Chris Mason, a BBC journalist of the Robbie Gibb era
The BBC’s political correspondent Chris Mason’s report of the 2025 Reform UK conference held at the Birmingham NEC earlier in September marked him out as a Farage Fanboy. So much so that a satirical take on it made it into the pages of Private Eye
Chris Mason: Reform conference shows party’s growing ambition like never before – BBC News
Robbie Gibb, a Boris Johnson appointment to the BBC Board, praised Mason in a recent appearance before the Commons, Media, Culture and Sport Committee.
Mason is styled as the BBC’s Political Editor. What exactly the job description is, is not clear. On 1st December Mason decided he would pronounce that in his view Rachel Reeves was not telling the truth on a key point around the Budget. Whatever her qualities Reeves like a number of the Government is not the sharpest political operator so perhaps she indeed make a mistake, tried to her wider Treasury rules mindset (which btw kept the bond market quiet). However do we need to know Mason’s personal view? Would he perhaps be better off with his own chat show on GB News?
Chris Mason: Why, in my judgement, Reeves was misleading on one specific point – BBC News
Mason has been around for a while and Rishi Sunak’s Chief Whip Simon Hart had lunch with him at the Cinammon Club in May 2021 (before he was Chief Whip) and noted that he was ‘penetrating but engaging’. This of course was before Robbie Gibb made his influence count.
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