:Andrew Gilligan
{{Short description|British journalist and radio presenter (born 1968)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
File:Andrew Gilligan.jpg outside London City Hall|272x272px]]
Andrew Paul Gilligan (born 22 November 1968) is a British policy adviser and ex-journalist. He served as a special adviser to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak,{{Cite web |date=26 February 2024 |title=UK Parliament - Written questions, answers and statements |url=https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-02-20/14827/ |access-date=16 June 2024}} having previously worked as a transport adviser to Boris Johnson both as Mayor of London and as Prime Minister. He is now senior fellow and head of transport, infrastructure and London at the think-tank Policy Exchange.{{cite web |url=https://policyexchange.org.uk/author/andrew-gilligan/ |title=Andrew Gilligan, Author at Policy Exchange }}
Until July 2019, Gilligan was senior correspondent of The Sunday Times and had also served as head of the Capital City Foundation at Policy Exchange.{{cite web|url=https://policyexchange.org.uk/capital-city-foundation/|title=About the Capital City Foundation|access-date=8 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108093911/https://policyexchange.org.uk/capital-city-foundation/|archive-date=8 January 2017|url-status=dead}} Between 2013 and 2016 he also worked as the Mayor's cycling commissioner for London, and in 2020 he was an appointee of Central Government to TfL's Board. He is best known for a 2003 report on BBC Radio 4's Today programme in which he described a British government briefing paper on Iraq and weapons of mass destruction (the September Dossier) as having been "transformed in the week before it was published to make it sexier". This change became widely known, in the words of newspaper headlines about the story, as being "sexed up".{{cite web |title=Full transcript of Andrew Gilligan's 'sexed up' broadcast |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jul/09/Iraqandthemedia.bbc |website=The Guardian |date=9 July 2003 |access-date=4 June 2023}}
He was awarded Journalist of the Year in 2008 for his investigative reports on Ken Livingstone{{cite web |last=Brook |first=Stephen |title=Andrew Gilligan to join the Telegraph |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/jun/19/andrew-gilligan-joins-telegraph |work=The Guardian |date=19 June 2009 |access-date=22 May 2012}} and was shortlisted for the award again in 2015 for investigations which helped cause the downfall of politician Lutfur Rahman.{{cite web |url=http://www.pressawards.org.uk/page-view.php?pagename=Shortlist-2015 |title=2015 Press Awards shortlist |access-date=8 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114205009/http://www.pressawards.org.uk/page-view.php?pagename=Shortlist-2015 |archive-date=14 November 2016 |url-status=dead}} He has also been a nominee for the Paul Foot Award,{{cite web|url=https://www.private-eye.co.uk//paul-foot-award/2008|title=The Paul Foot Award | Private Eye Online|website=www.private-eye.co.uk}} the Orwell Prize,{{cite web |title=Andrew Gilligan |url=https://www.orwellfoundation.com/journalist/andrew-gilligan/ |website=The Orwell Foundation |access-date=2 May 2020}} the British Journalism Awards{{cite web|url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/humbling-and-inspiring-full-list-finalists-british-journalism-awards-2015-revealed/|title='Humbling and inspiring': Full list of finalists for the British Journalism Awards 2015 revealed|first=|last=|date=3 November 2015 |website=Press Gazette}} and Foreign Reporter of the Year at the British Press Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/blog/2012/mar/20/press-awards-2012-live|title=Press Awards 2012 as they happened|first=Lisa|last=O'Carroll|date=20 March 2012|website=The Guardian}}{{cite news|url=https://twitter.com/mragilligan/status/994289452880158720|title=Andrew Gilligan on Twitter|work=Twitter|access-date=2 June 2018}}
Early life and education
Gilligan was born in Teddington,{{cite news |title=Profile: Andrew Gilligan |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3446447.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=30 January 2004 |access-date=22 May 2012}} London, to Catholic parents, Kevin and Ann. Kevin was formerly a Labour Party councillor in Teddington and had graduated from University College London. Andrew was educated at Grey Court School, Kingston College of Further Education and at St John's College, Cambridge, where he studied history and was news editor of the student newspaper Varsity.{{cite web|url=http://www.varsity.co.uk/about-varsity |title=About Varsity |publisher=varsity.co.uk |access-date=22 May 2012}} He was also a member of Cambridge Universities Labour Club.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/9772250/Is-it-really-grim-up-north.html |title=Is it really grim up north?|first=Andrew|last=Gilligan|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=31 December 2012}}
Career
In 1994, he joined the Cambridge Evening News, then in 1995 moved to The Sunday Telegraph, where he became a specialist reporter on defence. In 1999, he was recruited by the editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Rod Liddle, as Defence and Diplomatic Correspondent. In May 2003, Gilligan made a broadcast in which he claimed that the British Government had "sexed up" a report in order to exaggerate the weapon of mass destruction capabilities of Saddam Hussein.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8566789/David-Kelly-timeline.html |title=David Kelly: timeline |work=The Telegraph|date=9 June 2011 |access-date=22 May 2012}}
Gilligan resigned from the BBC in 2004, in the wake of the Hutton Inquiry surrounding the death of David Kelly, after Lord Hutton questioned the reliability of Gilligan's evidence.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1452920/I-have-considerable-doubts-as-to-how-reliable-this-journalists-evidence-is.html |title='I have considerable doubts as to how reliable this journalist's evidence is' |work=The Telegraph|date=29 January 2004 |access-date=6 June 2012}}
After resigning from the BBC, Gilligan was offered a job at The Spectator by its editor, Boris Johnson,{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/feb/11/bbc.politicsandthemedia |title=BBC {{!}} Gilligan offered job by the Spectator |newspaper=The Guardian|first=Ciar|last=Byrne|date=11 February 2004 |access-date=13 November 2013}} who had been a key supporter of Gilligan during the Hutton Inquiry.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/andrew-gilligan-my-war-with-ken-livingstone-790429.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704153929/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/andrew-gilligan-my-war-with-ken-livingstone-790429.html |archive-date=4 July 2008 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title=Andrew Gilligan: My war with Ken Livingstone |work=The Independent|date=3 March 2008 |access-date=13 November 2013}} Later that year, Gilligan joined the London Evening Standard. He was named Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards in 2008 for his work on the London Mayoral elections, described as "relentless investigative journalism at its best".{{cite web|url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=40817 |title=British Press Awards: Andrew Gilligan named journalist of the year |work=Press Gazette|date=8 April 2008 |access-date=22 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505133330/http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=40817 |archive-date=5 May 2009 }}
Between 2007 and 2009 Gilligan presented a fortnightly programme for Press TV, the Iranian government's English-language TV channel. Rod Liddle challenged Gilligan in July 2009 about working for an "international propaganda channel run by the Iranian government".{{cite web|url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/2009/07/journalists-will-be-the-next-target-of-public-anger-and-rightly-so/ |title=Journalists will be the next target of public anger, and rightly so}} Gilligan stopped his regular show in December 2009, though he appeared twice more on the network just before the UK's May 2010 general election. Gilligan attributed his decision to leave to the politics of Iran "that was inconsistent with my opposition to Islamism. I have not worked for Press TV since."{{cite news| url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/andrewgilligan/100064715/mehdi-hasan-new-statesmans-senior-editor-makes-up-quote/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125092232/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/andrewgilligan/100064715/mehdi-hasan-new-statesmans-senior-editor-makes-up-quote/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=25 November 2010 | location=London | work=The Telegraph | title=Mehdi Hasan: New Statesman's senior editor makes up quote |first=Andrew |last=Gilligan|date=22 November 2010}}
In 2009, Gilligan became London editor of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph. He was also a reporter for Channel 4's investigative programme Dispatches, covering a number of issues, including Rahman and his claimed involvement with the Islamic Forum of Europe in the London borough of Tower Hamlets.{{Cite web|url=https://andrewgilliganblog.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/britains-islamic-republic-full-transcript-of-channel-4-dispatches-programme-on-lutfur-rahman-the-ife-and-tower-hamlets-the-full-transcript/|title='Britain's Islamic republic': full transcript of Channel 4 Dispatches programme on Lutfur Rahman, the IFE and Tower Hamlets|first=Andrew|last=Gilligan|date=22 October 2010}} He has also been a cover presenter for LBC radio.
On 22 November 2011, Gilligan criticised the Leveson Inquiry in an appearance before the House of Lords communications committee.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/nov/22/leveson-inquiry-criticised-telegraph-editor |title=Leveson inquiry criticised by Daily Telegraph's Andrew Gilligan|newspaper=The Guardian|first=John|last=Plunkett|date=22 November 2011}}
In January 2013, Gilligan was appointed as the Cycling Commissioner for London by the Mayor, Boris Johnson.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/andrew-gilligan-to-be-londons-cycling-commissioner-bbdv0bbc6vc|title=Andrew Gilligan to be London's 'cycling commissioner'|first=Kaya|last=Burgess|date=18 January 2013|work=The Times|access-date=15 October 2013}} Accusations of "cronyism" were made following the appointment as Gilligan was considered instrumental in toppling the Mayor's main rival, Ken Livingstone.{{cite web|first=Hugh |last=Muir|author2=Adam Bienkov |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jan/17/boris-johnson-cronyism-claims-andrew-gilligan |title=Boris Johnson triggers fresh cronyism claims with Andrew Gilligan job|work=The Guardian|date=17 January 2013 |access-date=15 October 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/news/london/story/2013-01-18/new-job-for-andrew-gilligan/ |title=New job for Andrew Gilligan|website= ITV|date=18 January 2013}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/01/boris-johnson-offers-andrew-gilligan-role-cycling-commissioner |title=Boris Johnson offers Andrew Gilligan role as cycling commissioner|magazine=New Statesman|first=Alex |last=Hern|date=18 January 2013}} He helped deliver London's first segregated cycle superhighways and was subsequently given an award by the London Cycling Campaign for his "outstanding contribution to cycling."{{cite web|url=https://www.lcc.org.uk/articles/2016awards|title=2016 London Cycling Awards - WINNERS!|website=www.lcc.org.uk|access-date=5 November 2020|archive-date=11 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011001424/https://lcc.org.uk//articles/2016awards|url-status=dead}} In August 2016, Gilligan was part of a wave of redundancies at The Daily Telegraph; he joined The Sunday Times immediately afterwards.{{cite web|url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/andrew-gilligan-joins-sunday-times-as-senior-correspondent-after-telegraph-redundancy/|title=Andrew Gilligan joins Sunday Times as senior correspondent after Telegraph redundancy|first=Dominic |last=Ponsford|date=30 August 2016|website=Press Gazette}} In 2019, he was appointed transport adviser by the then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, based in the Downing Street policy unit. In July 2020, Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, appointed Gilligan to TfL's Board as one of two Special Representative attendees.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/transport-for-london-extraordinary-funding-and-financing-update|title=Transport for London extraordinary funding and financing update|website=GOV.UK|date=20 July 2020 }}
Gilligan was appointed as a special adviser to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March 2023.{{Cite web |date=26 February 2024 |title=UK Parliament - Written questions, answers and statements |url=https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-02-20/14827/ |access-date=13 June 2024}} He was reportedly instrumental in persuading Sunak to abandon the proposed northern leg of the High Speed 2 railway infrastructure project.{{Cite news |last1=Crerar |first1=Pippa |last2=Walker |first2=Peter |date=2023-09-27 |title=Andrew Gilligan: ex-Johnson adviser said to have Sunak's ear on HS2 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/27/andrew-gilligan-ex-johnson-adviser-said-to-have-sunaks-ear-on-hs2 |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |title=The 'rabidly anti-HS2' aide who has Rishi Sunak's ear |url=https://www.ft.com/content/6d381472-93a4-4138-96bb-d73a202c25dc |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=www.ft.com|date=4 October 2023 |last1=Pickard |first1=Jim }}{{Cite web |last=Swinford |first=Oliver Wright, Steven |date=2024-06-13 |title=Rishi Sunak aide called HS2 'greatest mistake in 50 years' |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/rishi-sunak-aide-called-hs2-greatest-mistake-in-50-years-8wbcjlzmb |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=The Times}} In July 2024, he rejoined Policy Exchange as head of transport, infrastructure and London.
Controversy
In May 2016, The Telegraph apologised and paid substantial damages as part of an out-of-court settlement for defamation due to false claims made by Gilligan in a series of articles alleging corruption surrounding the purchase of Poplar Town Hall by businessman Mujibul Islam from Tower Hamlets Council when Rahman was mayor.{{cite web|url=http://eastlondonnews.co.uk/poplar-town-hall-owner-mujibul-islam-receives-apology-and-damages-from-the-telegraph-in-libel-case/ |title=Poplar Town Hall owner Mujibul Islam receives apology and damages from The Telegraph in libel case |website=East London News |date=13 May 2016 |access-date=8 July 2016}}
In May 2018, The Sunday Telegraph paid "substantial damages" to settle a defamation case brought against it by Mohammed Kozbar in relation to an article by Gilligan in March 2016. Gilligan had accused Kozbar of supporting Palestinian violence against Israel's occupation.{{cite news|title=Telegraph pays 'substantial damages' to UK mosque leader for defamation|url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/fr/news/daily-telegraph-pay-substantial-damages-uk-mosque-leader-defamation-1780696493|publisher=Middle East Eye|date=10 May 2018 }} Gilligan tweeted that he stood by what he wrote.{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/mragilligan/status/994289452880158720|first=Andrew|last=Gillingan|title=Here is what I wrote about Mohammed Kozbar. I stand by it.|website=Twitter|date= 9 May 2018}}
In January 2019, The Sunday Times was required to publish a correction by the Independent Press Standards Organisation, which ruled that an article in July 2018 by Gilligan about laws regarding transgender people had been "misleading".{{cite news |last1=Duffy |first1=Nick |title=Press watchdog rules against 'misleading' Sunday Times trans coverage |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/01/07/sunday-times-trans-ipso-misleading/ |work=Pink News |date = 7 January 2019|access-date=22 February 2020}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://andrewgilliganblog.wordpress.com/ Gilligan's personal blog]
- [http://www.greenwich.co.uk/andrew-gilligan/ Column archive] at Greenwich.co.uk
- [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/andrew-gilligan/ Column archive] at The Telegraph
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080410193847/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/columnistarchive/Andrew%20Gilligan-columnist-162-archive.do Column archive] at the London Evening Standard
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Category:Alumni of Richmond upon Thames College
Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
Category:BBC newsreaders and journalists
Category:English male journalists
Category:London Evening Standard people
Category:People from Teddington