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Live from Downing Street: The inside story of power, politics and the media

2,791 views · Published 19 February 2013 · 1:31:54 · Indexed 4 October 2026

Channel: LSE · 2013 · Education

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Speakers: Nick Robinson
Recorded on Monday 28 January 2013 in New Theatre, East Building.

Live from Downing Street is the BBC's political editor's colourful and personal account of the relationship between the men and women who wield power and those whose job it is to tell the public what they are doing which he will speak about in this lecture at LSE. Nick's book focuses on the key milestones in the long and rocky relationship between politicians and broadcasters: the prime ministers who pioneered broadcasting live from Downing Street -- Baldwin and Macmillan; those who fought back -- Churchill, Wilson, Thatcher and Blair; and those who could never quite come to terms with it. It also charts the emergence of the charismatic inquisitors of radio and television from Richard Dimbleby and Robin Day to John Humphreys and Jeremy Paxman and concludes with Nick's own considered view of the controversial issue of impartial reporting.

Nick Robinson studied politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford before joining the BBC in 1986. After a decade working behind the cameras -- as a producer on programmes ranging from Crimewatch to On the Record and Panorama -- he became a reporter and presenter. He is the only person to have been political editor of both ITV News and now BBC News -- a job he has held since August 2005. As well as appearing on TV and radio, he writes an award-winning blog.

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