Peter Oborne
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Peter Alan Oborne (; born 11 July 1957) is a British journalist and broadcaster. He is the former chief political commentator of ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'', from which he resigned in early 2015. He is author of ''The Rise of Political Lying'' (2005), ''The Triumph of the Political Class'' (2007), and ''The Assault on Truth: Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and the Emergence of a New Moral Barbarism'' (2021), and along with Frances Weaver of the 2011 pamphlet ''Guilty Men''. He has also authored a number of books about
cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
. He writes a political column for '' Declassified UK'', '' Double Down News'', ''
openDemocracy openDemocracy is an independent media platform and news website based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2001, openDemocracy states that through reporting and analysis of social and political issues, they seek to "challenge power and encourage d ...
'', ''
Middle East Eye ''Middle East Eye'' (MEE) is a United Kingdom-based media website and channel that primarily focuses on news related to the Middle East, North Africa, and the broader Muslim world. The ownership of the organisation is undisclosed. Some sources ...
'' and a diary column for the '' Byline Times''. He sat as a commissioner for the Citizens Commission on Islam, Participation and Public Life. He won the Press Awards Columnist of the Year in 2012 and again in 2016.


Biography


Early life and career

Oborne was educated at
Sherborne School Sherborne School is a full-boarding school for boys aged 13 to 18 located beside Sherborne Abbey in the Dorset town of Sherborne. The school has been in continuous operation on the same site for over 1,300 years. It was founded in 705 AD by Ald ...
and read history at
Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 250 graduate students. The c ...
, graduating with a BA degree in 1978. After abandoning work on a doctorate, he joined NM Rothschild's corporate finance division in 1981, and stayed there for three years. He began working for
Robert Maxwell Ian Robert Maxwell (born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch; 10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak-born British media proprietor, politician and fraudster. After escaping the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, ...
's now closed ''Financial Weekly'' magazine in 1985, being taken on by the editor Mihir Bose. In between two spells on the ''
Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
'', the second being more extended, Oborne joined ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' in 1987 for what turned out to be five months. During his second period on the ''Standard'', he was sent to Westminster in 1992 as a junior political journalist by Paul Dacre, then the ''Standard''s editor. After moving to the ''Express'' titles in 1996, where he was taken on by Sue Douglas as a political commentator, he accepted voluntary redundancy in April 2001 at a time when the titles' new proprietor,
Richard Desmond Richard Clive Desmond (born 8 December 1951) is a British publisher, businessman, and former Pornography, pornographer. According to the 2021 ''Sunday Times Rich List'', Desmond was the 107th richest person in the United Kingdom. He is the fo ...
, was attempting to reduce losses. Oborne is the author of a highly critical biography of
Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...
's former spin doctor
Alastair Campbell Alastair John Campbell (born 25 May 1957) is a British journalist, author, strategist, broadcaster, and activist, who is known for his political roles during Tony Blair's leadership of the Labour Party. Campbell worked as Blair's spokesman an ...
, published in 1999, and a biography of the cricketer
Basil D'Oliveira Basil Lewis D'Oliveira CBE OIS (4 October 1931 – 19 November 2011) was an England international cricketer of South African Cape Coloured background, whose potential selection by England for the scheduled 1968–69 tour of apartheid-era Sout ...
(whose selection for England to tour
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
in 1968 caused that country's apartheid regime to cancel the tour). Oborne is also a vocal critic of the late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, and author of a pamphlet published by the
Centre for Policy Studies The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) is a centre-right think tanks, think tank and advocacy group in the United Kingdom. Its goal is to promote coherent and practical policies based on its founding principles of: free markets, "small state," lo ...
about the situation in
Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...
, ''A moral duty to act there.''


From 2003 to 2006

As a television journalist, Oborne made three polemical documentaries with filmmaker Paul Yule: ''Mugabe's Secret Famine'' (2003), ''Afghanistan – Here's One We Invaded Earlier'' (2004), and ''Not Cricket – The Basil D'Oliveira Conspiracy'' (2004). When the paperback of Oborne's book on the D'Oliveira affair, ''Basil D'Oliveira, Cricket and Conspiracy: The Untold Story'' was published in 2005, Owen Slot wrote in a review in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', that Oborne "sets it up beautifully: one gentle, conservative Cape Town coloured man versus apartheid at its most rabid, the odds stacked heavily against the former".
Robin Marlar Robin Geoffrey Marlar (2 January 1931 – 30 September 2022) was an English cricketer and cricket journalist. He played for Cambridge University before playing for Sussex County Cricket Club from 1951 to 1968. He captained both teams. Early li ...
in ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'' thought "the positives in this book have it by a mile, the good guys are praised, and the others revealed". The book was written with D'Oliveira's involvement and won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award in 2004. In an edition of the
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
'' Dispatches'' programme in November 2004, "The Dirty Race for the White House", broadcast just before the re-election of
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
, Oborne asserted: "This US presidential election is about using the darkest tools of political persuasion — fear, lies and black propaganda — in order to target an amazingly small but utterly decisive group of largely ignorant voters". The historian Andrew Roberts wrote in ''The Times'' that such claims by Oborne as the country's voters being "ignorant beyond belief" was a "staggeringly snobbish, anti-American generalisation" and that "it can hardly be blamed on the candidates that they engage the electorate in the vernacular in which they are best likely to be understood". In April 2005, Oborne presented the Channel 4 programme in the ''Election Unspun'' series, ''Why Politicians Can't Tell the Truth'', that examined how major political parties in Britain allegedly pursue an agenda designed to appeal only to a narrow band of floating voters expected to play a decisive role in the UK general elections of 2005. In a ''Dispatches'' broadcast in November 2005, ''Iraq — The Reckoning'', he commented that the 2003 invasion was "the greatest foreign policy disaster since
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
. And our Government has reacted in precisely the same way: by going into denial. Denial about the role our troops are really playing in Iraq. Denial about the true nature of the emerging Iraqi state. Above all, we're in denial about the fact that the invasion of Iraq, as conceived by President Bush and Tony Blair, has failed."


From 2006 to 2009

In April 2006, it was announced that Oborne was taking up a new position at the ''
Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...
'' as a political columnist, while retaining his connection with ''
The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...
'' as a contributing editor. He had been ''The Spectator''s political editor since 2001, and was replaced in that role by Fraser Nelson of ''
The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...
''. Oborne's book ''The Triumph of the Political Class'' was published in 2007. Simon Jenkins, in a review for ''The Sunday Times'', summarised Oborne's thesis "in his latest diatribe against Britain's ''ingénue'' ruling class" as "Out have gone mandarins, independent advisers, political parties and ministers with experience of life. In has come a tight network of loyalist apparatchiks, quango-crats, lobbyists and City consultants" in the era of New Labour. Jenkins observed: "Amid all this sound and fury, it is sometimes hard to discern Oborne's real complaint from his aloof moralism. Much of what he attacks predates Blair". Oborne wrote some years later: "Blair falls into the tradition of
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
] Walpole and [David Lloyd George, David] Lloyd George", who greatly enriched themselves in office, although Blair's "exploitation of the office of prime minister came after he left Downing Street". In July 2008, Oborne presented another ''Dispatches'' programme made for Channel 4 called ''It Shouldn't Happen to a Muslim''. In this film and the accompanying leaflet ''Muslims Under Siege'' co-written with television journalist James Jones, it was argued that the demonisation of Muslims has become widespread in British media and politics. The pamphlet was serialised in ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
''. In an October 2006 ''Guardian'' interview with James Silver, Oborne was against the "litany of condemnation" of Muslim women who wear the veil from government ministers and considered it an "anti-Islamic crusade". In his opinion, New Labour had "given up on the Muslim vote after the Iraq war, so it's now bashing Muslims to get back the white working-class vote and the veil row is a very carefully orchestrated political strategy". Oborne was on the
Orwell Prize The Orwell Prize is a British prize for political writing. The Prize is awarded by The Orwell Foundation, an independent charity (Registered Charity No 1161563, formerly "The Orwell Prize") governed by a board of trustees. Four prizes are award ...
's Journalism shortlist for 2009.


From 2009 to 2015


Israel, the EU, and other issues

In collaboration with James Jones, Oborne wrote the pamphlet "The Pro-Israel Lobby in Britain", which outlined the alleged influence enjoyed by pro-Israeli media and political lobbyists in the United Kingdom. The article asserted that while the lobbying efforts of groups such as
Conservative Friends of Israel Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) is a British parliamentary group affiliated to the Conservative Party, which is dedicated to strengthening control over business, cultural and political ties between the United Kingdom and Israel, as well as ...
(CFI), Labour Friends of Israel, and the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) are within the law, their
funding Funding is the act of providing resources to finance a need, program, or project. While this is usually in the form of money, it can also take the form of effort or time from an organization or company. Generally, this word is used when a firm use ...
is often untraceable, their operations are not transparent, and media seldom declare the influence of junkets arranged by these pro-Israeli entities on the tenor of their writing. Oborne and Jones conclude that changes are needed "because politics in a democracy should never take place behind closed doors. It should be out in the open and there for all to see." On the same issue. Oborne wrote and presented an edition of ''Dispatches'' titled "Inside Britain's Israel Lobby", featuring interviews with people mentioned in the pamphlet and commenting on the BBC's refusal to broadcast the 2009 DEC Gaza appeal. In December 2012, he argued that the Conservatives' unwillingness to criticise the Israeli government threatens the prospect of a permanent peace in the region. In collaboration with Conservative Member of Parliament Jesse Norman, Oborne produced the pamphlet ''Churchill's Legacy – the Conservative case for the Human Rights Act'' in the summer of 2009. Published by
Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...
, the pamphlet attempted to show how "the Act is not a charter for socialism but contains the most basic rights from 900 years of British history". In September 2011, Oborne and Frances Weaver co-authored the pamphlet ''Guilty Men'' for the Centre for Policy Studies written, according to Denis MacShane in ''The Guardian'', with Oborne's "characteristic rococo exuberance". According to Oborne and Weaver in a covering article, "the pro-Europeans find themselves in the same situation as appeasers in 1940, or communists after the fall of the Berlin Wall". The report sought to identify the politicians, institutions and commentators who the authors felt had tried to take Britain into the European Single Currency. The ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'', which "has been wrong on every single major economic judgment over the past quarter century", in the covering article is accused of a "vendetta" against Euro-sceptics. In the report, the ''FT'', BBC and CBI are accused of being "villains" and considered the "propaganda arm for the pro-single currency movement". MacShane wrote that the authors' made false claims in the report against the
Confederation of British Industry The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is a British business interest group, which says it represents 190,000 businesses. The CBI has been described by the ''Financial Times'' as "Britain's biggest business lobby group". Incorporated by roy ...
(CBI) and he dismisses the idea that the British media "have been suborned into aiding and abetting a pro-Europe line" because the press is dominated by a right-wing euro-sceptic agenda. Following the pamphlet's publication, Oborne made frank comments on the BBC programme '' Newsnight'' on 28 September 2011. In the debate about the Greek debt crisis and its effects on the
eurozone The euro area, commonly called the eurozone (EZ), is a Monetary union, currency union of 20 Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union (EU) that have adopted the euro (Euro sign, €) as their primary currency ...
, he referred to the European Commission spokesman Amadeu Altafaj Tardio as "that idiot in Brussels" which, after he used the phrase for a third time, resulted in Tardio walking out of the studio. (Tardio, spokesman for
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
economic and monetary affairs commissioner Olli Rehn, was speaking from a studio in
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
.) Oborne was mocked by ''Newsnight'' presenter Jeremy Paxman for "gratuituous rudeness" after Paxman had himself asked for a response from, "Mr Idiot in Brussels". On 10 May 2012, on the BBC's '' Question Time'' programme, Oborne commented following the jailing of a Rochdale sex trafficking gang, who had been convicted of rape, sexual activity with children and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children having raped, physically assaulted and sexually groomed girls as young as 12. Oborne said the victims had "accepted the advances" of their attackers and added: "What does it tell us about what's happened to our society that we have 12 year old girls, 13 year old girls, who are happy to give up their affection and their beauty to men in exchange for a packet of crisps?" Some, such as Vicky Allan of '' The Herald'', have claimed that this type of rhetoric amounts to
victim blaming Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them. There is historical and current prejudice against the victims of domestic violence and sex crimes, such as ...
, saying that: "there is a prevalent conviction that young girls are somehow asking for whatever they get as soon as they begin to behave in a sexual manner, or choose to involve themselves with men". Oborne has been critical of the state of Saudi Arabia–United Kingdom relations as he considers that Saudi Arabia has too much influence over British politicians' decisions due to the value of arms they buy from British-headquartered companies like
BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...
. In October 2014, his ''Daily Telegraph'' column criticised the British government for launching an investigation into the Muslim Brotherhood, apparently on the say-so of the Saudi Arabian government and the Arab lobby. On the Arab lobby, he said: "Unlike the Pro-Israel lobby (with which it is, nevertheless, very closely allied) there are few obvious institutional structures or pressure points. The British Arab lobby is inchoate. It is powerfully represented at the heart of the British military and intelligence establishments, while its connections with the oil and defence industries remain profound. Relations with the British monarchy run very deep." He also called on the British government to end its support for the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.


''A Dangerous Delusion: Why the Iranian Nuclear Threat is a Myth''

Written with David Morrison, Oborne's book ''A Dangerous Delusion: Why the Iranian Nuclear Threat is a Myth'' (2013) sought to dispel what the authors see as a common misconception of a malign intent behind Iran's nuclear power programme, and objects to the current sanctions against Iran and argues against any military intervention. ''The Times'' leader writer Oliver Kamm disagreed with the authors' notion that
Ayatollah Khomeini Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini (17 May 1900 or 24 September 19023 June 1989) was an Iranian revolutionary, politician, political theorist, and religious leader. He was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the main leader of the Iranian ...
was "one of the greatest theologians of all time" whose "teaching contained insights which went far deeper than anything the rationalists and materialists of the United States could imagine" suggesting those insights fall somewhat short of the proposals of
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...
in the '' Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom''. On a
podcast A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...
involving the authors, Douglas Murray asserted that Morrison, with the acquiescence of Oborne, made disingenuous claims about President Ahmadinejad's history of Holocaust denial. Oborne, responding to his critics in an article for ''The Spectator''s 'Coffee House' blog, complained of the "scale and (in some cases) virulence that I have never encountered before" of his and Morrison's opponents. He rejected Kamm and Murray's claims about his co-author, who "fully accepts" the veracity of claims against Ahmadinejad. Oborne wrote that "not one of our critics have even tried to deal with the central, factual points of our short book: that Iran isn’t in possession of nuclear weapons and isn’t building them".
Michael Axworthy Michael George Andrew Axworthy (26 September 1962 – 16 March 2019) was a British academic, author, and commentator. He was the head of the Iran section at the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office between 1998 and 2000. Personal life and fami ...
thought that "For the most part, Oborne and Morrison are right and their arguments are strong". A review by Con Coughlin for '' The Jewish Chronicle'' speculated that Oborne's "unhappy descent into the world of international fantasy" owed much to his association with Morrison, and accused "the authors" of "alarming ignorance about the rudimentary principles that underpin the current Iranian regime" and reports from intelligence sources and the
International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology, nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was ...
.


Resignation from ''The Daily Telegraph''

Oborne had re-joined ''The Daily Telegraph'' in May 2010 from the ''Mail'' to write for the newspaper from the following September. On 17 February 2015, Oborne resigned from ''The Daily Telegraph''. In a letter posted to the online news website,
openDemocracy openDemocracy is an independent media platform and news website based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2001, openDemocracy states that through reporting and analysis of social and political issues, they seek to "challenge power and encourage d ...
, Oborne criticised his former employer for the allegedly unscrupulous relationship between their editorial and commercial arms. Specifically, Oborne outlined how the paper would suppress negative stories and drop investigations into the
HSBC HSBC Holdings plc ( zh, t_hk=滙豐; initialism from its founding member The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a British universal bank and financial services group headquartered in London, England, with historical and business li ...
bank, a major source of their advertising revenue, which, in his opinion, compromised their journalistic integrity calling it a "form of fraud on its readers". He also alleged that ''The Telegraph''s coverage of stories relating to British supermarket chain
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...
, shipping company Cunard and the pro-democracy protests in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
had been influenced by commercial considerations. He added, "There are other very troubling cases, many of them set out in '' Private Eye'', which has been a major source of information for ''Telegraph'' journalists wanting to understand what is happening on their paper". The Telegraph group responded to Oborne's claims in a statement: "We aim to provide all our commercial partners with a range of advertising solutions, but the distinction between advertising and our award-winning editorial operation has always been fundamental to our business. We utterly refute any allegation to the contrary." Michael White wrote of Oborne at the time: "What makes him unusual, however, not just among journalists, is his powerful sense of right and wrong".


Career from 2015

In July 2015,
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
broadcast a report by Oborne in which he and producer Anna Meisel investigated the closure a year earlier of
HSBC HSBC Holdings plc ( zh, t_hk=滙豐; initialism from its founding member The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a British universal bank and financial services group headquartered in London, England, with historical and business li ...
bank accounts belonging to British Muslim institutions and individuals. He had originally begun his investigation whilst working for ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'', but the newspaper had refused to publish the resultant article, which had been critical of the bank's decision, triggering his decision to resign. On 30 June 2015, it was announced that Oborne would rejoin the ''
Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...
'' with a weekly political column starting in the autumn and write a weekly column in ''
Middle East Eye ''Middle East Eye'' (MEE) is a United Kingdom-based media website and channel that primarily focuses on news related to the Middle East, North Africa, and the broader Muslim world. The ownership of the organisation is undisclosed. Some sources ...
''. During the nomination process for the
2016 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 8, 2016. The Republican Party (United States), Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana Governor, Indiana governor Mike P ...
, Oborne said that, while
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
"for me is a warmonger" as " ere's never been a war she hasn't supported", the eventual US President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
"in terms of his foreign policy is actually quite sensible. He doesn't want to get involved." In his opinion, the Russian government under
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
and several other governments in the world have "been converted into a form of pillage by a ruling family, individual or ruling elite". Though previously a "strong
Brexiter In the wake of the referendum held in the United Kingdom on 23 June 2016, many new pieces of Brexit-related jargon entered popular use.Al Jazeera. (2018)''Brexit jargon: From backstop to no deal, 17 key terms explained'' (Al Jazeera) Retrieved 2 ...
", Oborne wrote an article for the UK-based political website
openDemocracy openDemocracy is an independent media platform and news website based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2001, openDemocracy states that through reporting and analysis of social and political issues, they seek to "challenge power and encourage d ...
on 7 April 2019, and suggested that the
Brexit Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...
decision needs to be rethought: "So I argue, as a Brexiteer, that we need to take a long deep breath. We need to swallow our pride, and think again. Maybe it means rethinking the Brexit decision altogether." In October 2019, Oborne wrote an article about how journalists and the media are being used by
Downing Street Downing Street is a gated street in City of Westminster, Westminster in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In a cul-de-sac situated off Whiteh ...
to get their false news out, saying: "It's chilling. From ''the Mail'', ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' to the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
and
ITN Independent Television News (ITN) is a UK-based media production and broadcast journalism company. ITN is based in London, with bureaux and offices in Beijing, Brussels, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, New York City, New York, Paris, Sydney and Washin ...
, everyone is peddling Downing Street's lies and smears. They're turning their readers into dupes." The article was rejected by ''The Daily Mail'', ''
The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...
'', and
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
's '' Dispatches'', and Oborne published it on openDemocracy. Oborne said: "This article marked the end of my thirty-year-long career as a writer and broadcaster in the mainstream British press and media. I had been a regular presenter on Radio 4's ''The Week in Westminster'' for more than two decades. It ceased to use me, without explanation. I parted company on reasonably friendly terms with the ''Daily Mail'' after our disagreement." In an interview with ''
Channel 4 News ''Channel 4 News'' is the main news programme on British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since Channel 4's launch in November 1982. Current productions ''Channel 4 News'' ''Channel 4 News'' ...
'', he said that the journalists being used by the
UK government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
include
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
's Laura Kuenssberg and ''
ITV News ITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British news television channel of ITV (TV network), ITV. ITV has a long tradition of television news. ITN, Independent Television News (ITN) was founded to provide news bulletins for the netwo ...
''s
Robert Peston Robert James Kenneth Peston (born 25 April 1960) is an English journalist, presenter, and author. He is the Political Editor of ITV News and host of the weekly political discussion show '' Peston'' (previously '' Peston on Sunday'') alongsid ...
. In 2021, Oborne's book ''The Assault on Truth: Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and the Emergence of a New Moral Barbarism'' was published by
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
. The book examines the measures taken by
Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...
and his ministers in order to win the
2019 United Kingdom general election The 2019 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 12 December 2019, with 47,074,800 registered voters entitled to vote to elect 650 Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Un ...
and force through Brexit. Reviewing the book for ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', William Davies wrote that "Oborne is clinical and merciless in his account of Johnson's mendacity, building up his case item by item, footnote by footnote." In March 2024, Oborne featured in Channel 4’s ‘The Rise and Fall of Boris Johnson.’


Personal life

Oborne describes himself as a "regular
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
churchgoer", and his wife, Martine, is
vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...
at St Michael's Sutton Court in
Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district in West London, split between the London Borough of Hounslow, London Boroughs of Hounslow and London Borough of Ealing, Ealing. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist Wi ...
, west London. The couple have five children. Martine Oborne is also a writer and illustrator. He is a friend of Craig Murray, whom he described as "one of the greatest truth-tellers of our time".


Awards and honours

*2004 William Hill Sports Book of the Year, ''Basil D’Oliveira'' *2005 British Sports Book Awards (Best Biography), ''Basil D’Oliveira'' *2012 Society of Editors Press Awards Columnist of the Year (Broadsheet) *2015 Wisden Book of the Year, ''Wounded Tiger: A History of Cricket in Pakistan'' *2016 Society of Editors Press Awards Columnist of the Year (POP)


Works


Books and pamphlets

* * * ** paperback reprint: Time Warner, 2005. * * * * *
The Pro-Israel Lobby in Britain
' (Co-written with James Jones) Channel 4 Dispatches & Open Democracy, 2009 *
The Children that Britain Betrayed
'. (Co-written with Lynn Ferguson) Channel 4 Dispatches, * ''Guilty Men''. (co-written with Frances Weaver) Centre for Policy Studies, 2011 * * * * * * * *


Radio and television documentaries

* ''Mugabe's Secret Famine'' (Channel 4, May 2003, produced by Paul Yule, Juniper TV) * ''Afghanistan: Here's One We Invaded Earlier'' (Channel 4, May 2003, produced by Paul Yule, Juniper TV) * ''Not Cricket: The Basil D'Oliveira Conspiracy'' (Channel 4, June 2004, produced by Paul Yule, Berwick Universal Pictures) * ''The Dirty Race for the White House'' (Channel 4, November 2004, produced by Ed Braman, Juniper TV) * ''We’re All Criminals Now'' (Channel 4, January 2005, produced by Zoe Hassid, Mentorn in association with Raw TV) * ''Election Unspun: Why Politicians Can't Tell the Truth'' (Channel 4, April 2005, produced by Richard Sanders, Juniper TV) * ''Dispatches: Gordon Brown – Fit for Office?'' (Channel 4, May 2007, directed by Simon Berthon) * ''Dispatches: Iraq – the Betrayal'' (Channel 4, March 2008, produced by Marc Perkins, October Films) * ''Dispatches: It Shouldn't Happen to a Muslim'' (Channel 4, July 2008, produced by Chris Boulding, Quicksilver Media) * ''Dispatches: Iraq – the Legacy'' (Channel 4, December 2008, Richard Sanders, October Films) * ''Afghanistan: Waiting for the Taliban'' (Channel 4, May 2009, produced by Alex Nott, Quicksilver Media) * ''Philippines: Holy Warriors'' (Channel 4, October 2009, produced by George Waldrum, Quicksilver Media) * ''Dispatches: Iraq – the Reckoning'' (Channel 4, July 2009, directed by James Brabazon, Juniper TV) * ''Dispatches: The Children Britain Betrayed'' (Channel 4, July 2009, produced by Lynn Ferguson, First Frame TV) * ''Dispatches: Inside Britain's Israel Lobby'' (Channel 4, November 2009, Produced by Ed Harriman, Hardcash Productions) * ''Conserving What?'' (Radio 4, October 2009, produced by Sheila Cook) * ''Nigeria's Killing Fields'' (Channel 4, April 2010, produced by Andy Wells, Quicksilver Media) * ''Tabloids, Tories and Telephone Hacking'' (Channel 4, October 2010, produced by Sally Brindle and Jenny Evans, Blakeway Productions) * ''Pakistan: After the Floods'' (Channel 4, November 2010, directed by Simon Phillips, Quicksilver Media) * ''Pakistan: Defenders of Karachi'' (Channel 4, April 2011, directed by Edward Watts, Quicksilver Media) * ''Dispatches: The Wonderful World of Tony Blair'' (Channel 4, September 2011, directed by James Brabazon, Blast!) * ''Libya: My Week with Gunmen'' (Channel 4, June 2012, directed by Richard Cookson, Quicksilver Media) * ''Dispatches: Murdoch, Cameron & the £8 Billion Deal'' (Channel 4, June 2012, Blakeway Productions) * ''HSBC, Muslims and Me'' (BBC Radio 4, July 2015, produced by Anna Meisel) * ''Peter Oborne's Chilcot Report'' (BBC Radio 4, October 2015, produced by Hannah Barnes) * ''Al Qaeda in Syria'' (BBC Radio 4, December 2015, produced by Joe Kent) * ''All Out In Pakistan'' (BBC World, May 2017, directed by Paul Yule, Berwick Universal Pictures) * ''Oborne and Heller on Cricket'' (Chiswick Calendar, 2020-ongoing, podcast)


See also

* Politico-media complex (PMC)


Notes


References


External links

* *
Oborne & Heller on Cricket
podcast *Shepherd, R
"Another Vast Jewish Conspiracy"
''
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'', November 2009 {{DEFAULTSORT:Oborne, Peter 1957 births Living people People from Poole Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge British male journalists English Anglicans English people of Scottish descent Conservatism in the United Kingdom People educated at Sherborne School Cricket writers