Robbie Gibb

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sir Robbie Gibb
Downing Street Director of Communications
In office
6 July 2017 – 24 July 2019
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byKatie Perrior
Succeeded byLee Cain
Personal details
Born
Robbie Paul Gibb

1964 (age 56–57)
NationalityBritish
Spouse(s)Liz
RelationsNick Gibb (brother)
Children2
Alma materRoyal Holloway, University of London
OccupationPublic relations professional • political advisor • broadcast journalist

Sir Robbie Paul Gibb (born September 1964)[1] is a British public relations professional, political advisor, and broadcast journalist.[2]

Robbie Gibb, brother of Conservative MP Nick Gibb, was the head of the BBC's political programme output before leaving the BBC in July 2017 to become Director of Communications at 10 Downing Street.

Early life[]

Gibb was born in September 1964 and attended Royal Holloway, University of London. Like his brother Nick, in his early years Gibb was recruited and trained by the National Alliance of Russian Solidarists, a Russian anticommunist organisation.[3]

Journalism career[]

Gibb is a former editor of the BBC's Sunday Politics and Daily Politics programmes.

Gibb was head of BBC Westminster, in overall charge of the BBC's political programme output – Daily and Sunday Politics, The Andrew Marr Show, This Week and Radio 4's Westminster Hour. Prior to joining the political team at Westminster he was deputy editor of BBC Two's Newsnight.

During the 2016 EU referendum campaign Gibb was editor of The Great Debate at Wembley Arena. He also edited the BBC's 2017 general election debate.

In August 2020 it was reported that he was a leading light behind GB News – a new television channel[4] which had been licensed (by the broadcasting regulator Ofcom) in January of the same year,[5] and aimed to begin broadcasting in 2021. He stood down as GB News' editorial adviser in October.[6]

In April 2021 it was reported Gibb would join the BBC Board as the Member for England, following his comments about "woke" and "endemic" bias in entertainment output.[6] He sought to block Jess Brammar's appointment to a role overseeing the BBC's news channels over concerns that Brammar, a former editor of HuffPost UK, would damage relations with the government.[7] Prominent members of the Labour Party, including Angela Rayner, deputy leader, called for his resignation, saying it was "Tory cronyism at the heart of the BBC".[8]

Political roles[]

Gibb was a political advisor and chief of staff to the then Shadow Chancellor Francis Maude. He played a leading role in Michael Portillo's unsuccessful campaign to be leader of the Conservative Party.[9][10]

In July 2017, it was announced that Gibb would become Director of Communications at 10 Downing Street following the departure of Katie Perrior.[11][9] Gibb is a long standing supporter of Brexit.[12] In April 2019, he was accused by former Conservative minister Nick Boles of being "a hard Brexiteer who wants to destroy the PM's new search for a cross party compromise".[13]

Personal life[]

Gibb is the brother of Conservative MP and Schools Minister Nick Gibb.[10] He is married to Liz, and has two daughters.[14]

He was appointed a Knight Bachelor in Theresa May's resignation honours on 10 September 2019.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ "Robbie Paul GIBB". Companies House. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  2. ^ "The inside track on the man putting words in Theresa May's mouth". Evening Standard. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  3. ^ Buchanan, Kirsty (19 March 2021). "The senior Tories with the secret Soviet past". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  4. ^ Forrest, Adam (31 August 2020). "GB News: Former No 10 official 'leading effort to launch BBC competitor'". The Independent. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  5. ^ "TV broadcast licensing monthly updates - Ofcom". ofcom.org.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  6. ^ a b Rajan, Amol (29 April 2021). "Sir Robbie Gibb to join BBC Board". BBC News. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  7. ^ Barker, Alex; Bond, David; Parker, George (9 July 2021). "BBC director sought to block senior editorial appointment". Financial Times. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  8. ^ Skopeliti, Clea; Allegretti, Aubrey (10 July 2021). "Labour demands resignation of No 10 ally accused of trying to block BBC appointment". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  9. ^ a b "BBC Daily Politics editor Robbie Gibb to join No 10". BBC News. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  10. ^ a b Walker, Peter; Mason, Rowena (6 July 2017). "Theresa May hires BBC's Robbie Gibb as communications chief". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  11. ^ Mason, Rowena (6 July 2017). "Robbie Gibb: No 10's 'fair, flexible and very modern' new spin doctor". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  12. ^ "BBC politics chief named as Theresa May's new director of communications". The Independent. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  13. ^ Johnson, Andrew (4 April 2019). "Robbie Gibb: PM's top aide is a hard Brexiteer wrecker, says Nick Boles". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  14. ^ "The inside track on the man putting words in Theresa May's mouth". Evening Standard. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  15. ^ "Resignation Honours 2019". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
Government offices
Preceded by Downing Street Director of Communications
2017–2019 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from ""