Sebastian Payne

{{Infobox person

| name = Sebastian Payne

| image = Sebastian Payne, Online Editor of The Spectator (9935644796).jpg|caption=Payne in 2013

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1989|07|02}}

| birth_place = Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England

| education = St Thomas More Catholic School
Dame Allan's School

| alma_mater = Durham University (BSc)
City, University of London (MA)

| occupation = {{hlist|Journalist|Columnist}}

| years_active = 2011–present

| employer = The Times

| party = Conservative

| spouse = {{marriage|Sophia Gaston|2019}}

}}{{Conservatism UK|Activists}}

Sebastian Early Anthony Payne{{Cite web|url=http://www.sebpayne.com/2008/12/27/personlia/|title=Sebastian E. Payne > Personalia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707151234/http://www.sebpayne.com/2008/12/27/personlia/|access-date=3 October 2020|archive-date=7 July 2009}} (born 2 July 1989) is a British journalist and former think tank director. He began his career with stints at The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator, before joining the Financial Times in 2016, where he eventually rose to become the paper's Whitehall correspondent. In 2022, he left the paper to become director of the think tank Onward. He left the think tank and joined The Times as a writer and columnist at the end of 2024.{{cite web |title=Sebastian Payne joins The Times |url=https://www.responsesource.com/bulletin/news/sebastian-payne-joins-the-times/ |publisher=ResponseSource |access-date=2 December 2024 |language=en}}

Early life

Payne was born on 2 July 1989,{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8894091/How-true-to-life-is-Channel-4s-Fresh-Meat.html |title=How true to life is Channel 4's Fresh Meat? |last=Payne |first=Sebastian |date=16 November 2011 |work=The Telegraph |access-date=20 October 2019 |issn=0307-1235 |url-access=subscription}}{{cite tweet |last1=Payne |first1=Sebastian |title=Happy Birthday @SebastianEPayne |number=352114127935770624 |user=SebastianEPayne |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905095852/https://twitter.com/SebastianEPayne/status/352114127935770624 |archive-date=5 September 2020 |access-date=8 December 2022}}{{Primary source inline|date=March 2020}} in Gateshead, England. He attended St Thomas More Catholic School, Blaydon, and later the private day school Dame Allan's School for sixth form,{{cite web |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/2015/03/seb-paynes-schooldays/ |title=Seb Payne's schooldays |date=14 March 2015 |work=The Spectator |last=Payne |first=Sebastian |access-date=8 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018070323/https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/seb-payne-s-schooldays |archive-date=18 October 2021}} where he began studying politics.{{cite podcast |url=https://www.globalplayer.com/podcasts/episodes/7DrdGuw/ |title=Chapter 147 : Sebastian Payne |publisher=Global |work=Iain Dale's Book Club |first=Iain |last=Dale |date=8 October 2021 |access-date=8 October 2021}} At Durham University, he studied computer science.{{cite podcast |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-currant-affairs-podcast-season-4-interview/id1485160591?i=1000556553133 |title=The Currant Affairs Podcast Season 4 - Interview with Sebastian Payne |work=Purple Radio On Demand |publisher=Apple Podcasts |date=7 April 2022 |access-date=8 December 2022}} He was media editor of the student newspaper Palatinate, and manager of Purple Radio, a student radio station where he also presented a show. During his tenure as manager, Purple Radio received a fine from PRS for Music for not paying any fees for playing music on the station for five years. He graduated from the university's Van Mildert College{{cite news|url=https://issuu.com/van.mildert.college.alumni/docs/mildertian_full_draft_for_web|work=The Mildertian|date=14 July 2014|accessdate=9 August 2020|title=Alumni|page=5}} in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science.{{cite web |url=https://www.speakers4schools.org/speakers/sebastian-payne/ |title=Sebastian Payne |work=Speakers for Schools |access-date=8 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191006082607/https://www.speakers4schools.org/speakers/sebastian-payne/ |archive-date=6 October 2019}}

After graduation, Payne completed an internship on the media desk of The Guardian. He obtained a Master of Arts in investigative journalism from City, University of London in 2011.{{cite web |url=https://www.city.ac.uk/about/schools/arts-social-sciences/journalism/graduate-prospects/leading-city-journalism-alumni/leading-alumni-in-digital |title=Leading alumni in online and digital |work=City, University of London |access-date=8 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728164307/https://www.city.ac.uk/about/schools/arts-social-sciences/journalism/graduate-prospects/leading-city-journalism-alumni/leading-alumni-in-digital |archive-date=28 July 2020}}

Career

Payne volunteered for Conservative Campaign Headquarters during the 2010 general election campaign.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

Payne became a data reporter at The Daily Telegraph in 2011, before leaving the paper the following year.{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/sebastian-payne/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711202055/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/sebastian-payne/ |archive-date=11 July 2011 |title=Sebastian Payne |work=The Telegraph |url-status=dead |access-date=20 October 2019}} He was an online editor of The Spectator magazine{{cite web |url=https://nationalpress.org/award-winner/sebastian-payne/ |title=Sebastian Payne |work=National Press Foundation |access-date=20 October 2019}} and the deputy editor of its Coffee House blog from 2012 to 2015.{{cite web |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/author/sebastian-payne/ |title=Author: Sebastian Payne |work=The Spectator |access-date=8 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160903221349/http://www.spectator.co.uk/author/sebastian-payne/ |archive-date=3 September 2016}} He was also managing editor of the magazine. During his time at The Spectator he spent nine months in a Laurence Stern fellowship at the national desk of The Washington Post.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/pr/wp/2014/04/23/sebastian-payne-is-the-washington-posts-2014-stern-fellow/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |title=Sebastian Payne is The Washington Post's 2014 Stern Fellow |date=23 April 2014 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}

Payne joined the Financial Times as digital opinion editor{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/oct/29/ft-spectator-sebastian-payne-digital-comment-editor-financial-times |title=FT hires Spectator's Sebastian Payne as digital comment editor |last=Jackson |first=Jasper |work=The Guardian |date=29 October 2015 |access-date=15 December 2019}} at the beginning of 2016. He became the paper's political leader writer, before being appointed Whitehall correspondent in March 2019. He wrote a fortnightly political opinion column{{cite web |url=https://www.responsesource.com/bulletin/news/sebastian-payne-appointed-whitehall-correspondent-at-financial-times/ |title=Sebastian Payne appointed Whitehall correspondent at Financial Times |last=Amos-Sansam |first=Nate |date=11 March 2019 |work=ResponseSource |access-date=20 October 2019}} and presented the weekly Payne's Politics podcast.{{cite web|url = https://www.chartwellspeakers.com/speaker/sebastian-payne/|title = Sebastian Payne|website = Chartwell Speakers|accessdate = 31 July 2023}}

In 2021, Pan Macmillan published Payne's book, Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labour's Lost England, about the red wall areas that voted for the Conservative Party at the 2019 general election.{{cite web |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/pan-mac-wins-four-publisher-fight-payne-1219125 |title=Pan Mac wins four-publisher fight for Payne |work=The Bookseller |last=Chandler |first=Mark |date=16 September 2020 |access-date=3 October 2020}}

In November 2022, Pan Macmillan published The Fall of Boris Johnson, Payne's book about Prime Minister Boris Johnson's downfall.{{cite web |last1=Chandler |first1=Mark |title=Pan Mac scoops inside story of Boris Johnson's downfall by Payne |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/pan-mac-scoops-inside-story-of-boris-johnsons-downfall-by-payne |access-date=1 August 2022 |work=The Bookseller |date=25 July 2022}}{{cite tweet |title=The Fall of Boris Johnson - out November 24 |number=1584519095437099014 |last=Payne |first=Sebastian |user=SebastianEPayne |date=24 October 2022 |access-date=8 December 2022}}

In December 2022, Payne left the Financial Times to become director of the think tank Onward.{{cite tweet |number=1600408168026279936 |title=after seven fantastic years at the @FinancialTimes, I'm delighted to be appointed director of @ukonward |user=SebastianEPayne |last=Payne |first=Sebastian |date=7 December 2022 |access-date=8 December 2022}}

In 2023, Payne applied to be the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for the 2023 Selby and Ainsty by-election and was shortlisted but not selected.{{Cite web |last=Atkinson |first=William |date=2023-06-10 |title=Naughton selected in Selby in a "very unusual" contest |url=https://conservativehome.com/2023/06/10/naughton-selected-in-selby-in-a-very-unusual-contest/ |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=Conservative Home |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |date=2023-06-02 |title=Former Financial Times journalist shortlisted to be Tory election candidate |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/23564003.sebastian-payne-shortlist-tory-general-election-candidate/ |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=The National |language=en}} Later that year, he applied to be the party's candidate in West Suffolk for the 2024 general election, but was defeated by Nick Timothy.{{Cite web |last=Goodman |first=Paul |date=2023-07-31 |title=Nick Timothy and Bradley Thomas are selected to contest West Suffolk and Bromsgove respectively. |url=https://conservativehome.com/2023/07/31/nick-timothy-and-bradley-thomas-are-selected-to-contest-west-sussex-and-bromsgove-respectively/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=Conservative Home |language=en-GB}} Payne unsuccessfully ran to be the Conservative candidate in several other seats, including Bromsgrove,{{Cite web |last=CP |date=2023-11-28 |title=Conservative Party to unseat local candidate, Bradley Thomas, to parachute in Onward director, Seb Payne |url=https://conservativepost.co.uk/conservative-party-to-unseat-local-candidate-bradley-thomas-to-parachute-in-onward-director-seb-payne/ |access-date=2024-06-04 |website=Conservative Post |language=en-GB}} Bridlington and the Wolds,{{Cite web |date=2023-10-06 |title=Reading the Rutherglen romp-home runes |url=https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/reading-the-rutherglen-romp-home-runes/ |access-date=2024-06-04 |website=POLITICO |language=en-GB}} Waveney Valley,{{Cite web |last=Crick |first=Michael |date=7 October 2023 |title=WAVENEY VALLEY: I'm told Seb Payne... |url=https://x.com/tomorrowsmps/status/1710638514059039209 |website=Twitter}} and Surrey Heath.{{Cite news |last=Maddox |first=David |date=2024-06-03 |title=Tory chairman's last minute bid for seat as party scrambles to find up to 141 candidates |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-chairman-general-election-candidates-b2555800.html |access-date=2024-06-05 |work=The Independent |language=en}} With the close of nominations for seats on 7 June, Payne failed to be selected for a seat at the 2024 general election.{{Cite web |title=x.com |url=https://x.com/SebGotSafeSeat/status/1799094269589758445 |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=X (formerly Twitter)}}

Personal life

Payne lives in Archway, North London. name="Voting location"/https://x.com/SebastianEPayne/status/1808778803818176743?lang=en-GB He married Sophia Gaston on 20 July 2019. Gaston is a London School of Economics visiting fellow and Head of Foreign Policy and UK Resilience at the conservative think tank Policy Exchange.{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/politico-london-playbook-presented-by-lloyds-banking-group-im-a-cabinet-minister-get-me-out-of-here-our-fractured-nation-boris-care-pledge/ |work=POLITICO |title=Politico London Playbook, presented by Lloyds Banking Group: I'm a Cabinet minister get me out of here — Our fractured nation — Boris care pledge |last=Blanchard |first=Jack |date=19 July 2019 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.lse.ac.uk/iga/people/Sophia-Gaston |title=Sophia Gaston |access-date=9 August 2020 |work=London School of Economics}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dsei.co.uk/speakers/sophia-gaston|title=Sophia Gaston|accessdate=2 September 2023|publisher=DSEI}}

Bibliography

Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labour's Lost England (Pan Macmillan, 2021) {{ISBN|978-1529067361}}
The Fall of Boris Johnson (Pan Macmillan, 2022) {{ISBN|978-1035016648}}