William Rees-Mogg
William Rees-Mogg (born 14 July 1928) is a right-wing British journalist who was an important member of the 'New Right'. He is best known for having been editor of The Times during the 1970s.
Biography
Background
Rees-Mogg was born on 14 July 1928, the son of Edmund Fletcher and Beatrice Rees-Mogg (née Warren). He was educated at the elite private school Charterhouse, [1] also attended by other notable British jouralists such as Max Hastings, David and Jonathan Dimbleby and Jeremy Paxman. He then attended Balliol College, Oxford where he was a Brackenbury Scholar and was elected President of the Student Union. [2]
Print Journalism
Rees-Mogg joined the Financial Times in 1952. He was the paper's chief leader writer from 1955 and also its assistant editor from 1957. In 1960 he joined The Sunday Times, first as city editor (1960-61), then economic editor (1961-63) and then as deputy editor (1964-67). [3] In 1967, following the takeover of The Times by the Canadian entrepreneur Roy Thomson, Rees-Mogg was appointed editor. [4] During his 14 years as editor Rees-Mogg embraced the newly influential ideology of monetarism. [5] The ideology was given particular prominence in the paper through the writings of Peter Jay, who Rees-Mogg had appointed his Economics Editor. Jay later commented: 'I think, in retrospect, that it is true that some of the stuff that we wrote and that William Rees-Mogg gave me space to write, in The Times during that period, did have an impact as part of the debate, which was beginning to develop.' [6] Rees-Mogg left The Times in 1981 when he was appointed Vice-Chairman of the BBC Board of Governors by the Thatcher government. [7] He has been a columnist at The Times since 1992 and the Mail on Sunday since 2004. [8]
Broadcasting
Rees-Mogg was Vice-Chairman of the BBC Board of Govenors from 1981 to 1986, and Chairman of the Broadcasting Standards Commission from 1988 to 1993. [9]
Rees-Mogg's appointment to the BBC Board was seen as controversial because it broke with the tradition of political balance. After reports that Rees-Mogg would be appointed in July 1981, the Labour Shadow Cabinet protested to the Home Secretary. [10] The Labour politician Roy Hattersley was quoted by the Guardian as saying: 'We have no criticism of Sir William’s personal abilities or character. However, it is obviously wrong that both the chairman and vice chairman of the BBC should be associated with the same political point of view.' [11] The Chairman at that point was George Howard, a former President of the Country Landowners' Association, who was appointed by the Thatcher government the previous year.
Affiliations
The Other Club, member
Garrick Club, member [12]
Notes
- ↑ ‘REES-MOGG’, Who's Who 2009, A & C Black, 2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2008 [Accessed 19 Nov 2009]
- ↑ ‘REES-MOGG’, Who's Who 2009, A & C Black, 2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2008 [Accessed 19 Nov 2009]
- ↑ Debrett's People of Today, The Rt Hon Lord Rees-Mogg [Accessed 19 November 2009]
- ↑ Geofrey Hodgson, 'BOOK REVIEW: Paper tiger; or mutton dressed as lamb: The History of the Times 1966-1981', Independent, 11 January 1994
- ↑ Geofrey Hodgson, 'BOOK REVIEW: Paper tiger; or mutton dressed as lamb: The History of the Times 1966-1981', Independent, 11 January 1994
- ↑ Churchill College Cambridge, British Diplomatic Oral History Programme (BDOHP), Peter Jay interviewed on 24 February 2006 by Malcolm McBain, [Accessed 16 October 2009]
- ↑ ‘REES-MOGG’, Who's Who 2009, A & C Black, 2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2008 [Accessed 19 Nov 2009]
- ↑ Debrett's People of Today, The Rt Hon Lord Rees-Mogg [Accessed 19 November 2009]
- ↑ Debrett's People of Today, The Rt Hon Lord Rees-Mogg [Accessed 19 November 2009]
- ↑ Alan Rusbridger, 'Hattersley attacks ' bias at top' in BBC', Guardian, 3 August 1981; p.20
- ↑ Alan Rusbridger, 'Hattersley attacks ' bias at top' in BBC', Guardian, 3 August 1981; p.20
- ↑ ‘REES-MOGG’, Who's Who 2009, A & C Black, 2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2008 [Accessed 19 Nov 2009]
