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Tony Howard

Michael Crick | 11:25 UK time, Monday, 20 December 2010

The death of Tony Howard is especially sad news for Newsnight.

In the 1990s, when Tim Gardam and Peter Horrocks were our editors, he was a very regular contributor to the programme. His film reports and studio analysis added a great historical perspective to the events of the time.

"What happened today reminds me of the Labour Party conference in 1963, when Harold Wilson told Richard Crossman ..." he would say with great authority.

Tony had an extraordinary memory for detail and anecdote, and for drawing historical parallels, and his contributions did a lot to spice up Newsnight's political output.

Like many journalists and writers, I owe a lot to Tony personally. He was editor of the New Statesman in the 1970s when I started subscribing to it as a schoolboy. It was a great magazine in those days, highly readable and vital to anyone interested in politics.

Tony developed a highly talented young team around him, both political and literary - encouraging and nurturing superb writers such as Christopher Hitchens, Julian Barnes, Martin Amis and James Fenton.

In the same spirit, Tony started a student column in the Statesman in 1976, soliciting contributions from the universities. So I immediately submitted what turned out to be my first ever article in the national press, though in truth it was radically rewritten by Patrick Wintour, another of Tony's young NS recruits.

Years later, in 1992, when Tim Gardam appointed me to the Newsnight reporting team, it was partly on Tony's recommendation.

Tony loved being in the company of young people, enthusing them with his wisdom and experience, encouraging and helping them to get into journalism and politics.

Presidents of the Oxford and Cambridge Unions, and university political clubs, could always rely on him to accept their invitations to speak. When I invited him to the Oxford Union in 1979 there was a mix-up over which side of the motion he was speaking on, but he happily proposed the opposite argument to that which he believed.

And later we sat up late in the steward's house at the Union talking politics. Indeed, I think he was the first Union guest to stay overnight on the premises.

One of Tony's most successful proteges was the novelist Robert Harris, who invited him to Cambridge as president of both the University Fabian Society, and then of the Union.

Less than a decade later, when Howard was deputy editor of The Observer, he got Harris appointed as the paper's political editor.

But Tony's career never quite reached the journalistic heights which he deserved. He would have been a brilliant editor of a national newspaper. But the opportunity never came.

Few Fleet Street chairs are available for serious men of the Left, and the two obvious papers for Tony - The Guardian and the Observer - tended to keep their editors in place for many years.

He had to content himself with running the New Statesman, and later the Listener, and then his deputy role on the Observer.

Still, it left Tony with more time for his articles, columns and book reviews, his many radio and TV broadcasts, and for his own books, which included biographies of RAB Butler, Richard Crossman and Basil Hume.

He also helped Michael Heseltine with his memoirs, Life in the Jungle.

I will miss him. So will his many Newsnight colleagues over the years.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    TONY HOWARD HAD GRAVITAS - HE WAS IN NO WAY EDGY

    When Howard appeared I paid 100% attention.

    I doubt we shall see his like on Newsnight again.

    Sic transit gloria mundi.

    Nuff sed

  • Comment number 2.

    Tony always came across as a kind and gentle man. There aren't many of them left in journalism these days.

    Maybe it's because Tony was moulded from a kinder more statist society.

  • Comment number 3.

    Most people, of several generations who were even remotely interested in politics, will have gained from the input of the highly intelligent, articulate and genuine gentleman that was Tony Howard.

    Unfortunately, in the last 10 years, Mr Howard was increasingly missing on many serious political programs on the ´óÏó´«Ã½.

    Nevertheless, Mr Howard's memory for me was of his polite approach and, more importantly, his enormous breadth of knowledge of so many subjects, not just politics. There were too narrow approaches that Mr Howard focussed on. But he countered those with other views too.

    He will be missed for everything he gave to politics and society perhaps? Whether you agreed with him, or not, his views and politics were based on serious research. Everyone who works that hard on education cannot be denied recognition?

  • Comment number 4.

    I'm gutted about the death of Anthony Howard.

  • Comment number 5.

    "Tony always came across as a kind and gentle man. There aren't many of them left in journalism these days."

    -------------------

    Brian Hanarahan excepting...of course! A true gentleman.

    They are in fine company.

  • Comment number 6.

    loved that man Tony Howard, always appreciated his insight and what a shrewed political operator but with endless compassion...sadly missed, regards to his family....

  • Comment number 7.

    Tony Howard was a man of wisdom, benevolence and compassion. Whenever he was on TV or radio I'd always stop and listen. Thank you for many memorable broadcasts over the years.

  • Comment number 8.

    I have only just found this entry on Michael's blog. I would always rush to the radio or TV if I heard the tones of Anthony Howard. I loved the historical perspective he brought to his items. I will miss his insights. He is irreplaceable.

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