Adam Boulton; a Sky News political pioneer – The Yorkshire Post says

IT is ironic, as veteran political broadcaster Adam Boulton confirms that he will be leaving Sky News, that Westminster is mired in sleaze allegations.
Adam Boulton with Boris Johnson during the 2017 general election.Adam Boulton with Boris Johnson during the 2017 general election.
Adam Boulton with Boris Johnson during the 2017 general election.

After all, this issue was very much to the fore during his formative years with Sky News after joining the 24/7 network at its inception in 1989 and, in many respects, changing the course of TV political coverage for the greater good.

Looking back, it is extraordinary that proceedings in the House of Commons were not televised until 1989 when Margaret Thatcher’s premiership was imploding before the nation.

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But it was the rumbustious Boulton who made the most of this opportunity with his incisive reporting, sheer mastery of detail, gravitas and occasional on-air row as he began to energise Commons coverage with marathon broadcasts from one scandal to the next, or from the Maastricht Treaty to Brexit.

Adam Boulton broadcasting from Westminster - his second home.Adam Boulton broadcasting from Westminster - his second home.
Adam Boulton broadcasting from Westminster - his second home.

And as Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the current Speaker of the House of Commons, intimated this week, all aspects of the media continue to have a critical role to play in scrutinising the work of MP and public figures – and holding them to account when their probity and conduct falls short of the high standards expected of them.

After all, Boulton was integral to the advent of TV leaders’ debates during recent elections and the fact that politicians like Boris Johnson genuinely fear his inquisitions is testament to the enduring importance of the role performed by journalists of such standing in Britain’s democracy.

It is why Adam Boulton will be much missed by his viewers and a near-impossible act to follow.

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