Chamber POTY: Patrick Burns by Kevin Johnson
If you want political insight, intelligence and gossip you are obviously in the right place. Where else could you possibly want to go for your political fix?
Tempted as I am to start a POTY thread for my colleague Paul Dale, that would be an act of sycophancy too far. I could start a campaign for Jonathan Walker or Neil Elkes, keeping politics alive in the Post from Westminster and inside the Council House.
But I want to suggest the BBC’s Politics Editor in the West Midlands, Patrick Burns. The BBC’s regular politics output overseen by Robbie Gibb and presented by has been a revelation, from the programme covering Parliament, the sideways look on Thursday nights in This Week and the set piece seventh day show, Sunday Politics. Neil is now just about the best politics presenter on TV, from astute analysis to a testing interview style than still manages to stay more polite than, say, Jeremy Paxman.
The Chamber POTYs are the first Person of the Year Awards run by The Chamberlain News. To see who else has been nominated, click here
The latest format on Sundays has meant more time for the regional opt out and has put Patrick front and centre. No longer a bit part player with a single item in a segment presented by a non politics specialist, the old hand has full rein for around twenty minutes. Patrick is not looking to be the next Dimbleby or Humphrys, but it’s difficult not to be engaged by him or recognise his experience and knowledge.
At a time when there is increasing disengagement with politics and there are fewer media channels to help inform on policy and hold politicians to account, a broadcast journalist with Patrick’s charm and calibre appearing on Midlands Today and Sunday Politics is to be warmly welcomed.
