Journalist, author and television presenter, Andrew Marr has been on the political frontline, reporting on the inner workings of Westminster, since he moved to London as a correspondent in the early 1980s.
“If you are a journalist you are drawn towards big stories, drama and power, and Westminster is a hotpot because it goes on all the time there,” he said.
Andrew’s highly successful journalism career was born of his love of the English language. “I studied English at Cambridge because I was an omnivorous and excessive book reader from a young age,” he said. “I’d always wanted to write and I worked on the University newspaper.”
From here, Glasgow-born Andrew joined The Scotsman as a trainee reporter in 1981. Years later, he moved to London to become the parliamentary and political correspondent for the Scottish national newspaper.
“It was the heyday of Thatcherism. The biggest story I remember reporting on was the fall of Margaret Thatcher. It was an extremely cloak and dagger story,” he recalled.
In the mid-1980s, Andrew joined the burgeoning Independent for two years as a member of its launch staff, later returning to the newspaper and eventually being promoted to Editor in 1996.
During the gap between his stints at the “Indy”, he was the Political Editor at The Scotsman and then The Economist.
He later became a columnist for The Daily Express and The Observer before being appointed BBC Political Editor in 2000, which made him one of the best-known faces on British television.
“I never thought I’d be on TV at all, but I was as amazed as many others were when it happened.”
He has his own Sunday morning programme, The Andrew Marr Show, and has written and presented popular documentaries, including Andrew Marr’s History Of Modern Britain, Britain From Above and Darwin’s Dangerous Idea. He has also published numerous books, such as My Trade: A Short History of British Journalism and The Day Britain Died.
The award of Honorary Doctor of Staffordshire University is bestowed upon Andrew for his contribution to journalism, providing an insight into and increasing people’s interest in politics and history and for acting as a role model for future journalists and historians.