ...

selected Cole to represent Great Britain. He received the

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

's Journalist of the Year award in 1991. After his retirement in 1992, he was awarded an honorary degree from the

Open University The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off- ...

as Doctor of the University,Open University: Cumulative list of Honorary Graduates from 1973 to 2013
. Retrieved 9 November 2013 and received the

Richard Dimbleby Frederick Richard Dimbleby (25 May 1913 – 22 December 1965) was an English journalist and broadcaster, who became the BBC's first war correspondent, and then its leading TV news commentator. As host of the long-running current affairs ...

Award from BAFTA in 1993. He turned down a

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in 1993, citing the former ''Guardian'' newspaper rule that journalists could only accept gifts which could be consumed within 24 hours.

Personal life

In his private life Cole was a supporter of the Labour Party, and was a believer in the

trades union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

movement. He considered that the combating of unemployment was one of the most important political issues. He was a British Republican, and a committed Christian, associating in the latter part of his life with the

United Reformed Church The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. As of 2022 it has approximately 40,000 members in 1,284 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers. Origins and history The United Reformed Church resulte ...

Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames (hyphenated until 1965, colloquially known as Kingston) is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. It is situated on the River Thames and southwest of Charing Cross. It is notable as ...

. He was described by colleague

as "warm, generous and the kind of colleague we all wished to be." He married Madge around 1956. The couple had four sons and nine grandchildren.

Death

Cole suffered health problems in retirement including heart problems and two minor strokes. In 2009 he was diagnosed with cancer. He subsequently developed

aphasia Aphasia is an inability to comprehend or formulate language because of damage to specific brain regions. The major causes are stroke and head trauma; prevalence is hard to determine but aphasia due to stroke is estimated to be 0.1–0.4% in t ...

. Cole died at his home at

Claygate Claygate is an affluent suburban village in Surrey, England, southwest of central London. It is the only civil parish in the borough of Elmbridge. Surrounded by green belt, it lies inside the Greater London Built-up Area. Claygate was once in t ...

in the county of

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

on 7 November 2013.

Tributes

Tributes were paid by journalists, broadcasters and politicians across the political spectrum. Prime Minister

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...

called him a "titan at the BBC" and an "extraordinary broadcaster". Labour party leader

Ed Miliband Edward Samuel "Ed" Miliband (born 24 December 1969) is a British politician serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero since 2021. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Doncaster North since 2005. Miliband ...

said that "my generation grew up watching John Cole. He conveyed the drama and importance of politics." The Scottish First Minister

Alex Salmond Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond (; born 31 December 1954) is a Scottish politician and economist who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure on the Scottish nationalist movement, he has served as leader ...

said that Cole was "an extremely able journalist but also extraordinarily helpful and generous to a young politician." The BBC's political editor at the time,

Nick Robinson Nicholas, Nicky or Nick Robinson may refer to: * Nick Robinson (journalist) (born 1963), British political journalist * Nick Robinson (paperfolder) (born 1957), British origami artist * Nicky Robinson (rugby union) (born 1982), Welsh rugby player ...

, wrote that Cole "shaped the way all in my trade do our jobs".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, John 1927 births 2013 deaths People educated at the Belfast Royal Academy Alumni of the University of London BBC newsreaders and journalists British political journalists British Christians Ulster Protestants Writers from Belfast The Guardian journalists The Observer people British male novelists 21st-century British novelists British social commentators 21st-century British male writers British republicans