The unquestioned high point of the week was the official opening of the GB News Westminster studios which were named in my honour. I was overwhelmed with pride and gratitude. Mick Booker, the editorial director delivered an affectionate and witty speech peppered with Rolling Stones song titles and quotes - we are both big fans.
He also recalled the day we first met at the GB News Paddington studios/newsroom and how touched and proud he was when I called him ‘boss’ me with all my experience of TV news and him fresh from Fleet Street. We have got on very well ever since and I like and admire him as a journalist, leader, and friend.
Another friend who spoke was Nick Pollard. I worked with Nick at ITN in an era of great leaders who were also terrific journalists. I also worked with some who ticked neither of those vital boxes! Nick was the executive producer of ITN’s News at Ten when it set the standard for all network TV news bulletins. He also executive produced many election results programmes budgets and the ITN coverage of the Gulf War which I fronted for three months.
In reply I said he was one of two men who would have made better editors of ITN than some I worked for, the other was Richard Frediani now at the BBC and editing Breakfast and the lunchtime news. Both men were a loss to ITN through no fault of theirs. That they left speaks volumes of what ITN became in the post-Sir David Nicholas era - a mere shadow of its former self, that now calls itself ITV News.
Alastair Stewart says his children have been a constant source of love and support since his diagnosis
GB NEWSThe third and final speech came from my friend Christopher Hope, Political Editor of GB News, and a man who has long graced the columns of the Daily Telegraph, a great writer, political reporter, analyst and a good friend. He also reported a few apologies for non-attendees including Mr Speaker (Sir Lindsay Hoyle) and Sir Malcolm Rifkind both of whom sent delightful messages including an invitation to drinks in Speaker’s House for me and Sally, we go next week.
There were many friends who did make it and, most importantly to me and Sall was the fact that our four children were all able to be there. They have been through thick and thin with me but have been a constant source of love and support, not least since my diagnosis. My dear agent Anita Land was also there, such a support, such a friend. Paul Davis, the ITN reporter, also came. He's one of the very finest of his or any generation - as former Deputy Director General of the BBC, Mark Byford, observed on Facebook when he read about these events (Mark said Paul was the best, I agreed).
A close friend from the world of politics is former MP, Tracey Crouch who sadly stepped back from Parliament to have more time with her wonderful son Freddie and husband Steve, a terrific BBC Radio presenter. She resigned as Sports Minister because her Government wasn’t tough enough on gambling, especially fixed odd machines. We miss Tracey and what she brought to public life.
Charles Lewington became a close friend when he worked for John Major, a man I hope history will be kinder to than it appears to be so far. Charles went into communication and public relations when he left the world of party politics forming the excellent Hanover Communications where Tracey now works as Head of Sport. Our two older children Alex and Clem know her well and also rate her highly.
From my University days came David Jordan, now director of editorial policy and standards at the BBC who Mark Byford also praised on Facebook. David was also one of Brian Walden’s researchers in the dizzy days of good ITV current affairs. David is very clever and a lovely loyal friend. I was delighted David Davis made it, one of the wittiest men in politics and always a terrific source of gossip and hard political news. He also sees politics as a high calling and is a man of high democratic principles. Several others couldn’t make it.
In an era of welfare reform I’m glad Peter Lilley made it with, I hope, his little list still tucked in his jacket pocket. I was giving him lunch once at Marco Piere White’s Mirabelle restaurant in Mayfair when Jeffrey Archer swept in and joined us. He ordered a bottle of Chateau Petrus. So Jeffrey, and Clem’s husband Brian, who is such fun, was with us. They were both over from Saudi, as I wrote last week, and he had a fascinating conversation with GB News’ CEO Angelo Frangopoulos about the technical side of broadcasting both being impressive techies…
In my response to the speeches, I expressed my gratitude for the singular honour of having the studios named after me and joked I had never been an address before. I recalled how thrilled I was to accept the invitation to join GB News where opinion is welcome, and encouraged, and where management is of a high calibre and is loyal and supportive through thick and thin.
It will never replace the BBC or ITV news but it has made the TV news landscape better, more interesting and more competitive. I cherish my time there and don’t have any regrets about leaving ITV and joining up.
Only one medical development….it seems my peripheral vision is no longer what it was, a reminder dementia can strike in many ways and a reminder of how important a good diet and not smoking are for so many things. The Imperial trained ophthalmologist was brilliant and we joked about statistics.
Much of the news has been dominated by Donald Trump’s tariff wars - economically bonkers inflationary for Americans and damaging for global trade and free markets. Trump has pipe dreams and probably read similar economic textbooks to Rachel Reeves - if they read any.
