Andrew Marr is a journalist and former BBC Political Editor, who for 16 years hosted the The Andrew Marr Show. He retired from the show in December 2021 and is now the Political Editor of The New Statesman.
Early Days:
Andrew was born in 1959 in Glasgow. He attended Dundee High School, Craigflower School in Fife, and Loretto School, Musselburgh. Andrew later gained a BA in English from Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He joined The Scotsman as a trainee and junior business reporter in 1981. His political career started in the 80’s when he became parliamentary correspondent and then political correspondent in 1986. Andrew worked for two years at The Independent before returning to The Scotsman as political editor. He moved to become political editor at The Economist from 1988-92. Andrew then returned to The Independent as chief political commentator in 1992. He was promoted to editor four years later in 1996.
He became a columnist for The Express and The Observer in 1998. This was before being appointed as BBC political editor in May 2000.
Andrew has had a number of books published, including The Battle for Scotland, Ruling Britannia and The Day Britain Died. Broadcasting includes series on contemporary thinkers for BBC Two and Radio Four, and political documentaries for Channel 4 and BBC Panorama.
He was named Columnist of the Year in the What the Papers Say Awards of 1995. Columnist of the Year in British Press Awards came next,also in the same year.
He was named Journalist of the Year in the Creative Freedom Awards 2000 and received the Journalist Award in the Channel 4 Political Awards of 2001.
Andrew was named as the best individual contributor on television. This was at the Voice Of The Listener And Viewer’s Annual awards 2002
Among his hobbies, Andrew lists, reading (he was the chair of judges for the Samuel Johnson Prize 2001), painting, cooking and also remembering his children’s names.
Andrew Marr is a journalist regarded as one of the most highly regarded political journalists of the decade. A superb after dinner speaker and host, with an acerbic wit.