蜜芽传媒

Good Morning
John Cole, the 蜜芽传媒鈥檚 former political editor whose death was announced yesterday, formed and fashioned the political picture for many people in Britain throughout the Thatcher era.

It was only when I heard of his death yesterday, and dug out my copy of his autobiography 鈥淎s it seemed to me鈥� that I realised, on reflection, his enormous gift of interpretation. He could make the most difficult of political scenarios understandable.

Cole came from a Protestant Unionist Family and was a member of the boy鈥檚 brigade. After working for the Belfast Telegraph and then the Guardian and the Observer [he was deputy editor on both] John got the call from the 蜜芽传媒 to become political editor. He said: 鈥淯s modern Presbyterians don鈥檛 believe in predestination but on this occasion I thought I鈥檇 give it a whizz,鈥� and the rest is history.

My most vibrant memories of John Cole鈥檚 career came just a few months after he had had major heart surgery, outside the Grand Hotel after the Brighton bombing interviewing a perfectly calm Mrs Thatcher. He innately knew the seriousness of that moment. His depth of understanding of the Irish question coupled with the challenges facing the British government enabled him to ask the right questions and respond appropriately to the answers. His accent had the effect of offering reassurance, even after the hardest, most shocking, headlines.

Writing one of his last major pieces, in the British Journalism Review just a few years ago, John asked a pertinent question: 鈥渨ho do we think is more responsible for the sad state into which public life has fallen, the media or the politicians?

With typical candour he said it was easy for journalists to 鈥渃ontemplate the low public esteem in which our elected representatives are held, [to] rub our hands, and murmur: "There but for the grace of God go I"; except 鈥� he continues 鈥� 鈥渢hat God has not shown such grace, since we ourselves are in the danger zone of the popularity league table, together with politicians and estate agents.鈥�

A verse from the last Book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, speaks of a wonderful view from heaven making all things new and this command: 鈥淲rite this down, for these words are trustworthy and true鈥�.

For me personally, there are no more fitting words for the life鈥檚 work of John Cole. May he rest in peace.

Show less