Thursday, October 15, 2009

Newton-Dunn Replaces The Sun's Pascoe-Watson

It was reported earlier on tonight that The Sun's political editor George Pascoe-Watson is to leave the paper to join Portland PR. I think quite a few people will have been shocked by this news.

I understand he will be replaced by the Sun's Defence editor, Tom Newton-Dunn. He has a superb reputation as a story getter but will he find it so easy in the lobby? He's a hugely talented journalist but it is a huge step to take on one of the top jobs in political journalism when your contacts book is in another sector entirely.

By the way, what is it with The Sun and journalists with double barrelled names? :)

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

His father is of course the Lib Dem MEP Bill Newton Dunn who used to sit as a Tory!!

Simon Gardner said...

Known far and wide as Olivia Newton Dunn.

doublebarreled said...

Julia Hartley-Brewer....does she write for the Sun?!

Anonymous said...

Sir Thomas Legge at work again. God this man can move mountains!

-Simon

Andrew K said...

Why not change your name to Iain Dale-Winton and try for a job with them?

Anonymous said...

Didn`t Betjeman write a poem about his mother , Joan ?

Becky Kemp-Brooks said...

It's pretty well known that George was unhappy with The Sun moving to support the Tories.

Anonymous said...

Has he left because he is basically a leftie - and does not want to support the Conservatives? After all Portland say they were"Founded in 2001 by Tim Allan, a former adviser to Tony Blair"

Anonymous said...

Tom N-D is widely hated and despised by the Armed Forces. The Scum is 'the paper that backs Our Boys' when it wants, and otherwise - it's certainly not.

He is noted for having thrown his toys out of the pram on more than one occassion when visiting Forces abroad, on not being treated as he feels he deserves. Mind you, he'll fit right in with most of Westminster in that regard, though.

The man is a Hoon and Chump of the first water.

Anonymous said...

Hyphens are so tacky.

Anonymous said...

Very funny Iain,

You don't often see The Sun and journalism associated together.

Well it made me laugh to see it.

bergen said...

I think it was Lord Randolph Churchill who observed that a double barrelled name"was almost inevitably associated with the second rate".

DespairingLiberal said...

Yes, there seems to be a strange disconnect between the real backgrounds of the News International top chaps and chappesses (posh, public school, educated) and their baying reactionary rants aimed at keeping the stupid in their place in print.

Anyway, what on earth do "political editors" and "defence editors" do on the Sun? Consider the politics of boob jobs and the defence of the realm in an age of hot vicars and lesbians?

All very strange.

Anonymous said...

I used to buy the sun until Kavanagh took over,i knew it would go down -hill with him at the helm.

Anonymous said...

Does Olivia have a partner these days?

Anonymous said...

Kavanagh is not the Editor of The Sun, he was Political Editor. He is an Associate Editor (he is 66).

Given he was always a 'Thatcherite' and then plumped for Blair, its a surprise his long time assistant seems not want to toe the new party line.

The Editor of the Sun is Dominic Mohan

Anonymous said...

I could be really pedantic... actually go on I will be.

He doesn't actually have a hyphen in his surname. It's Tom Newton Dunn, not Tom Newton-Dunn

Anonymous said...

Con Home point to this statement by TND -
" I was thrilled to have played a key role in switching The Sun's support to David Cameron.", "I'm looking forward to using my experience to help Portland's clients make sense of a new political and media age." -- so my conspiracy seems to have sunk like the Belgrano.

Tapestry said...

Sun pays better.

Public school boys write fairy tales.

Trumpington-Farquars lie more convincingly than state educated Bill Smiths.

El Sid said...

This footage just in from the Sun newsroom....

Dimoto said...

Interesting that most of the posts on this thread seem to be from the (possibly bitter) Labour trolldom. (eyes to heaven emoticon)

Quietzapple said...

Dimoto should seek the mote in his dim eye for a better view.

Anonymous said...

Don't buy the Sun,don't listen to journos.
listen to the politicians,make my own mind up if they are telling a porkie.Got Blair correct from day two. Never looked back and ALWAYS trusted my instincts and today I have doubts about DC.Don't believe his public agenda,got a good team behind him though.
Nick griffin on Boulton,very measured.Scary stuff.

Rayver said...

Did Tom Newton Dunn go to Eton at the same time as David Cameron? They look about the same age.