Mr Adam Boulton, Political Editor at Sky News
Adam Boulton featured as the Political Society’s first speaker of the year. The Sky News correspondent spoke extensively about his experiences covering events in Westminster, providing unique insights into British politics. He described the improbable rise of Ed Miliband and his surprise election as Labour leader. As host of one of the Prime Ministerial debates, Mr Boulton brought to light the weeks of planning that led to ‘Cleggmania’ and the enhanced democratic nature of the event. He also mentioned and justified his spat with Alistair Campbell, to much amusement. There was an acknowledgment that even those in the media are not protected from its invasive powers, as he spoke about having to overcome a difficult patch in his personal life.
After his talk, Mr Boulton took questions from the floor. He sees Miliband as a centrist politician and urged the public not to underestimate him, speaking on the evening of the new leader’s impressive debut at the dispatch box. He defended his profession’s handling of the expenses scandal, asserting that it was the media’s duty to uncover such abuse of the system and proposing a new deal whereby MPs would be paid £100,000 p/a and not be allowed expenses. The evening drew to a close with the audience feeling satisfied with coherent answers from an honest personality.
Nick Abel Smith (PMG)
