Page 7 - Real Rochdale Issue 10 Summer 2021

The Independent, where I became a lobby
correspondent for the House of Commons
in 1999.”
from rochdale to westminster Waugh was the first lobby reporter for a

national paper to join Twitter in 2009. Now, he
has nearly 195,000 followers who he shares
political news with daily.

Having grown up in Rochdale, journalist Paul Waugh has revealed the part his “As an independent journalist it shows just
hometown has played in his reputation for holding prime ministers to account. how much impact you can have through social
media,” he commented.

Currently HuffPost UK’s Executive Editor, Politics, the tables were turned on Mr Before joining HuffPost in 2015, Waugh
Waugh when he became the focus of the media in April 2021 after questioning PM returned to the Evening Standard in 2004,
Boris Johnson’s integrity – and his relationship with US businesswoman Jennifer where he covered ‘one of the finest moments’
Arcuri - at a televised Downing Street press conference. of his career, exposing how former Prime
Minister Tony Blair had claimed Iraq had
weapons of mass destruction to justify the
With over 20 years of experience reporting from the House of Commons, Waugh invasion of Iraq and the resulting war.
reflects on his journey from Rochdale to Westminster with Katie Davies.
Waugh’s interviews with Dr Brian Jones, a
former intelligence insider in the MoD,
Before getting a place at Oxford University, shared the building with the Daily Mail, and he revealed just how the No.10 dossier had made
Waugh attended local Meanwood Community brought a taste of Rochdale to London. claims that were not backed up by evidence.
Primary School and Oulder Hill Community Dr Jones went on to become a key witness in an going to ask questions that reflect your own
School. “My big claim to fame was getting them to add inquiry into the affair. background that perhaps others might not ask.”
mushy peas to the Friday fish and chips instead
“It was during my time at Oxford that I really of those boring old garden peas,” he joked. But his last job was as editor of the website Waugh, a lifelong Rochdale AFC supporter, was
got the bug for journalism”, he said. PoliticsHome.com. raised on a council estate near Spotland and
“I became the local government reporter for even though he has worked at Westminster for
“Whilst studying philosophy and physiology, I the whole of London at the Standard, going Nowadays, the straight-talking political over two decades, he remains a vocal supporter
was involved with The Oxford Student from covering one or two councils to 33! It was editor’s workload involves providing news, of his hometown.
[Oxford’s biggest student newspaper] in my a really good experience and got me spotted by insight, and analysis on the UK Parliament at
spare time and ended up being one of the very HuffPost UK, as well as producing his daily “I felt really proud when I was researching a
first editors. It was a great job.
newsletter/blog ‘WaughZone’. story about track and trace and one of the
companies involved was based at Kingsway
“From there, I spent a year completing a Paul is also one of the presenters of BBC Radio Business Park. Rochdale still has a lot of
postgraduate course at Cardiff University’s 4’s Week in Westminster and found it ‘strange’ pioneering businesses and it’s a continuation of
Centre for Journalism Studies.”
to learn he was the centre of attention after its history. Rochdale has always been
asking Boris Johnson whether he acted with pioneering - you can see the ‘Rochdale
Kickstarting his successful career, Waugh’s first ‘honesty and integrity’ in his relationship with Pioneers 1844’ sign as you drive into the town.
job was at Hampstead & Highgate Express – a US businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri. Johnson
weekly paper in London, otherwise known as said he had. “I’m incredibly proud of where I’m from
Ham&High – where he had just completed a because it’s the home of the modern
work placement.
“Always at the back of my mind I imagine what co-operative movement.
would my family in Rochdale think? What
“I covered the councils in North London, which questions would they want asking? “I was in Rochdale only a few weeks ago and
was great training in political reporting,” he was really impressed with Rochdale Riverside,
recalled.
“I had a chat with my mum [after the press and opening up the river has made a big
conference] and she said, ‘you got him there, difference and brings pride to the area. There is
In the late 90s, Waugh was hired by editor didn’t you!’. If you grow up in the North, you are a sense of regeneration in Rochdale.”
Max Hastings at the Evening Standard, which

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